Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Query Approved

A 50k bike and 3L bike are not just differentiated by power. The quality of parts, finishing and pretty much everything are chalk and cheese.

That being said, i cannot think of any bike i would buy currently below 3L which can be described as a 'tourer'. It is a different matter that we buy pretty much any bike we like and tour on it!

So your search for a proper touring motorcycle will come up with nothing. But you pick a bike which does a little bit of everything reasonably well and that makes a reasonably good tourer!!!

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Going by your requirements, I would suggest the Inazuma.. Suzuki's refinement and reliability.. The only drawback or negativity of buying a Suzuki is the poor After Sales Service (ASS) they have build up with customers..

but then, are we happy with the other manufacturer ASS?? They might not be as bad as Suzuki, but then they are bad too..

The bike is very comfortable and a highway machine which can cruise and overtake a vehicle without strain..

If you are ready to compromise on comfort (of course you can get the seats changed with better cushion) I would suggest the Duke 390.. enough power to run all day long without having to worry about the strain to the engine.. the sitting stance is simply perfect and the weight of the bike is less.. Test Ride the bike to see how it feels for you. If you are going to take a pillion with you, then forget about the comfort

Have you given a thought on the Karizma siblings??

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

we do not have any dedicated tourers or adventure tourers in that price range.

however, suzuki Inazuma is can be a good tourer but since it is taken off the website of suzuki india, its future is unknown, so you may have hard time finding its spares in a few years. so i will say avoid it.

CBR 250 is a good choice, sufficient power and torque for indian roads, soft suspension offers plush ride over potholes, liquid cooled, good engine etc makes it best choice. you can opt for it or wait for CBR300 if it comes.

Pulsar 200NS is also a good bike.

and the options end here.

you can try upcoming Pulsar 400SS if you like.

if you can live with a smaller tank, try the dukes.

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Inazuma- reliable twin cylinder, refinement, comfort, xcelent suspension, plush ride, top notch fit n finish, can cruise all day long at 80-110kmph without breaking a sweat.

CBR- with a good set of tyres, it is a mile muncher, plush suspension, it has slight forward riding stance, good highway tool. Honda reliability. U feel like u are riding a much more powerful n improved karizma which is not bad at all in my opinion.

Duke- it can be what u want it to be. I own D390.
Positives- Suspension for corner carvers, tyres, ABS, all digital speedo, high revving single, can withstand abuse, light weight, aggressive engine, superb handling, nimble, fast, engine may seem unrefined due to it's unique note but it is it's character, covers distances at amazing pace, can wallop anything moving on 2wheels to the south of upto 5lacs.
Negatives- not a bike for all, small tank range, engine braking on deceleration will take time to get used to, stiff suspension, stiff clutch, rear set footpegs can be worrying initially, comfortability on this bike is subjective, has few niggles which are being sorted out by ktm, more reliable than RE's but do not expect it to be on par with the japs.

R15- track tool, can tour, reliable n proven engine, best 150cc out there, can keep up with RE's without any problems, forward riding stance, great handler, stylish.

P200ns- most affordable for what it offers. All rounder, easy to own n maintain.

Note- all the above bikes have their own pros n cons, u can tour on any bike with slight modifications as per your needs. There is no such specific touring bikes within 3lacs in India. As someone said "it's not the bike, but the biker". All the bikes u have mentioned below 3lacs can easily keep up with RE's n even out perform. Pick the bike which ticks most of the boxes for u.

Goodluck :thumbup:


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Re: Touring Bike below 3L

I would suggest CBR 250 (bulletproof reliability) + pillion comfort + wider tyres (replace the continental tyres with pirelli diablo rosso) under 3 lakh but slightly heavy and fairing may break due to fall which u already had , Duke 390 suits best, good tyres (metzeler, its a sub brand of pirelli I guess ) pillion seat can be easily cushioned , less damage due to fall cause of no fairing, and its easily customisable as per needs. I would suggest duke with windscreen mod and pillion seat + luggage mod. Also its lightest bike in its class be it inazuma or CBR or ninja 300

Also abs in duke 390 is most helpful in downhill riding. So considering ur weight,height, better buy a lighter bike than a heavy cbr or inazuma, wind blast issue can be solved by windscreen mods. CBR 250 is tried and tested but if it gets discontinued, parts might be a problem.

