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**The Monk** · 11-01-2013, 12:28 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

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**aaron_dagger** · 11-01-2013, 12:53 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

go for cbr dude it will be a good upgrade from fazer and will definitely satisfy your needs...and at the end of the day its pocket friendly too with good fe and cheap but reliable spare parts..

**Rakesh Rok** · 11-01-2013, 01:39 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Originally posted by kilometerkiller View Post

Warning - Long post!

Friends,

Since I’m going to write down whatever went in my mind in the past few months, this is going to be long.

Scenario: Having taken a not so well informed decision in selecting my first bike, I don’t want to be in a similar situation two years down the line.

May 2013 - this is when I realized that my bike’s limits are not matching up with mine. I chose Fazer, believing in Yamaha’s quality. No, the bike’s quality never disappointed me. I would say that the bike is a top notch model throwing the best possible comfort, handling and agility for a budget “rookie” tourer. In spite of it, I should say just that I hit the bike’s limit sooner than I expected and started to feel that my two year old Yamaha Fazer is under-powered to match my touring requirements.

This was also the time when Duke200 and CBR250 were heads on with each other (or still are??!!) and I considered three bikes viz. Pulsar 200NS, Duke 200 and CBR 250.

Although none of these bikes can be considered a proper upgrade for my requirements in my opinion, I’m giving the reasons why I considered each of them:

Pulsar 200NS: Budget! Budget! Budget! I really wondered how Bajaj managed to pull this off at a sub-lakh level (or nearly). Even though I was not entirely convinced of this bike’s touring capability (Pls don’t come to bite me – I have read Surojit’s and MG’s logs, but the riding position was slightly uncomfortable for me when I took my friend’s bike for a short trip of 100 km), it made me to do some serious thinking about how I can maintain the bike at a cheaper cost while INVESTING my money in other better uses such as better riding gears and other auxiliaries at the cost of my riding comfort and how I can save something for a bigger ONE in future, and thus I added it to my list.

Duke 200: An amazing bike. But this was just not my type. I’m a sedate rider who seldom crosses 50 kmph in city traffic. And almost 50% of my riding shall be in city lanes. Since I would not justify the bike’s capabilities, I kept this at the last of my list.

CBR 250: The most capable tourer in the segment (just my perception). Enough has been said about the bike’s capabilities in various biking forums across the world. Since this seemed to be the most sensible of all, this was on top my list.

June 2013 - And just when I was almost on the verge of you know what, came the real spoiler – Duke 390!

At Rs. 2L on the road, it took away peace of my mind. If at all I get a CBR250, the economics of getting it when something much bigger with hordes of horses to be tamed available would simply eat away my sleep. There would be lot of would have’s and could have’s following this decision. It would take a relatively longer time for me to see the limits of D390, leave alone hitting and surpassing them.

On the other hand: if I get my hands on D390, there would be a lot of should have’s. I would burn a hole not just in my pockets but my entire cloth and walk naked. Man, at Rs. 8/km for maintaining this bike (ref: MG’s post in long time review), I’m sure to deplete everything of my salary into this bike.

This is where the battle starts in my mind and one thing wins over the other each time. And this is where I need suggestion or advice or whatever from you guys to choose a bike.

Now, for one more time. Bikes on the list – CBR 250, Duke 390, Pulsar 200NS, Duke 200.

I’m also looking for any possible issues in each of these bikes from the respective owners.

Pls help me!

Thanks in advance.

P.S.: Pls don’t bother suggesting Bullets. I have excluded them because of some personal perceptions. I’m also NOT waiting for the upcoming Pulsar 375.

P.P.S.: No Ninja’s too. They are still my dreams (if you know what I mean).

--
Cheers,
KMK

Considering all your needs, CBR250R seems a good option bro. . . It's one of the best tourer bikes available, it's fast, it has good styling which is like neutral and best, good torque, pay a little more and you'll get the ABS which adds to more safety

, now you have the best colour options for them, the Repsol and full black one, truly is a killer so does the other two colours. . . It fits in your budget and also will return average FE too, most importantly you'll have Reliable HONDA Engine which is the most wanted than others. . . The Duke390 n the other hand is a great bike, no words to speak about it cos I haven't ridden it once to comment but speaking of touring, it also is kinda good option but I think comfort won't be that good like 250R's and also you need to work up and do some after-market work for a windshield for windblasts. . . That's it said I think CBR is a good option for you, it's better to buy something which you want to use daily than buying something else and riding it once in a week (if you know what I mean

). . .

