People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

[Ankey]

Re: help in selecting first bike

if you want to get a second hand bike, to practice for a few months, get a pulsar 180 or 220. They are dirt cheap in second hand market and will teach you a thing or two about riding.
And then when in a few months you are confident enough, upgrade to a RC 390. Many new bikes are just around the corner to be launched, so you'll have a lot of new bikes to choose from.
All the best.

[prathappa]

Re: help in selecting first bike

i think you are right
i am a complete newbie
i need some experience then should i go for a used bike for 5 6 months and practice on that first and then buy the 390
what bike would be appropriate according to you which bike can i buy used and learn on and later sell it
also if i go for rc200 would lack of abs be major deal ?

ABS is surely an added advantage but once you understand how to apply front brakes and rear together you wont feel the need of ABS. That's exactly what we want you to learn first before you own a powerful bike.
1st option, Get a second hand bike in 40k and learn for 5-6 months then own a 390Duke.
(or) 2nd option, Straight away go for 200Duke or RC as it wont feel underpowered on an Indian road.

[radikel]

Re: help in selecting first bike

if you want to get a second hand bike, to practice for a few months, get a pulsar 180 or 220. They are dirt cheap in second hand market and will teach you a thing or two about riding.
And then when in a few months you are confident enough, upgrade to a RC 390. Many new bikes are just around the corner to be launched, so you'll have a lot of new bikes to choose from.
All the best.

This! Superb suggestion.

First rule of biking is never underestimate the machine. And as balgi said...European standards don't work here...you need to be prepared for all eventualities of our city streets, where people cut you from the left and right and you need to jam the brakes in an absolute straight line without swerving a bit, else you hit someone.

For such purpose...the duke 390 is an absolute monster for new riders(at least it scared me a bit). Start small and then end big.
You need to be patient and develop your skills one step at a time.

[Sid_dha_raj]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

@TS

Affording a bike and being ready for a bike are two entirely different things. Get this in your head. The earlier you get this the better for you, your parents and the road.

Let's get real for a moment. Once you buy the bike you'll use it for daily commute to college. Track usage is a long shot and it is not a factor to consider in this purchase. You cannot start touring immediately as you have to get used to long distance riding. So from a usage perspective, the major chunk will be your daily commute. Occasionally you will want to attend the BF rides or xBhp G2G which would be max once a month.

So it all pools down to a bike which you will use for your college commute, small BF rides and may after a year or so long-distance rides and eventually full fledged touring after 18 months. That's how your evolution as a biker would be.

Considering your age and experience you should start with a 150 cc motor. It may seem less in this post but trust me you will shit your pants when that 150 cc pot crosses 100 on the road. Now you will think 100 kmph is nothing. But when you are in the moment, your hands on the throttle, the adrenaline shot, the racing mind, right foot waiting to drop the anchor, you WILL shit your pants. Getting used to high speeds for a longer period is not a joke. Riding on national highways with insane truckers takes practice, patience and precision.

Motorcycle ownership is not about bragging rights and poser value. Its about serviceability and maintenance. Again, right now you think you will be able to manage everything but when it gets real your will have to manage your priorities considering the bike. Which means, you have to set aside time every week and every month for her. The machine become a part of your life and routine and as with all things you have to handle with care. To conclude a bike is not just about CCs, bhp and torque. Its much more in the bigger scheme of things. Its a machine which will have a major part in defining your line of thought, personality and life approach. It will TRULY become your life partner.

Secondly, get the argument of upgrade out of your head. You just don't have enough experience to decide right now, which bike you will upgrade four years down the line. Activa experience doesn't count here. Riding an Activa and riding a 150 cc motor are two different ball games. Don't think of an upgrade now, think when the time comes.

Having said all this, you should look at Apache 180, Yamaha FZ V2 and Gixxer 150. At max, 200 NS. These bikes have enough potential to hook you for the next 4 years till you finish college. They have enough juice to keep you on the road. Do not for a moment think that you have the budget to for a bigger bike then you should buy a bigger bike. Its a gross mistake. As lone wanderer said, you will put yourself in danger and others too. Forget the 390s and 250s, the time is not right to buy them. Discover what biker are you. Its a journey. Options will keep on increasing year on year.

