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**antz.bin** · 11-14-2012, 10:54 PM

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You are pretty much spot on with your observations. We can help you better if you tell us which city do you stay in and the kind of traffic in your commute route.

If the bike is to be used in the urban confines, nakeds work better. Faired bikes fair better on longer rides out of town. Choose wisely as per your requirements.

**somen1984** · 11-15-2012, 02:59 AM

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

Hi all,
Test rode Apache RTR 180, Pulsar 200NS, Yamaha R15 V2, CBR 250R and Ninja 250R and below is my thoughts (purely based on my experience with test rides, no offence to anyone)-

You want the best handling followed with power, so any given day it is R15, but compare to today's market it lacks the power.

You want a bike for daily office rides but same time you are looking for sports riding position ?? How come ??

mark my words sports riding is only good for occasional ridings or weekend rides. But for daily riding it should be comfort first!!
Where NS200 or RTR 180, CBR comes before R15.
for daily ride your ZMA was good, if want to go ahead then CBR250 is better in terms of upgrade. if only features are too be concerned then ZMR is also good ZMA.

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

RTR 180-
Pulsar 200NS-
Duke- TOY!
CBR250R-
Ninja250R-

Your review points it to sports riding. So what's the confusion ??
But I don't think you will enjoy R15 over ZMA.
1. comfort
2. power compared to ZMA is very low. If there is a pillion then ZMA performance more better then R15 or CBR 150.

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

R15 V2- Loved the ride posture, didn't got a chance to test the power but certainly it would be more then Fazer which is good for me. Razor sharp handling and ride dynamics made me book the bike but but but- Pillion seat - " Where is it- I can't see you. Why the hell you put it on the next floor??? Hey rider and pillion have to travel on a same bike!!!! Haven't cancelled the booking yet.

R15 is for people who love Yamaha or Sports riding entirely compromising over power and speed, which can be brought by other bikes.
R15 owners don't care a dam for pillion seat or comfort. And fun is with a pillion only.

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

Been seeing a lot of used R15 V2 in resale market- reason could be bike is hard on back and wrists. Looks might tempt the buyers but practicality take its toll. Might be buying a 2012 model at 75% of the original price if nothing else fits the bill.

No one sells off R15 due to it's riding position, becuase anyone who buys it knows it well that it's not at all for comfort.
Selling is due to
1.pillion seat
2. less power compare to Duke or NS or CBR250.

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

R15V1- Might buy it as Pillion seat is atleast visible in one shot.

This won't make sense when you have CBR 150 and better V2 in market.

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

CBR150R- Planning to take a test ride.

For daily rides, CBR 150 is much better then R15 with a pillion requirement.

Buying R15 you have to be clear with pillion and comfort level and power to speed requirement.

**passiautonate** · 11-15-2012, 03:07 PM

Thanks Antz. I am from Pune. Will be riding the bikes 80% on city highways and 20% on non congested roads.

Originally posted by somen1984 View Post

You want the best handling followed with power, so any given day it is R15, but compare to today's market it lacks the power.

You want a bike for daily office rides but same time you are looking for sports riding position ?? How come ??
Your review points it to sports riding. So what's the confusion ??
R15 owners don't care a dam for pillion seat or comfort. And fun is with a pillion only.

No one sells off R15 due to it's riding position, becuase anyone who buys it knows it well that it's not at all for comfort.
Selling is due to
1.pillion seat
2. less power compare to Duke or NS or CBR250.

Thanks Somen!
Apologies I didn't make it that clear in my earlier post- I am looking for a weekly (once in a week) commute to office on bike- preferrable Fridays. I have my car for the rest of week days.

Well on R15 resale I will stick to my opinion as you said nobody buys V2 for pillion comfort which is visibly non existent in this bike. So people knew it before the deal.Albeit a short test ride doesn't make you familiar with hardships of daily commute- wrist pain, backache etc. I have seen plenty of 3 months old bike going on sale simply because people who are buying these mostly buy this as single source of commute and as commute becomes uncomfortable- looks get faded it's time to move on. Strictly my thought and you have every right to differ.

For me I want to buy a bike just to satisfy my urge of motor biking. It would not be primary mode of commute and should be fun to ride and safe.

Thanks,

**antz.bin** · 11-15-2012, 03:30 PM

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

Thanks Antz. I am from Pune. Will be riding the bikes 80% on city highways and 20% on non congested roads.