PS: If at all you feel the CBR250R is on the costlier side and want more FE, the CBR150R will serve your needs with nearly 50kpl mileage that will save up your pocket in the long-term , otherwise best stick with 250R. . . Also do take little time and wait, new Honda CBR250R will be revealed soon, you might like that, I guess it will look like a CBR rather than a VFR . . .

Cheers!!!

**skv** · 11-01-2013, 05:02 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

[MENTION=47933]kilometerkiller[/MENTION]
I was almost in same dilema few months ago, although d200 and p200ns were not on my list. I think it would help you. Here's is the story.

Thought of buying cbr250(followed the ownership thread pretty long and had read aargee's faq thrice till then), and then came duke 390. Lured me alot so decided to buy it, but again doing all sort of maths about maintenance cost etc I also lost my peace. Whenever thought of buying cbr250 mind was always tilting to buy duke, as for same price it offered more horses and much better tyres etc ( i know there are many other things in a bike, but when you fall in love its really makes you blind, and it was sort of a love triangle

). So the dilema went on and I couldn't decide. Took advice of many people including parents and other family members. They all repeated the financial part. This went on for weeks.
Fast forward...( skipping one part about other bike which is not relevent here) ultimately decided to buy a bike which should have good power so that it can satisfy me and also should be relatively light on pocket. Also it should be been reliable. And after visiting too many showrooms decided to buy pulsar 200ns.

MG's and others review helped me alot in making this decision.
To me the imp points were

1. Good usable power and overall a much better bike than previous pulsars.
2. Best value for money.
3. Running/maintenane cost.
4. Can do well in city and can be an faithfull companion on highways (reference: mg review and one travelouge on this forum named "my first solo interstate on pulsar 200ns" , I dont remeber the exact title though)
5. It would leave me with enough amount of money to spend upon riding gears and to spend on touring etc.

I agree there could be niggles/minor adjustment issues but then we will always find them in any bike or rather at many points of almost everything. The key is to adjust a little and enjoy every bit of it, be it a bike or anything else.

I hope you understand what I would suggest you. Now choice is yours

Wish you best

Sent from my GT-I9082 using xBhp Connect mobile app

**kilometerkiller** · 11-01-2013, 11:25 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

@skv: you sort of mirror my thoughts... Thanks a lot, man..
@Rakesh Rok and @aaron_dagger: Thanks for your suggestion, fellas..

The reason why I'm in dilemma between CBR250 and 200NS is that both of them are having almost same power figure. Give one or two for the difference. Hence, there won't be much of a difference for me when what I want is to cover miles faster and comfortably. When I rode my friend's NS, I didn't feel very uncomfortable.

In such a case, I'm not sure how to justify myself for spending the extra money on a CBR. And this is primarily why I'm more inclined to 200NS now when I do the maths. Also, given the reviews that the 200NS has received, I don't think the ride quality would suffer. I hope I make some sense.

Guys, pls don't hesitate to feed my mind more. I hope I'll live it up by making a wise decision.

--
Cheers,
KMK.

**valkyrieX7** · 11-02-2013, 12:18 AM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Hey!

I personally own a CBR250R C-ABS version....

As all have said, she's your best bet.

CBR250R is a sports tourer.
Duke 200 is a street fighter.
Pulsar 200NS is between both.

CBR easily goes up to 120-130kmph without sweating... you won't feel the engine running out of juice... it can go higher too... 150s-160s...

The fairings provide a nice stability.

The rear seat looks uncomfortable but is surprisingly comfortable!!

Cornering is fun!!

It can cut thru traffic very fast...provided the skills...

Duke is not comfortable for long rides... even the 390...
The rear seat, I don't remember the name of the fellow xbhpian who said " Its not made for humans but monkeys". 'nuf said.

Put your money on CBR250R C-ABS... safe, fast, comfortable, reliable Honda. :thumbup::thumbup:

-Valkyrie

Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

**valkyrieX7** · 11-02-2013, 12:26 AM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Originally posted by kilometerkiller View Post

@skv: you sort of mirror my thoughts... Thanks a lot, man..
@Rakesh Rok and @aaron_dagger: Thanks for your suggestion, fellas..

