Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion


Yes, it is a lot of money, and aftermarket disc brakes are not that reliable and the fit and finish is not as good as the factory fit. The whole front suspension looks ugly with weld marks and blackened burnt metal.

As far as Bajaj discover is concerned - Do one thing, search all the different models and variants of discover launched in the last 2 years. you will find more than 10 different models of discovers launched after every 2-3 month gap. WHY??

There was Discover DTSI, then Discover M, then there was T, then ST, Now F. What is the need of a new model of discover every 60 days. Why are the bike launched 6 months ago out of production. It means something went wrong with that model. And this process is repeated every 2-3 months.

And as the new model is launched, the older ones are discontinued. What about spare parts after 3-5 years. what about after sales service, what about resale value. Something doesn't add up. We don't see Hero Motocorp launching a new splendor, or new passion twice a year, or Honda launching a new variant of shine every 3 months because they are proven with age, then why do Bajaj have to do it, why cant cant Bajaj make something that can stay in market for atleast 2 years.

This is the only reason I'm suggesting you to stay away from bajaj.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Exactly. And you should not compromise with your security with an important thing like braking by going with modification. It may end up doing more harm than good!

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

For Disc brakes, One thing you can do- Get the Phoenx's front wheel fitted to the City+. Sell the original Rim.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Though I have ridden bikes before including 150cc bikes, thunderbird and all, I wouldn't call myself a good rider. Most of the times I fumble, esp. when I have to switch gears every now and then in city traffic. May be some lack of confidence and not proficient enough. And it's been more than 4.5yrs since I ride a bike. Lately, I have been riding scooters - XL Super.

I am kinda unsure about what I would possibly know (to differentiate one bike from other) in that very small test ride. Would I experience/understand "refined engine", "edgy feel when cornering" Actually I don't know and I highly doubt that I could able to say this bike is better than the other one. Thinking of asking my friends, their dad/relatives/friends that if I could borrow their bike for an extended test drive.

Lot of red flags for Bajaj bikes.

As Star City +, Yuga don't have disc variant, so the idea of after market disc set up (that is if I want disc). As Sambit suggested, it's good idea to buy Phoenix's front tyre and replace it with Star City +'s and Shine's front wheel to replace Yuga's. I mean the entire setup - Alloy wheel, tyre, tube, disc setup including cables (if there is any). If that costs 8k, I better go for Shine or Phoenix.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Borrowing a bike from friends and relatives to get a better idea of your prospective ride is a good idea. You'll get a fair amount of time to gauge the pros and cons. And chances are your bike will be in the same condition as their's - not like the almost perfect and well maintained showroom TR bikes.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

I guess tires/tubes are of same size, Only Rim needs change. You can easily exchange the Original Rim for a little less price at the Spares. Talk to the SVC and let us know, if its possible. I dont think this would cost more than 4000.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

I think that the stock brakes are sufficent to the tvs starcity if you are not a racing type rider for this i request you to test ride any 100cc bike and take it to its top speed then apply brake and you can know that the disk brakes are not needed to stop a 100cc bike but disk brake are very effective inside a city otherwise normal drum brakes does it'work well and you can apply front drum brakes more quicky than disk brakes....first test the brakes

Sent from my GT-N7000 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Sure. Most likely I will take test drive today.
Yeah, you're right If the disc variant of Shine costs just 3xxx more than drum variant, getting disc for Yuga should be the same. It seems doable, I will ask them if they will do it on request.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Visit to TVS showroom

Just few hours before they have received fresh load of vehicles. As they all are blocking (parked in the front of the showroom) the way, sales rep asked me to visit tomorrow to take test ride. So just had to check the show piece bikes. Now Phoenix comes in white colour (which I didn't know before), looks good and it costs little more than other colours. I was thinking of getting Helsinki Black silver if I am opting for Phoenix. Looked little bigger than I thought. It was round and neat in the photographs but when I see it in person, it looks little different.

Still Star city is available. I thought that's discontinued after city + launch. Not a big price difference between the two. And star city + now comes in new colour, somewhat greyish matte finish look.

Asked for quotation. I had a rough figure (on road price) in my mind but the actual price is about 1500-2000 higher.
Star City+ - 52500
Phoenix disc - 62000

They said there is no drum variant of Phoenix. I was like what??? After asking few more times, they said waiting period is one month for drum variant

Asked if I could get disc on City+ on request, they said they can't and said if I want, I have to check with the service center (which is two blocks away) and I can do that only after taking delivery/registration. I didn't bother checking with the service center and left the showroom after collecting quotation and brochure.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Visit to Bajaj showroom

125M

My first impression was good. Showroom is nice and big and new I was told I can take the delivery right away if I want as they have enough stock. Is this good or bad?

While I was waiting for test vehicle to arrive, I was checking the bike. As the review suggested, foot peg is raised, I mean my knees are little above the petrol tank and it doesn't give any kinda thigh grip. I am not sure whether I felt this or it is because of the reviews in my head made me think so. I don't know. Handlebar is also noticeably narrow, I am not sure whether this matters to me or not.


This photograph is just to show how my legs were, not to promote the vehicle or the model May be not as much as Kohli, but something close to that amount of raise.
Am I bothering about something silly here?

Mechanics and sales rep was tuning/adjusting something before test ride. Already, I was kinda thinking that I can't rest my thighs on the sides of the petrol tank, they have now put a temporary petrol can hanging on the sides of petrol tank.