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Re: Touring Bike below 3L

CBR 250..all the way...Inazuma (Considering Suzuki's A.S.S), I am not 100% confident as they are just growing. CBR should be an idea choice , with ABS, best package available, should be pocket friendly as well...

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Hello sir,

to answer your first question about what do Duke, CBR and R15 bring to the table which a Unicorn or GS150R does not.. is simply the technology, build quality and reliablity.
These bikes have very good robust and butter smooth engines, and are made to run all say long without breaking a sweat. They'll run circles around a bullet without any problem. There are so many sensors and computers monitoring the bike's engine, that it gives optimum performance in any condition. If it is cold the temperature sensor will tell the fuel injection system to make air fuel ratio rich to help the bike start in cold mornings. If the temperature gets too hot the radiator will start to circulate the coolant to cool down the engine and start the raditor fan to further bring down the temperature. There is no need to adjust the carb everytime you go near a hill, the fuel injection system automatically changes the AFR according to the environment. It calculates and delivers the exact amount of fuel to the engine and it all happens in milli seconds.

If I were to suggest a touring bike, it would be the CBR250R with ABS. A perfect combination of power, comfort and reliability. It has good proven engine, very comfortable seats, straight seating posture and the fairing helps reduce the wind blast at high speeds.Can do 100+ all day long.

If you can wait a few months, CBR300R is coming.

Inazuma is good but costly, and you wont get service centers everywhere.Even the big cities have just 1 or 2 service centers, forget about samll towns and rural areas. getting Spare parts few years down the line will be a problem.

Duke 200 and 390 are good for a single rider,but not pillion friendly. Also the short gear ratios might be irritating in long tours. you'll also face wind blast at high speeds because these are naked street bikes, and it will tire you out quickly.

R15: I own one and it is fantastic if you are alone because the pillion seat is just useless, it will be a nightmare if you take a pillion with you. everytime you touch the breaks, the entire weight of pillion will come down on your shoulders and wrists and they will pain like hell even after a week of tour(I took a pillion once for about 110kms, and vowed never to do it again). The seating is aggressive and you'll have to bend quite a bit to reach the handle bars. So if you are fit and dont have a history of back pain, its pretty good. I sometimes travel about 200-250 kms a day, and am pretty comfortable doing it as long as I don't have a pillion.

As for performance, it will do 100+ all day long without any problems. and being just 150 cc its the cheapest among the above listed bikes and you get the maximum mileage (40- 45 kmpl).

Take test rides and then decide.
Happy bike hunting. Ride safe.

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

CBR250, though I'm sure the future is not so promising for the bike. Maybe the upgraded CBR250 or the all new CBR300 on the cards? Then again, no specific timelines.

Alternatively, Inazuma won't be a bad choice either. With a fly screen added would sure be a mile muncher.

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Well, no one suggested the Kawasaki Z250. The Kawasaki 250 motor has proved its worth over the decades. Install a wind-screen and you are good to go. Upright riding stance makes for easy riding. And it would cost slightly over ₹3L.

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Quoting this choice, the z has upright stance and most important thing which is not there on many bikes is a big petrol tank, all 17litres of it.And my friend who commutes on a ninja 300 at speeds of 100-110gets about 32-34kmpl, so the z should also give similar or little more mileage and that will take the range to about 420kms worst(with 30kmpl and 3litres reserve). One of my friend owning a ci350 and a gs, is also going for it by selling both.Do consider.


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Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Some of the pointers i got from well known tourers on xbhp:

THINGS TO CONSIDER for a touring bike:

* Reliability
* Range or Decent FE
* Comparatively less on maintenance
* Comparatively cheaper parts to replace as in when needed
* Longer service intervals
* Plush suspension for our butter smooth indian roads (If you know what i am saying.. )
* Cheaper set of tires to replace if you really are a mile muncher
* Optional ABS good but not the sole criteria

In my opinion a CBR 250R (ABS/NON - ABS) ticks all the boxes as:

* Utterly reliable: There are CBRs in this forum which have done over 1.5 lakh kms without the need to replace the clutch plates yet!! @aargee sir has crossed 77,000 kms without any major niggles.

* If ridden sanely @ 80 - 90 kmph a CBR can return a healthy FE of upto 40 kmpl@10 ltrs = 400 kms tank range otherwise, if you are throttle happy 34 - 36 kmpl is achievable easily.

