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**The Monk** · 10-31-2013, 01:25 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

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**Rakesh Rok** · 10-31-2013, 03:00 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Originally posted by jitzm View Post

I am planning to upgrade my current Discover 100 to a much powerful bike. I am quite confused on which one I should go for.
I am 29 years old, 5.5' in height. Daily I would ride close to 35 kms to office and have occassional weeekend trips. I am married and would insist on the pillion comfort as I would prefer to go by bike in city as its quite easy to park and drive. I dwell in coimbatore and traffic is mostly moderate, not heavy as in cities like Bangalore. I am bit on heavier side and I feel the discover is quite low in power and very poor stability and scary brakes

. I was using an avengar 180 prior to this and sold it because I felt the machine lacked power and even I maintained well it started showing the signs of ageing by 3 years.

My Main priority :
1) Safety . As I am really getting scared of driving my discover.
2) Comfortable ride and decent power
3) Reliability

Based on my knowledge and taste I have listed the following bikes and their cons/pros IMO.

1) 200 ns :
PROS: A very good performer for that price. Good power, mileage, new concept, very cost effective. Its cheap considering the others I have listed, so even I can buy an additional scooter if I want to take family out as the pillion seat is not that inspiring.

CONS: Saddle Height, I felt the saddle is quiet high for my height and not sure if I would be able manage it.
Pillion seat : Not that comfortable as the pillion seat very high.
Reliability : I am riding on Bajaj biked for the past 8 years. I am little bit skeptical about the quality once the bike is aged.

2) CBR 150R :
PROS: A revv happy motor from HONDA

. Can get a premium feel when riding it with good looks. Comfortable posture, better pillion and Mileage(compared to R15).
HONDA reliability (I hope so). High tech engine.
Saddle height, I can easily ride without any hassle.

Cons: I am on heavier side so I dont know how good I would look if I am gonna ride it

. Should not look ugly on that.
Sporty ergonomics. Not sure if I get a back ache or wrist pains.

Poor pillion comfort. Is it better than 200ns or worse ?
Vibes on the fairing.
Price, felt quite heavy as compared to others. Not sure if really worth.

3) Thunderbird 350 : I know its like comparing apple and oranges when compared with 200ns and CBR 150R. But still want to include the cruiser as I really loved the seating in avengar.

PROS : Cruiser ride. Ample power and torque for easy riding with pillion.
Very good pillion comfort as I can take my family with me easily without any power drop or issues.
Carry things using saddle bags after shopping.
Feel like vfm comparing against CBR150R as both are priced almost same.
The sound ( I want machines to growl, never liked silent bikes like unicorn ).
Look good when I ride it as I am on heavier side

Good resale value compared to others. Correct me if I am wrong.

Cons : The usual RE issues like vibes, rusting, rattling and other niggles. I fear if I need to spend most of my time in workshops.

.
After paying so much money, I should not get head aches .
FE. Poor FE compared to others.

As of now, three months back I went ahead and booked the TB350 so that I can make a decision by then as it has a very high waiting time compared to others. The only vehicle I have test ridden is TB350.

So I have listed down all the PROS and CONS (according to me) of bikes . I need expertise help to make a decision which one to go.

Please let me know the best service center for these bikes in Coimbatore. I had a very bad experience with Bajaj service here and even my friends are not satisfied with HONDA service. I am not sure if I can ask this question here.

Thanks in advance for your insights.

If only these three bikes are what you are considering and not others then I will put down my views about them in short,

1. Pulsar 200NS - Best machine made by Bajaj as of yet. . .

Pros: Unique look, good power and torque, awesome brakes (as once I was in 85kph or so and wanted to take a turn right there and I was very impressed with the stopping power), VFM. . .
Cons: I don't think it's so reliable, worst tires, indeed the height is too much as myself being nearly 5'8" can't keep both my legs down completely at the same time. . .
Reliability: 70:30

2. Honda CBR150R - My favourite bike, taste the first blood and you'll know why I love it

. . .

Pros: Honda's engine, High revving motor, has good FE, comfortable. . .
Cons: Low torque, riding it tight traffics is a pain with the low torque, go to the highways and that's when it starts to fly

, handling is extremely great as compared to R15 (I find the CBR150R to be more quicker than R15 due to its light handling which makes it to change directions with ease), . .
Reliability: YES SIR. . .

PS: Saw in a review where a guy who's 5'5" was the reviewer and the CBR looked good on him, but it was a 250R, hope you'll look good on the 150R. . .