You just have to find the one which keeps you happy. Test ride the bikes mentioned above and decide for yourself.

Most importantly, after you purchase the bike keep aside 25k for gears which includes Helmet, Riding Jacket, Gloves, Knee pads and Shoes. Safety comes first. Be it biking or sex.

All the best!

[John P Daniel]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

@TS Owning a bike for 4 years may seem to be a long time. But trust me, if you truly love riding, u will not be disappointed or bored. Get a bike that can forgive and handle rider's mistakes pretty gently. Remember, it's the same amount of throttle for either a 100cc or a 1000cc bike. One excited or shocked throttle on the bigger machine and you'll be on the ground which could be disastrous. Learn the twisting of throttle in smaller bikes and then progress to bigger ones. And one more thing-doing 100+ on car and 100+ on bikes are two different things. Never compare them. First gain some riding experience in sub 200cc bikes. Try to understand the bike well and improve your skills on it. It'll help you a lot in handling larger bikes. Quit worrying about those 4 years for upgrade. Life is more important than owning and racing with bikes.

Sent from my ST18i

[TheArcher84]

Re: help in selecting first bike

thank you krishna sir for replying I've been following you for soo long now that you can call me your fan i do think you're a very knowledgeable guy


1. Budget= 2.5 lacks to 3 lakhs maxx
2. Age=18
3. Height=6ft+
4. Weight=62
5. Intended usage=College commute, Highwayruns,track(maybe),Weekend recreation riding
6. Fuel Efficiency requirement=20+ would be sufficient
7. City & Highway percentage= if you know delhi its mostly all highways and sometimes they are empty sometimes they are filled with traffic. soo highway50% city50%
8. Approximate Daily/Monthly running=i would be riding for pleasure so and pland to do weekends rides as well as touring
9. City / Town /Village of residence= i live in sarojini nagar, south delhi ,Delhi
10. Brand / Bike type preference=i like bikes with fairing more
I've been riding activa scooty for 4 years now and from last year or two i think I've learned a thing or two about bikes and i am obsessed with them now and i i do miss power all the time when i ride my scooty even though I've done a little bit of touring on it but now i think I've outgrown it. lack of power is just killing me
i do think ninja 300 is the best beginner bike,also i am not able to afford it

N300 is definitely a beginners bike who would like to step on to more powerful after few years. Its not a bad choice of bike either. But your budget would restrict. It has all the qualities you have mentioned. Mileage, looks, Track use, Highway, hell it can even pimp out a girl for you (just kidding )

Other than that, RC200 is a good buy, but pillion comfort is not upto the mark. If you are going solo, its a good buy. Mileage is decent (have never ridden one). But the fuel tank capacity being less, you might have to make addition stops on the highways.

Seating is a bit sporty, initially you might end up having wrist and lower back pain as you ll have to crouch a bit and adjust to the handle bars and throttle position. Once done, its should be a fun to ride.

If your parents can afford you a civic, ask them to stretch the budget by 1L more and get the N300 (IMPO). Mix of all feelings before you want to buy a liter or sub 600cc class bikes.

[harishkumarko]

Re: help in selecting first bike

Duke 390 is definitely a NO! Like some one else mentioned earlier, you may think its a cool bike and you can handle it. But its not as easy as it sounds. Since you are a starter, any bike with 25bhp and below that would be apt. Anything more than 25bhp would be too much to handle. Since you are a starter you will have the urge to speed (Trust me you will). So its better to go ahead with not so powerful bikes. The best beginner bike from your list would be the R15. I would also suggest you to get the CBR250R ABS version. Another alternative would be the Duke/RC 200.

Another idea is get a cheaper bike like a RTR180 or Pulsar220 for learning and later upgrade to a Duke 390 or Ninja 300. Please invest on safety gears without fail.