* Service interval is @ 6,000 kms doesn't cost moon to get it done. You may refer to the chart below to get an understanding of the things to inspect at a given interval:



* Parts are relatively cheap for this category bike: Fibre panels are about 1000 - 1200 bucks per side, Coneset around 800 bucks, brake pads (NON ABS around 2k and for ABS Approx 3500), chain and sprockets OEM around 1900 bucks, valve shims approx 1200 - 1500 bucks.

* FI bike with closed loop system and is LC. So no trouble for the rider to fiddle around with the carburettor when hitting higher altitudes, has happily roamed around in Ladakh without the riders from xbhp getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. can cruise @100 - 120+ kmph all day long without losing steam.

* Suspension is plush and offers the rider enough protection against pot holed sections. The bike is definitely nimbler than an RE on the streets and on highway and is stable during high speed runs.

* You can add better tires for improved handling and grip as stock contigos are the achilies heel for CBR. The best combination is PSD front and Michelin Pilot Street for the rear. Or else you may opt for Michelin Pilot street front and rear though at low speeds the handling may feel slightly heavy due to the profile of the Michelins. As a tourer you can further cut down the costs on the tires by opting for different combinations: Front MRF tyres (for Duke 200) and rear Dunlop Tuff Grip/Michelin/MRFs/Ceat "Dhoom" (crappy name but has ok reviews).

* ABS offers a good safety net for newbie riders on wet and sandy roads in case of panic braking and has spared many riders from sliding off the road. That being said shouldn't be considered as an absolute alternate to mastering the art of braking. Same physics will apply to an ABS bike too. You can further enhance the braking by installing Galfer HH sintered brake pads (4k from US and UK and 10K@Performance Racing Store). They offer better and progressive bite and last twice the life of the stock brake pads on the ABS model.

If you get the NON - ABS and want to improve the braking then replacing the front master cylinder from Bybre to Nissin from the ABS version and changing the stock DOT 3 to DOT 4 brake fluid will bring drastic changes with the progressive brake biting and response time for the same. Add steel braided brake lines and you have enough confidence to enter corner fast and do late braking too. But then that style is for fast enthusiastic riders not for a sedate tourer

Inazuma even though a very good bike, after sales service and availability of spares is questionable. Z250 even though comes from a reputed brand like Kawi, spare parts cost is on the higher side. CBR spares are available in the North, North East and West corridor of india as well. I know it for a fact that Chennai has got good stocks of spares and so should Blore. Even if honda has closed the production for the moment there are plenty of spares and that too in different regions: that should give you some peace of mind.

However, unless you are comfortable with owning a 2nd hand one, given the choice i would advise you to be patient and wait and see if Honda decides to launch the revamped 250R or the new 300R in the market in the first quarter of 2015 as there is bit uncertainty at the moment. If the rumours are true: the new 250R would offer approx 28.5 bhp, twin headlights and revised gearing for quick acceleration and if it is the 300R: well it offers you 30+ Bhps.

My outlook for choosing a touring bike would be Cost of purchasing the bike + Maintenance cost + Fuel Cost + Proven track record for long distance riding in India i.e. "Fill it, shut it, forget it" approach.

Hope this helps you narrow your choice easily..

Cheers,

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

There it is, the subtle hint towards the Black pearl .
I was so tempted to say that but avoided because I knew many would say no to the idea, our beloved mile munching machine is not even considered nowadays

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

Consider between Inazuma and CBR 250(ABS). I'm a little apprehensive about Inazuma due to the sudden confusion of the model from Suzuki India's website. You also don't know whether you'll find spares all over the country. This thing coupled with lack of Suzuki ASS are probably the only drawbacks of Inazuma. Otherwise it's one of the best tourers for Indian conditions.
Almost everything else has been said about CBR250. Pretty low-profile bike which does the job decently enough. The plus point for CBR is Honda's service centers(Honda ASS is pathetic though - that's another story) and availability of spares across the length and breadth of the country.

Re: Touring Bike below 3L

If your in Karnataka then inazuma definitely a good buy. Aaryan Suzuki has a ton of branches across the state and have their tech move around cities for giving service. I know this cos the guys service my busa and he is sent to service bikes in Mangalore. Hassan. Belgaum. Mysore. At least what he tells me

+919986638067 shiva speak to this guy he is th ASC supervisor and tech for SBK's n the multi cylinder bikes