Thunderbird: I'm not a fan of RE cos I love sports bike than cruisers but still it has good opinion from many whom I know. . .
Errr this is just a rough guess from my side cos didn't take much review about these. . .
Pros: Good bike, the thump says it all, good torque to cruise. . .
Cons: Yup if not taken proper general care (which doesn't take you a whole day but just one hour or so a week), the bike will have problems, this is not just with TB but also with many of the bikes. . .
Reliability: Seriously no idea in this but I can vouch it's reliable as I still remember one of my friend who said to me "buy a bullet if you are going to ride it for a lifetime". . .

So I guess you should consider CBR150R or consider other options and go for TB. . .

That's it from my side, hope I made it clear. . .

Cheers!!!

**jitzm** · 10-31-2013, 04:56 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Originally posted by Rakesh Rok View Post

If only these three bikes are what you are considering and not others then I will put down my views about them in short,

1. Pulsar 200NS - Best machine made by Bajaj as of yet. . .

Pros: Unique look, good power and torque, awesome brakes (as once I was in 85kph or so and wanted to take a turn right there and I was very impressed with the stopping power), VFM. . .
Cons: I don't think it's so reliable, worst tires, indeed the height is too much as myself being nearly 5'8" can't keep both my legs down completely at the same time. . .
Reliability: 70:30

2. Honda CBR150R - My favourite bike, taste the first blood and you'll know why I love it

. . .

Pros: Honda's engine, High revving motor, has good FE, comfortable. . .
Cons: Low torque, riding it tight traffics is a pain with the low torque, go to the highways and that's when it starts to fly

, handling is extremely great as compared to R15 (I find the CBR150R to be more quicker than R15 due to its light handling which makes it to change directions with ease), . .
Reliability: YES SIR. . .

PS: Saw in a review where a guy who's 5'5" was the reviewer and the CBR looked good on him, but it was a 250R, hope you'll look good on the 150R. . .

Thunderbird: I'm not a fan of RE cos I love sports bike than cruisers but still it has good opinion from many whom I know. . .
Errr this is just a rough guess from my side cos didn't take much review about these. . .
Pros: Good bike, the thump says it all, good torque to cruise. . .
Cons: Yup if not taken proper general care (which doesn't take you a whole day but just one hour or so a week), the bike will have problems, this is not just with TB but also with many of the bikes. . .
Reliability: Seriously no idea in this but I can vouch it's reliable as I still remember one of my friend who said to me "buy a bullet if you are going to ride it for a lifetime". . .

So I guess you should consider CBR150R or consider other options and go for TB. . .

That's it from my side, hope I made it clear. . .

Cheers!!!

Rakesh Rok, Thanks for your valuable suggestions.
How about pillion comfort in CBR150R ? Will the poor low end torque affect the ride in traffic with a pillion in CBR 150 R? I am quite worried whether the 150R is worth for that price..considering its only having a 150 CC mill.

**timuseravan** · 10-31-2013, 05:01 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

I think you have got right the pros and cons of all the bikes. Imo Pulsar 200 would be the best choice for you. Theoretically it should have better reliability than the older generation Bajaj bikes.
CBR150R as you have noted is just too expensive for what it provides. And the low speed torque is just terrible. The T350 is fantastic bike but as with all RE bikes, expect some niggling problems all the time.
If you are open to other bikes, check out the RTR180 and Karizma.

**Satellite.kid** · 10-31-2013, 05:09 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

The fear of CBR150R's low bottom end torque is much more than it should be. It's low but it's far from terrible, and definitely can be lived with. Even when the first time i took a test ride of CBR150R with a showroom guy as a pillion, I didn't have any problem at all in traffic due to its low bottom end torque. It went fine for me, and it revs high pretty nicely so it was overall quite fun to ride even with a pillion on-board.

I own a bullet and an fz-s.

And like Rakesh has mentioned, the handling of the CBR is very nice and it flicks quicker than the R15. I hope CBR owners might add more info.

**timuseravan** · 10-31-2013, 06:18 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Maybe the C500 has spoiled me permanently for torque

I still believe that CBR150 (and 250) are priced too expensive.

**Rakesh Rok** · 10-31-2013, 07:33 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Originally posted by jitzm View Post

Rakesh Rok, Thanks for your valuable suggestions.
How about pillion comfort in CBR150R ? Will the poor low end torque affect the ride in traffic with a pillion in CBR 150 R? I am quite worried whether the 150R is worth for that price..considering its only having a 150 CC mill.

comfort is real good. . . All say it's very costly compared to other bike, especially R15 but what they do not know is that this bike is technologically more advance than R15. . . There are other negatives in this as well as every other bike but let's not go with that now. . . Speaking of the cost, I definitely feel it's good VFM and a better product compared to 200NS as it's better to have a less powerful reliable machine than a doubting powerful bike. . . This is my opinion. . . About the low end torque, I don't have an idea cos there's no such kind of traffic here in Mysore

but cruising at high speeds is very great but I have heard from others and know a little bit is that initially you will find some trouble adjusting to it but once you get to it, the low torque won't bother you. . . As someone said above, you can also consider for Karizma if you are looking for other bikes and not RTR as the seat is not at all comfortable but in this options you have, CBR150R is a good buy from my point of view. . .