[prathappa]

Re: help in selecting first bike

[MENTION=61843]Sid_dha_raj[/MENTION] .. Nice explaination

Dude [MENTION=74383]mukul17[/MENTION], listen to what people are saying, its for your own good. Buy a bike around 200cc and learn first, after 4 years you can get a monster if you want.

[ajeesh]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

well......RC3 is a new babe in town.......it hasnt yet survived the test of time.........on the other hand duke 390 is a true beast.......but u being a novice it will b a hard job to tame that beast.....i do have experience riding 390.......not something to b fiddled with......my suggestion is to go wth duke 390....but long rides are a big no......you ll hurt ur back like hell.....its a sports bije made for raw power nd speed......

happy riding....!!!
AJ Ish

Sent from my GT-S5360 using xBhp Connect mobile app

[Balgi]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

well......RC3 is a new babe in town.......it hasnt yet survived the test of time.........on the other hand duke 390 is a true beast.......but u being a novice it will b a hard job to tame that beast.....i do have experience riding 390.......not something to b fiddled with......my suggestion is to go wth duke 390....but long rides are a big no......you ll hurt ur back like hell.....its a sports bije made for raw power nd speed......

happy riding....!!!
AJ Ish

Sent from my GT-S5360 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Wait! Are you saying that duke 390 is not as difficult to master as an RC 390? If so I gotta tell you bro you couldn't be more wrong. The RC 390 is a lot more tame and easy to ride in fact than the duke 390. The RC lacks the duke's hooligan pull and its also tuned to have less low end torque. The duke is a wild stallion that fights you if you try to tame her but the RC's are already tamed (downright domesticated) steeds that actually make you feel confident when in the saddle.

[binarycodes]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

@OP

I started with the CBR 250R as my first two wheeler. Zero riding experience prior to that, not even on a friends bike. This was exactly one year back.
So, you can ride a 200cc+ bike as your first geared bike.

But, you must remember, on a two wheeler you can crash anytime. Loose gravel, a car that pushes you off the road, dogs, OMG dogs! So you have to be careful. Only reason I have not crashed so far (touch wood) is because I am a defensive rider. I ride in the 100kmph zone but the moment I sense something, even a tiny weeny little something, I fall back to 50. This you must keep in mind at all times.

Ride to enjoy. For your own pleasure. No ego when you are on the road. Let that splendor guy overtake you. Its for your own safety. You can ride fast when the road is good and open and safe. When its not, just enjoy the ride and the nature.

[mukul17]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

@TS

Affording a bike and being ready for a bike are two entirely different things. Get this in your head. The earlier you get this the better for you, your parents and the road.

Let's get real for a moment. Once you buy the bike you'll use it for daily commute to college. Track usage is a long shot and it is not a factor to consider in this purchase. You cannot start touring immediately as you have to get used to long distance riding. So from a usage perspective, the major chunk will be your daily commute. Occasionally you will want to attend the BF rides or xBhp G2G which would be max once a month.

So it all pools down to a bike which you will use for your college commute, small BF rides and may after a year or so long-distance rides and eventually full fledged touring after 18 months. That's how your evolution as a biker would be.

Considering your age and experience you should start with a 150 cc motor. It may seem less in this post but trust me you will shit your pants when that 150 cc pot crosses 100 on the road. Now you will think 100 kmph is nothing. But when you are in the moment, your hands on the throttle, the adrenaline shot, the racing mind, right foot waiting to drop the anchor, you WILL shit your pants. Getting used to high speeds for a longer period is not a joke. Riding on national highways with insane truckers takes practice, patience and precision.

Motorcycle ownership is not about bragging rights and poser value. Its about serviceability and maintenance. Again, right now you think you will be able to manage everything but when it gets real your will have to manage your priorities considering the bike. Which means, you have to set aside time every week and every month for her. The machine become a part of your life and routine and as with all things you have to handle with care. To conclude a bike is not just about CCs, bhp and torque. Its much more in the bigger scheme of things. Its a machine which will have a major part in defining your line of thought, personality and life approach. It will TRULY become your life partner.