Every time (I mean many times) I try to move the bike from first gear, engine turned off. I don't know it's me fumbling or the vehicle. It happened 3-4 times during test ride. Right after I moved the vehicle about 100m, rain started pouring. We had to stop and wait. All my concentration was in how to ride this vehicle without killing the engine, not on how the bike performs. I was asked to tell how was the test ride and all. Finally, got the quotation (just the bottom number) and left. I am not sure now, do I need 125cc?

Points I noted.
- I had to quickly change the gear. I reached 4th gear very soon. I don't know this is the case with all the vehicles or just this one.
- I didn't dare to try disc brake as I wasn't used to (it was long back) and it was raining.
- I had to leave the clutch almost all the way to let the vehicle move.
- Though I am not sure about the narrow handlebar and raised foot peg, I think wider handlebar would be little easier to handle and if my thighs are rest on the sides would be good.
- Really I can't say whether the bike is good or not after just about a kilometer test ride.
- I accelerated all the way to see if I can sense any vibration. I didn't feel any or it wasn't much.
- Sales rep wasn't confident and he don't enough knowledge about the bike. May be that's just my perception about him.

Finally, Sales rep told me not to go for Yamaha and TVS as their resale value is not much. Should I consider about resale value of a vehicle when buying?

Onroad
125M Disc - 60000
125M Drum - 58000

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Except bullet no other bike has resale value.resale values is nonsense please read dilipbam article only after sale and spare parts ate important.

Sent from my C2004 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Next stop - Honda Showroom

The best showroom out of three visited. Fully air conditioned. Looks neat and good.

I asked for Yuga and Shine. Sales rep gave his sales pitch. Nothing sounded new to me, pretty much everything he said was in the specification. Asked for quotation and test ride.

Had to wait for sometime for the test ride to arrive. I was staring one bike after another. Finally, came Yuga for test ride. After formalities I left the showroom, and I was asked to take a u-turn just after 250m from showroom. What? That's it? I was told that this is the limit, and we're not allowed to go past that.

Did I experience the "refined engine of Honda"? Hell, yeah. I did. I didn't had to leave the clutch all the way, the bike already started moving even before raising the accelerator. Feels like a good start than the Bajaj. The only glitch is I had to run the bike with choke on as there was not much of petrol in the tank (may be it was just poured). I wasn't sure whether I reached the top gear or not.

He was doubtful if I can get a test ride for Shine. Again a long wait for Shine to arrive. This time I had convinced him to go past that limit (though not much) and went off of the main road to residential streets. I was told it's a 5 gear vehicle, but I didn't feel like there was 5. Did I miss a gear in the middle? I don't know. Again I didn't dare to use Disc and this time I really think 125cc is little too much for me. May be I don't feel the same after a month of riding one. I was pretty much convinced with Honda bikes.

When I returned to the showroom, my quotation is ready and printed. I was explained what's what. I wonder why Honda push their customers to take all the optional accessories. This was case few years ago when asking for Activa quotation. But for Activa it was more like "non-optional" accessories. I had to take all of them.

Onroad
Yuga Self - 59000

When I asked for kick variant, they said there is no such variant available. I think they are pushing here too.

Note: I realised it's just 4 gears in Shine after checking the spec just now.

Feel like Phoenix seems like a better deal than Yuga. For 60k I can get drum variant of Phoenix. Let's see if I will think the same after test riding Phoenix.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Don't take any word from sales reps about other companies. They'd never speak good about the competitors. A Bajaj sales rep will not say good things about Yamaha/Honda. Similarly a Yamaha sales rep will not say good things about Hero/Suzuki. Think and decide yourself.
And if you want to keep the bike for at least 4-5 years, the difference in resale value will not be that much. If you can spend 4-5K only for the aftermarket disc brake setup, that amount surely won't hunt you after 4-5 years of happy riding. It's almost the same as mobiles. Very few people select a mobile thinking about the resale value. What matters more than the resale value is how are you going to utilize something you are buying with your hard earned money!
All the best!!!

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion


No man one can't say this for newer generation UCE bullets they are also losing there sheen in resale, the older CI cast iron engines bullets are still in great demand although.

Re: [RFC]: Bike suggestion

Visited TVS showroom to take test ride of City+ and Phoenix. All the Star City+ from the yesterday load are allotted, so they have no City+ to give test ride. But they had Phoenix.

Phoenix - Test ride

Wow!!! White is looking awesome. I think I should drop the idea of Helsinki Black silver and go for White. To me this engine is as refined as Honda or I couldn't able to spot the difference. I liked it. I wanted to use the disc break but I was little doubtful about my skill in using disc, (I haven't tried it on Shine or 125M when riding). So tried at the very end of the test ride and end up skidding. Luckily, I was about to stop so the speed wasn't much (may be around 10kms) and didn't drop the bike or hurt myself falling from the bike. Probably, the best looking bike among the bikes I test rode.

I didn't have to wait for long to test ride like Honda/Bajaj. Digital instrument cluster is not much visible in bright day light.

When I asked if I can come tomorrow to take test ride City+, they are not sure when the next load will arrive. So I had to check with other dealer...

Star City +
Had to wait for a little while to get the vehicle for test ride. I was roaming and checking one bike after another. Wow!!! Even TVS sport looks good in white. I think it's the colour make the vehicle look better more than the design, or am I wrong? They had this Helsinki Black Silver Phoenix, it's not as good as in the photograph. Now none of the other colours look good, but WHITE

Tried City+, I should say this is also as smooth as Phoenix. There is this indicator showing "red" if I am accelerating too much in low gears. The test ride was good.

Even TVS don't have a Kick variant. Probably this will sell only the top variant of any model.

As far as look is concern, this is the ugliest of the lot.