Cheers!!!

**aaron_dagger** · 10-31-2013, 08:44 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

IF I HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN THOSE BIKES I WOULD HAVE CLOSED MY EYES AND GET MYSELF A 'HONDA' CRB150R ITS RELIABLE , BEST PERFORMER IN 150 SEGMENT , BEST IN CLASS HANDLING , COMFORT AND COURSE HOW CAN WE FORGET FE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT MEAN MACHINE IS ITS TORQUE BUT YOU WILL GET USED TO IT SOON,IF YOU WANT SCOOTER TOO THEN YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK ON ZMA

**jitzm** · 10-31-2013, 08:48 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Thank you for conforming about the pillion comfort CBR 150R. Are we expecting any updates on CBR150R.

Its really sad that I am not seeing anyone good quotes about the new TB350. Is it really so bad ?

Karizma was in my list. But I feel its really outdated and Hero should come up with some surprise to gain the market back. I need to see how Hero is gonna incorporate EBR tuned engine into it. IMO I felt really disappointed when I saw the spy pics of the upcoming Karizma

Need to wait and see how good it will be once launched. I heard it will be launched by Diwali. But Diwali has already reached, but no news about the same.

Apache - I might be wrong. But after using Bajaj bikes for the past 8 years. I am skeptical about the quality of indian manufactures about their long time reliability

Please let me know if any other bikes which can match my expectation. 1.5L is the max I can spend and not beyond that. I can wait few more months also, so I am open to any upcoming bikes which I can vouch on.

**aaron_dagger** · 10-31-2013, 09:03 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Originally posted by jitzm View Post

please let me know if any other bikes which can match my expectation. 1.5l is the max i can spend and not beyond that. I can wait few more months also, so i am open to any upcoming bikes which i can vouch on.

pulsar 375 coming soon but you don't trust bajaj so{I THINK} the best you can get in this price is cbr 150r
AND IF YOU LIKE TB 350 THEN DON'T THINK TWICE GO FOR IT ITS A GOOD OPTION TOO

**Rakesh Rok** · 11-01-2013, 06:43 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Originally posted by jitzm View Post

Thank you for conforming about the pillion comfort CBR 150R. Are we expecting any updates on CBR150R.

Its really sad that I am not seeing anyone good quotes about the new TB350. Is it really so bad ?

Karizma was in my list. But I feel its really outdated and Hero should come up with some surprise to gain the market back. I need to see how Hero is gonna incorporate EBR tuned engine into it. IMO I felt really disappointed when I saw the spy pics of the upcoming Karizma

Need to wait and see how good it will be once launched. I heard it will be launched by Diwali. But Diwali has already reached, but no news about the same.

Apache - I might be wrong. But after using Bajaj bikes for the past 8 years. I am skeptical about the quality of indian manufactures about their long time reliability

Please let me know if any other bikes which can match my expectation. 1.5L is the max I can spend and not beyond that. I can wait few more months also, so I am open to any upcoming bikes which I can vouch on.

Updates, nah there's no such news as of yet, may be they need another two years or so for an update. . . So that's the option for you. . . Other than that, I don't think any new bikes in that price bracket will be launched in some time, so best go with something you have now. . . About the new Karizma yes I did feel little odd about it but definitely it will be a head turner when we will see it in flesh, let's just see once when it hits our showrooms before commenting further. . . Apache is nowhere for your list, so choose wisely and live better with it. . .

Edit: The more you think, the more it confuses and at the end, you'll end up getting something else , so it's better to stay come and follow the above words . . .

Cheers!!!

**ranju567** · 11-01-2013, 07:19 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

Wait till th frst quater of 2014 we r gna hv some grt bikes...including pulsar375, ninja350 nd apache rtr 220 nd 250 collebrated wth th mighty BMW..

Sent from my ST21i2 using xBhp Connect mobile app

**somen1984** · 11-02-2013, 04:37 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

If you think over Pillion with decent average and city rides then you should look for ZMR.
TB350 is a great bike...good upgrades from RE.

ZMR is Jack of all.

**Anuj_Gupta** · 11-02-2013, 05:09 PM

Re: Pulsar 200 ns vs CBR150R vs Thunderbird 350

If bullet lover then re
Otherwise ns

200cc sized 23.5 bump of raw power..!!

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