Thanks Somen!
Apologies I didn't make it that clear in my earlier post- I am looking for a weekly (once in a week) commute to office on bike- preferrable Fridays. I have my car for the rest of week days.

For me I want to buy a bike just to satisfy my urge of motor biking. It would not be primary mode of commute and should be fun to ride and safe.

Thanks,

Well to have fun, us boys need our toys

.

Either that, or an RE Classic. The rest, well, do too many things.

If you are willing to wait for the 2013 editions, you might get the option of getting ABS with the Duke 200(/390)

**Ezilkannan** · 11-15-2012, 03:48 PM

What's your budget? From what you've said, you aren't going to use the ride excessively. Its going to be a once in a week ride and you have mentioned that you want the ride to just satisfy your urge for biking. If you aren't bothered about pillion, go for the duke 200. Like Antz mentioned above, if you can wait till 2013 and have a 2~2.5 L budget, pick the D390 with ABS. If you're concerned with pillion comfort, pick the CBR 250 ABS. Or if you are not willing to spend so much, you can pick the R15 or CBR 150 depending on pillion needs. Personally I would suggest that you wait for the ABS version of D200 or D390 as these are much more fun to ride compared to others. Ofcourse the ride(D200) is stiffer in terms of suspension and its short geared, but I've not seen anyone complain much about it. They have got used to the ride, just like people get used to R15s sporty riding position. So all in all, the rider won't be complaining much, its the pillion(if you're going to have one) that will have all the worries.

P.S: I'm not sure whether this is a rumour, but I've heard that the D390 has a higher gear ratio than the 200, so the 390 is not going to be as short-geared as the 200. Don't know much about the suspension though.

**neobiker** · 11-15-2012, 04:27 PM

I use CBR150R for daily ride to office 35kms round trip. It is the closest to R15 v2 with a pillion seat. But one thing, you need to test drive the CBR 150R in the highway and not in the city. I can say, it is comfortable, less aggressive seating than R15. Next to R15, you get the best handling, decent power and very good brakes.

Also, clarify on your budget because you have started from RTR 180 ABS which is 90K+ to N250 which is 3.3 LAC+.

If you are keen on ABS & has good budget, go for CBR 250R ABS. Nothing like that. Powerful, ABS brakes and good pillion comfort.

**passiautonate** · 11-15-2012, 07:54 PM

Hi Neobiker! How is CBR 150R different from 250R- not in terms of sheer power. How is the riding position and handling in comparison. 250R is more like a bigger Karizma IMHO. I am planning to take a test ride if the dealer permits.

Budget is not much a concern as I could wait to fill the wallet before proceeding with the purchase. Means I can wait for the new launches also- max till Q1 2013. My purpose of going for a bike is to relive the hobby. So I am not willing to do many compromises as far as driving pleasure is concerned. A brand new N250R is not at the radar at the moment as I don't perceive value @ 3.25 lacs. After test ride I didn't feel like paying so much- No offence meant for existing Ninja owner- It's a great bike . Though I am open for a used Ninja 250R at around 2 lacs.

I am hoping and praying for the launch of CBR 500R which looks more sporty than 250R. It's at present priced at $6k in US which is 50% more then 250R at $4K. Let's see how sensibly they price it in India. Anything around 3-3.5 and I am game for it.

**madhav766** · 11-15-2012, 09:31 PM

Re: Looking for a bike to get me closer to road

Very very interesting thread you have here. My first seeing someone buying a bike to relive an old but Alive passion!

Seeing that you have no qualms about the pricing, why isn't a hyosung on the list?

Sent from my WT19i

**Ezilkannan** · 11-15-2012, 09:49 PM

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

Hi Neobiker! How is CBR 150R different from 250R- not in terms of sheer power. How is the riding position and handling in comparison. 250R is more like a bigger Karizma IMHO. I am planning to take a test ride if the dealer permits.

Budget is not much a concern as I could wait to fill the wallet before proceeding with the purchase. Means I can wait for the new launches also- max till Q1 2013. My purpose of going for a bike is to relive the hobby. So I am not willing to do many compromises as far as driving pleasure is concerned. A brand new N250R is not at the radar at the moment as I don't perceive value @ 3.25 lacs. After test ride I didn't feel like paying so much- No offence meant for existing Ninja owner- It's a great bike . Though I am open for a used Ninja 250R at around 2 lacs.

I am hoping and praying for the launch of CBR 500R which looks more sporty than 250R. It's at present priced at $6k in US which is 50% more then 250R at $4K. Let's see how sensibly they price it in India. Anything around 3-3.5 and I am game for it.

