Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi


Go for SS 125. As a SS125 owner for the last 13 months and 9600 km.s, I can vouch for it. If you can come in terms with a little less FE and accelaration below 30kmph, it is the best in the segment. Don't judge this bike by less sales volumes. On any biking forum, you are almost certain to get the least number of recommendations for SS125 but read the ownership reports to get the clear picture. Once you cross the 35-40kmph zone on a highway, you'll never feel like riding a 125cc - it's almost like a 150cc with a top grunt of 105+ kmph. I have done several long drives between 200-250km.s sometimes @ more than 80kmph with a pillion for 30-35 minutes. The engine never feels stressed. Smooth engine, good suspension, near-zero vibrations and sweet exhaust note - tell your friend to ride one. The styling will give you the exclusiveness a biker wants from heart. Also the YAMAHA after sales service is far superior than HONDA and HERO(in Kolkata at least). Also, YAMAHA products are built to last long. If your friend has a factory outlet nearby, spares should not be a problem.
Cons: A little less FE compared to others in its class, not so good headlights, low resale value(due to people's lack of knowledge about this bike I guess) and accelaration below 30kmph.
Among other choices, Honda Shine and Discover ST is good.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

+1000 to that... I am having bad time with my impulse on that front .. Yes

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

I would have chosen the ss anyday. It is really a hoot to ride in its class. The honda feels commuterish. The discover 125st on the other hand has more power but somehow its the second best for me. The yammy is top notch.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

Yamaha SS125 is a good bike no doubt but ask your friend if he's looking for a long term bike. Else like someone else mentioned he will have problems when selling it in the used bike market. It is basically the old Gladiator. Big bike feel and also manages to act like one! Mileage is not up to the competition's level though. Very sensitive to throttle.

Hero Ignitor is a very nice city bike. Its almost a Honda Stunner at a much much cheaper price. I took a test ride once. Even with the showroom guy on the back as pillion, the bike pulled well at low revs. Both the bikes are almost the same but the max torque is available at a much earlier rev(5000 rpm) than in the Stunner(6500 rpm). I cannot claim I know the mileage but I expect it to deliver 50+ easily in city conditions. Stunner is also good but a little pricey for a 125cc and spares will cost a lot more than for the Ignitor. I had wrong opinions about the Ignitor until I test rode it. Quality is not all that bad. Hero also has its old warhorses namely Super Splendor and Glamour. But no one seems to even look at them in the showroom these days. Good and proven bikes though.

Mahindra in my opinion would be a no-no now. The company is struggling to sell its two-wheelers and there is no assured future.

Bajaj has a list of bikes for your friend. D125, D125T, D125ST and the P135. I can give some insight on the D125ST/T. The bike looks good, big bike feel, good power and priced well. The bike can do 65-75kmph comfortably without much strain. Mileage will be between 50 and 60. High frequency vibrations will creep in post midrange i.e after 55-60kmph in 5th gear. Suspension is very soft(good in a way). At normal city speeds the bike is smooth. You need to churn the engine to extract all those 13 horses and 11 Nm of torque which means the bike will struggle to pull from low revs in the city. Especially with two people. Don't expect the front disc to do miracles. It is only there instead of a drum brake!

Suzuki's bikes are really good in terms of engineering though their service is not so good. The Slingshot doesn't look so good and is very puny. But I 'hear' it is a good city bike. I have no other idea on this bike.

TVS Phoenix has gained a lot of attention these days. The bike is smooth and has reasonably good looks. The huge 125 sticker acts as an attention puller. Rest I have no idea.

Honda(ah coming to my favourite now) bikes, needless to say will be extremely reliable. Spares and service is an issue to this day. But if maintained well the bike will give no troubles whatsoever. Shine is an excellent bike from Honda. Frugal(Around to 60km/l), cheap, (damn) smooth, looks decent. Anyways it has it downsides too. The tires are horrible, braking is OK, bland looks (considering a 24yr old rider).

Handling of all these bikes will be more or less the same. All of them weigh between 120-130 kg. So crosswinds will be a problem. Braking depends on the model he chooses. Most of these bikes have disc dia upto 240mm except the D125ST. Ask him to take a test ride and also consider how he will use it in the future and how long.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

If the buyer is looking to get to the 150 segment then Yamaha SZ-R may be a good choice. But might drink slightly more than the 125 counterparts.
Else SS125 and Honda Stunner could fit into the requirement. Also do check out the new Discover 100/125 range from Bajaj. They are much more capable than the competition and easy on pocket too.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

My friend has an Ignitor and I have ridden it. Very nice bike, good ride comfort, TL tires, digital speedo console, Good headlight output though AC. Also, have enough low end torque for city.
He is getting more than 50 km/l during city commute.

I've heard Stunner's short gearing enables quick acceleration but looses on mileage.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

ignitor is costlier than ss 125.. [MENTION=49050]SatSon[/MENTION]

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

I was basically comparing it to Stunner

But I feel Ignitor is worth the cost when compared to SS due to its features, mileage, looks etc..

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

Apologies for showing up late!! Blame the servers for not notifying the same to me on time - technically the website was going through a turbulent phase.

The budget is a bit tight though. Considering the above mentioned criteria and your preference to JAP bikes, I can only suggest Honda Stunner as I have ridden one for multiple occasions.
The handling is nimble but a newbie might take some time to get accustomed to the fact that the fairing remains intact even while steering.
Braking is tight.
Mileage is close to 50 kmpl with sane riding. (Owners can help here)
Styling is attractive in that price range.
Honda machine.

I am not sure if your comrade can live with it for 5 years but this bike beautifully serves the rest of the purpose. Long back, I rode the Yamaha Libero and it was really good but lacked the styling factor (IMHO). Hence, along similar lines, you can definitely consider Yam SS, Hero Ignitor and Honda Shine. I have also ridden Shine and it pretty much outshines the rest in its class barring the looks (subjective). Ask your friend to test ride all the bikes under consideration as he is the one who is going to decide on it and eventually live with it. All we can do is advise.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

Well, I have heard some very bad things about stunner. I once saw a 3 year old stunner for sale @ 18k which felt kinda like a good deal to me. But all my friends and the mechanics I know of told me to stay away from a stunner. They said that even the new ones have complaints. And they also indicated that the fairing can be expensive if it needs replacement. Add to that the worries of keeping it for 5+ years. I don't think it's a good option.

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

So, what did you decide?

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

booked yamaha ss 125. it all came down to handling and ride dynamics, i think nothing else ,matches here. this guy is gonna keep it for 4-5 years. so resale value is not that important...

Re: Person asking a xhpian for 1st bike, for commuting. so help me to select 1 for hi

Congrats! Ride safe. Advice your friend to invest in some good riding gears. Specially Helmet and Gloves.