The reason why I'm in dilemma between CBR250 and 200NS is that both of them are having almost same power figure. Give one or two for the difference. Hence, there won't be much of a difference for me when what I want is to cover miles faster and comfortably. When I rode my friend's NS, I didn't feel very uncomfortable.

In such a case, I'm not sure how to justify myself for spending the extra money on a CBR. And this is primarily why I'm more inclined to 200NS now when I do the maths. Also, given the reviews that the 200NS has received, I don't think the ride quality would suffer. I hope I make some sense.

Guys, pls don't hesitate to feed my mind more. I hope I'll live it up by making a wise decision.

--
Cheers,
KMK.

CBR250R C-ABS vs Pulsar 200NS

CBR is costlier.
CBR has more power.
CBR is more comfortable.
CBR is technologically more advanced.
How ?

Combined ABS, Electronic Fuel Injection system, Pro link Mono suspension, Trellis frame, 7 sensors (ABS version), fatter tyres, multi part fairing... and its Honda, they do it right :thumbup:

Fairing is something that will come handy for high speed stability....

-Valkyrie

Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

**Rakesh Rok** · 11-02-2013, 09:28 AM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Originally posted by kilometerkiller View Post

@skv: you sort of mirror my thoughts... Thanks a lot, man..
@Rakesh Rok and @aaron_dagger: Thanks for your suggestion, fellas..

The reason why I'm in dilemma between CBR250 and 200NS is that both of them are having almost same power figure. Give one or two for the difference. Hence, there won't be much of a difference for me when what I want is to cover miles faster and comfortably. When I rode my friend's NS, I didn't feel very uncomfortable.

In such a case, I'm not sure how to justify myself for spending the extra money on a CBR. And this is primarily why I'm more inclined to 200NS now when I do the maths. Also, given the reviews that the 200NS has received, I don't think the ride quality would suffer. I hope I make some sense.

Guys, pls don't hesitate to feed my mind more. I hope I'll live it up by making a wise decision.

--
Cheers,
KMK.

I wanted to start it all but [MENTION=61644]valkyrieX7[/MENTION] did it easy for me, there you go

. . . Let me just make it a little clearer for you to better understand. . .
1. Considering your options CBR250R is a better bike than 200NS.
2. CBR is an all rounder while NS is a street fighter, you might have fun with NS in the city but while cruising in the highways, NS's windblasts will be a problem, unless you come up with an after-market work (also NS tires sucks). . .
3. Bajaj have worked very well and brought a lot of changes but still they got to work still more to meet up with Honda. . .
4. You might spend more here but the quality and reliability will save your pocket in the future for many years. . .
5. CBR is best for high speeds compared to NS. . .
6. For that price as said above, you'll get ABS, fuel injection, fat tires, comfortable seats, high speed stability, nice looks, etc., so it's worth that price. . .

So all said, it's up to you to decide now, choose wisely

live better

. . .

Cheers!!!

**Cleaner** · 11-02-2013, 09:31 AM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Wait some times, there is a 300cc CBR coming. It'll be challenging the Duke 390

Forget about finding peace. Me too looking for peace but never found it despite searching for 2 decades.

**valkyrieX7** · 11-02-2013, 10:37 AM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

CBR300R will be faster and more powerful but certainly costlier and less fuel efficient...

So think upon your choice.

-Valkyrie

Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

**somen1984** · 11-02-2013, 12:13 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

When you talk about maintaining etc then it means you are looking for something average on pocket and does your work well financially as well as practically.
You can't get EVERYTHING IN ONE !

GO with NS200.

Buying a 2L bike it self speaks that it's maintenance would be on higher side than others.
So choose wisely...

And now India is a growing nation in automobiles, so there will be always a chance of new better bikes with better powers keeps launching in every 2-6 months..
So it's better you calm your heart and mind, enjoy the present. Less CC better average....

**kilometerkiller** · 11-02-2013, 02:09 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Originally posted by Rakesh Rok View Post

I wanted to start it all but @valkyrieX7 did it easy for me, there you go

. . . Let me just make it a little clearer for you to better understand. . .
1. Considering your options CBR250R is a better bike than 200NS.
2. CBR is an all rounder while NS is a street fighter, you might have fun with NS in the city but while cruising in the highways, NS's windblasts will be a problem, unless you come up with an after-market work (also NS tires sucks). . .
3. Bajaj have worked very well and brought a lot of changes but still they got to work still more to meet up with Honda. . .
4. You might spend more here but the quality and reliability will save your pocket in the future for many years. . .
5. CBR is best for high speeds compared to NS. . .
6. For that price as said above, you'll get ABS, fuel injection, fat tires, comfortable seats, high speed stability, nice looks, etc., so it's worth that price. . .