We are not 100% sure whether Honda has plans to introduce the 500 R in India and if so, at what price. Some state it at 3~3.5, others say it would be less than 3. You'll have to wait to decide.

P.S: I'm also eagerly awaiting the release of CBR 500R for sales in India and its price tag. Anything less than 3 L, I'm game for it

**neobiker** · 11-15-2012, 11:17 PM

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

Hi Neobiker! How is CBR 150R different from 250R- not in terms of sheer power. How is the riding position and handling in comparison. 250R is more like a bigger Karizma IMHO. I am planning to take a test ride if the dealer permits.

Budget is not much a concern as I could wait to fill the wallet before proceeding with the purchase. Means I can wait for the new launches also- max till Q1 2013. My purpose of going for a bike is to relive the hobby. So I am not willing to do many compromises as far as driving pleasure is concerned. A brand new N250R is not at the radar at the moment as I don't perceive value @ 3.25 lacs. After test ride I didn't feel like paying so much- No offence meant for existing Ninja owner- It's a great bike . Though I am open for a used Ninja 250R at around 2 lacs.

I am hoping and praying for the launch of CBR 500R which looks more sporty than 250R. It's at present priced at $6k in US which is 50% more then 250R at $4K. Let's see how sensibly they price it in India. Anything around 3-3.5 and I am game for it.

I test drove both 250R and 150R back to back and decided on 150R because I was more comfortable in 150R.

If you want the exact diff.

CBR 250R- Touring machine with good torque and power. Little heavy around 167 kgs. Has ABS option and STD option in Brakes. VFM machine and comfortable seating which aides touring. Max speed is 155+ Kmph or something like that.
For more info on CBR 250R, you can probably refer aargee's FAQ's in Ownership thread.

CBR 150R - Track machine with comfortable seating. Weight is around 137 Kgs. Very good grippy tyres and fantastic brakes. It is light weight, very smooth engine, absolutely no vibrations at any speed. My ht is 5.5 and weigh around 75 kgs and it was comfortable maneuvering in the city traffic. On the speed front I have tried till 132 KMPh and many have done 140+ kmph. Due to little less torque, you need to play with the gears in the city ride. But I didn't find it very difficult as gear shift is very smooth and slots perfectly well. On FE I get around 38-44 KMPL, ordinary petrol.

I have done some highway stints and 150R performs just fine and cruises around 100+ very comfortably.

My factors which made me to go for 150R are budget (I had a max of 1.5Lac), looks & colors (I have an orange deluxe one) and Weight. Performance/speed wise I don't know about others but not many times I will cross 120+, I am not a cornering person also. I just wanted a good looking sport bike for daily commute. My first choice was R15 V2 but due to pillion seat & little aggressive seating, I went for CBR 150R.

Please TD both 250R and 150R couple of time with different dealers and finalize.

**passiautonate** · 11-16-2012, 02:33 AM

Thanks Neobiker, I will test ride a 150R as I have already ridden 250.

Originally posted by madhav766 View Post

Very very interesting thread you have here. My first seeing someone buying a bike to relive an old but Alive passion!

Seeing that you have no qualms about the pricing, why isn't a hyosung on the list?

I thought of GT650N- OTR at 4.5 lacs was not a bad option, but decided against it-

-- Reliability more from a dealership point of you, not sure how long they will survive with competition getting fiercier
-- Constant niggles- Not sure would like to make 2 trips, one for leisure and one for repair

-- Little or no snob value- in Naked (personal opinion)
-- Finally most important, Lack of ABS option- with this powerful bike an ABS is absolute must. Probably would have bought if ABS was offered

Gt650R was anyway not in contention because of its weight. GT250R - 27 BHP with 170 kg (and 3.1 lac OTR) of mass was never an option in front of Ninja 250R. I think even Garware announced that they are planning put up a local factory and prices will come down.

Anyways, yet to go for the test ride may decide against it.

**somen1984** · 11-17-2012, 11:13 AM

Originally posted by passiautonate View Post

Thanks Antz. I am from Pune. Will be riding the bikes 80% on city highways and 20% on non congested roads.
For me I want to buy a bike just to satisfy my urge of motor biking. It would not be primary mode of commute and should be fun to ride and safe.

Thanks,

If you want fun to ride then any time Duke!!

If you want safety with power and speed for highway and eligibly for city then CBR 250!! ABS @ 2.0L

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