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I think a D200 would actually be a smarter choice - they are trendy, they are sportier, they look the part and a breeze to ride in city. The TB500 is a more mature bike - it'd suit someone who seeks all-day relaxed riding. Commuting and mixed cycles are best handled by 180-220cc middleweight bikes (in Indian bike terms only. Internationally, middleweights refer to 600-800cc)

Since you've shortlisted only these two bikes, I am not commenting on any other options - though you could still consider a P220 or P200NS or an Avenger, depending on your comfort and styling preferences.

First of all, congrats as you have decided for a new bike.
You have two different machines in your view. Lets not forget that these are entirely different bikes from each other as one is a streetfighter & one a cruiser bike.
First lets start with thunderbird 500, well its a Gem. Great bike, good torque, great power delivery & very comfortable both in city & highways. An enlarged fuel tank gives it a massive appeal & as its of 20 litres, no need to visit petrol pumps frequently New features include a projector headlamp, new meters with tachometer & an LCD display, a new Exhaust pipe.
Coming to mileage figures, it returns 27-29 kmpl in heavy traffic and 31-32 on highways. Has goof flickability, handles really well. The 27 Bhp UCE motor does job well. Infact its THRILLING HIGHWAY PERFORMER WHICH NEVER LETS YOU DOWN
The next, KTM DUKE-200. The bike which entirely changed the demand for streetfighters, & infact made it on top.
The bike looks awesome, massive, handles great. Great advanced features technically, 4 valve, liquid cooled, help in thrilling performance. Overall its a POWERHOUSE.
25Hp engine , underbelly exhaust, one thing you will love in the Duke-200 is it begs for power, as you wring the throttle, you can see serious power. 0-100 in below 10 secs.
Upsidedown forks, widest rear tyre of 150mm which provides superb roadgrip. Mileage figures are 32-33 kmpl in city & 35-36 plus on highways.
But Duke's tank is only 10.5 litres. Which might be a hassle for extreme tourers. But duke is better for a single rider, the pillion seat is not at all good.
The choice is your's. But if you not that intrested in to cruising , and you want to be quick, in traffic & free on Highways, its better you go with the Duke. and save those 40k.

Of the two, I would recommend the duke 200. It gives you a thrilling experience that no other bikes in that category can deliver and it has a rev happy engine. Thunderbird is more suited for people who have 70km+ commute everyday and its more sedate compared to the duke. If you can extend your budget a little more to 2.0 lakhs, then there is the CBR 250R(ABS)

Thanks, you have given a very nice overview about both the bikes. The most important Question in my mind is will the tb suit me or not . almost everyone i consulted told me to go with the duke , but i just cant get over the tb. I think there is only one solution that is getting both the bikes , with the duke coming first and the tb500 after a few months(maybe years).

Ezil my dad still has the cbr in his mind as there is no better looking 250cc bike than in. Will se if i can get the tricolor version. the waiting period for the cbr has increased a lot now

If you can get the CBR, just go for it, even if you have to wait longer. Its worth the wait. You won't get a better 250 cc bike than the CBR 250R ABS in that price range and segment.

Just so you know, RE doesn't provide warranty on the paint of the Matte Black colour. So if the colour loses its finish or chips off or blisters, you're on your own. There have been instances of this happening with alarming regularity is the worrying fact. So you would be better advised to opt for a different colour if you don't want the additional headache.

There is a bike which looks better than CBR if im not wrong
The HYOSUNG GT-250R, however its overpriced a bit. Have a confirmed news from BIKE INDIA that DSK MOTORS & HYOSUNG are planning to assemble the Next batch of GT-250Rs in india itself in coming 11 months & it would bring down the cost of the bike down to 1.5 LAKH

That's sad. I think that if ill go with the tb then ill get some kind of a color protecting lacquer sprayed over it(dont know if its available in pune). I dnt think any other colour looks as appealing as the matte black, but the blue-black color also sounds good(didnt get a chance to see it yet)

Hyosung gt250r looks nice though but they have very odd color combinations. Had a ride on it when they put up a stall near my college. The seating posture is that of a sports bike so wont be comfy for long rides , but the bike sounded the best

As the Tb and the duke belongs to two different segments, you have to pick the one that come close to your needs. As you are a college guy, looks and performance appeals the most. While the duke quenches your thirst for performance, the Thunderbird gives you the ultimate comfort of a cruiser. Or you can go for the CBR 250, which is a smart sports tourer. It has good ride quality, good power, excellent dynamics, astonishing looks and what else you need. In other words, a complete sports package. Being a honda, reliability is not a question. I would suggest you to go for the CBR 250 and that too the ABS version. And what about the Ninja 250R

I feel that one should not compromise with comfort over looks. CBR is great but i personally like the duke over it. Cannot get a ninja as my first bike as im not used to that amount of power ,but can think of it as a 2nd or third bike(my dad wants to get around 5 bikes over some years ). Plus ninja 250 is costly and the bookings have been closed as the new ninja 300 is about to come

I have a very similar dilemma choosing between RE Bullet 350 UCE and Duke 200.
Now after 3 days spent with 350 Bullet Electra at GOA, I know that 350 UCE is comfy
for distanced tour, however, KTM has always been my dream and a far more advanced bike.

The problem is that I will ride with passenger so that means DUKE's small back seat may not
be the best idea for long ride, god I'd really wish I can just own 2 together !!

In that case, I will stop wondering here but try to enjoy the ride most of my time, ha ha.
But I do hope you choose what's the best for you and the one you truly loved !

I never like having a pillion rider(dont have a regular person riding with me,occasionaly have a friend or my dad). while riding the tb500 never felt like a guy was sitting at the back ,on the duke however it was quite noticable. Have abt two weeks to decide. Should i wait for duke 390(i like the abs its coming with)

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I'm not sure whether the 390 is going to hit the markets in two weeks. It may take little longer. Also we don't yet know whether the 390 will come with the ABS right away, or whether the ABS will be added later like they did to the 200. Also we don't think the 390 will come at any price lesser than 2.0 lakhs. So you may have to extend your budget. If you can extend your budget to 2 lakhs, I would personally suggest that you pick the CBR 250 R if you are really in a hurry, because its an excellent product from Honda. We don't yet know how the 390 will be. If you are going to get the first batch of the 390s, expect some niggles(similar to those they had on the 200). So you got two choices, if you want the 390, you have to wait for it, atleast until the first batches are out and then buy it or get the CBR. Even though the 390 would give a lot more for a price just a little over the CBR, I would personally pick the CBR.