So all said, it's up to you to decide now, choose wisely

live better

. . .

Cheers!!!

I agree with some of your points... Thanks very much

Originally posted by Cleaner View Post

Wait some times, there is a 300cc CBR coming. It'll be challenging the Duke 390

Forget about finding peace. Me too looking for peace but never found it despite searching for 2 decades.

Originally posted by valkyrieX7 View Post

CBR300R will be faster and more powerful but certainly costlier and less fuel efficient...

So think upon your choice.

-Valkyrie

Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

If only I could wait, I would wait for Triumph, P375, CBR300 or even Mahindra Mojo!

Originally posted by valkyrieX7 View Post

Hey!

I personally own a CBR250R C-ABS version....

As all have said, she's your best bet.

CBR250R is a sports tourer.
Duke 200 is a street fighter.
Pulsar 200NS is between both.

CBR easily goes up to 120-130kmph without sweating... you won't feel the engine running out of juice... it can go higher too... 150s-160s...

The fairings provide a nice stability.

The rear seat looks uncomfortable but is surprisingly comfortable!!

Cornering is fun!!

It can cut thru traffic very fast...provided the skills...

Duke is not comfortable for long rides... even the 390...
The rear seat, I don't remember the name of the fellow xbhpian who said " Its not made for humans but monkeys". 'nuf said.

Put your money on CBR250R C-ABS... safe, fast, comfortable, reliable Honda. :thumbup::thumbup:

-Valkyrie

Sent from my GT-N7100 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Your points are well noted. But all I'm hearing is why I should buy CBR. I'd also like to hear more on why I should or shouldn't buy NS. There are not really strong points as to why I shouldn't buy NS.

Originally posted by somen1984 View Post

When you talk about maintaining etc then it means you are looking for something average on pocket and does your work well financially as well as practically.

You are right here. As our aargee said earlier, in India, many of us choose bikes based on affordability rather than their classes. I agree with that and I'm no different.

Originally posted by somen1984 View Post

You can't get EVERYTHING IN ONE !

No, I didn't ask for everything in one.

Originally posted by somen1984 View Post

GO with NS200.

I'll decide about that. I'll be glad if you kindly suggest some positives as to why to choose this bike.

Originally posted by somen1984 View Post

And now India is a growing nation in automobiles, so there will be always a chance of new better bikes with better powers keeps launching in every 2-6 months..
So it's better you calm your heart and mind, enjoy the present. Less CC better average....

Agree with you. That is why I'm considering only present options, not waiting for the future ones.

--
Cheers,
KMK.

**somen1984** · 11-02-2013, 02:43 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

Originally posted by kilometerkiller View Post

I'll decide about that. I'll be glad if you kindly suggest some positives as to why to choose this bike.

you can go through the ownership thread for both.

But major difference is Plenty of SVC and light on pocket.
It's a good machine by Bajaj.

CBR no doubt a good bike. But true CBR advantage is if you do plenty Tours!!

**timuseravan** · 11-02-2013, 03:02 PM

Re: In search of peace! Help me!!

[MENTION=47933]kilometerkiller[/MENTION] I had the exact same shortlist as you a month back. Although note that I had different criteria and came from riding a C500 and used to have a Karizma before that.
The CBR 250 is a good bike, no doubt of that, but like you I just could not justify paying 2L when the Duke 390 was available at the same price. I took back to back test rides of both the bikes, first the 390 and then the CBR. The 390 completely blew away the CBR. After the 390 ride, the CBR seemed just ordinary. The CBR seems like an update of Karizma but the 390 is entry level SBK performance.
You seem like a more sedate driver and so I would recommend the 200NS. At higher speeds the CBR will be better but upto around 100-110, there is hardly any difference. CBR is more confortable but most of your riding is in city where NS is also fine.
Bajaj quality has improved but it is not near Honda. However you will be saving 1L. Your additional maintenance costs will come nowhere near that amount.
IMO if CBR250 was price around 1.5L, it would have been a great buy.
Or you could just forget all practicality aspects and go for the 390

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