Secondly, get the argument of upgrade out of your head. You just don't have enough experience to decide right now, which bike you will upgrade four years down the line. Activa experience doesn't count here. Riding an Activa and riding a 150 cc motor are two different ball games. Don't think of an upgrade now, think when the time comes.

Having said all this, you should look at Apache 180, Yamaha FZ V2 and Gixxer 150. At max, 200 NS. These bikes have enough potential to hook you for the next 4 years till you finish college. They have enough juice to keep you on the road. Do not for a moment think that you have the budget to for a bigger bike then you should buy a bigger bike. Its a gross mistake. As lone wanderer said, you will put yourself in danger and others too. Forget the 390s and 250s, the time is not right to buy them. Discover what biker are you. Its a journey. Options will keep on increasing year on year.

You just have to find the one which keeps you happy. Test ride the bikes mentioned above and decide for yourself.

Most importantly, after you purchase the bike keep aside 25k for gears which includes Helmet, Riding Jacket, Gloves, Knee pads and Shoes. Safety comes first. Be it biking or sex.

All the best!

everything you said is all well and fine but I've used the fz v1 for a substantial amount of time pickup was good.it was nice until 80kmph. vibrations kicked in hard at 90-100 it was not feeling very stable so also windblast is also something am not a fan of
also i dont like pulsars thats just my opinion
the bikes you're recommending are just not for me it's not because of the lower capacity engine . They are just not premium enough.and i am not buying a bike for the poser value.
thank you for your advice anyways and yes investing in good riding gear is high on my priority list. investment in safety pays off

[mukul17]

Re: help in selecting first bike

N300 is definitely a beginners bike who would like to step on to more powerful after few years. Its not a bad choice of bike either. But your budget would restrict. It has all the qualities you have mentioned. Mileage, looks, Track use, Highway, hell it can even pimp out a girl for you (just kidding )

Other than that, RC200 is a good buy, but pillion comfort is not upto the mark. If you are going solo, its a good buy. Mileage is decent (have never ridden one). But the fuel tank capacity being less, you might have to make addition stops on the highways.

Seating is a bit sporty, initially you might end up having wrist and lower back pain as you ll have to crouch a bit and adjust to the handle bars and throttle position. Once done, its should be a fun to ride.

If your parents can afford you a civic, ask them to stretch the budget by 1L more and get the N300 (IMPO). Mix of all feelings before you want to buy a liter or sub 600cc class bikes.

see i throughly mentioned how muvh they restrict me from riding they don't want to give me a bike anyways.A yes that i got from them i don't want that to change buy asking for more they already think they're throwing money into a pit.because they'll get not return from it.
soo 2.5 lakhs is all i get and no i dont want not the ktm's 200cc engine

[mukul17]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

well......RC3 is a new babe in town.......it hasnt yet survived the test of time.........on the other hand duke 390 is a true beast.......but u being a novice it will b a hard job to tame that beast.....i do have experience riding 390.......not something to b fiddled with......my suggestion is to go wth duke 390....but long rides are a big no......you ll hurt ur back like hell.....its a sports bije made for raw power nd speed......

happy riding....!!!
AJ Ish

Sent from my GT-S5360 using xBhp Connect mobile app

yes the R3 would definitely be the hottest when it'll arrive and loved your advice
thanks bro

[mukul17]

Re: People of Xbhp community. i need your help in choosing the first bike for me

@OP

I started with the CBR 250R as my first two wheeler. Zero riding experience prior to that, not even on a friends bike. This was exactly one year back.
So, you can ride a 200cc+ bike as your first geared bike.

But, you must remember, on a two wheeler you can crash anytime. Loose gravel, a car that pushes you off the road, dogs, OMG dogs! So you have to be careful. Only reason I have not crashed so far (touch wood) is because I am a defensive rider. I ride in the 100kmph zone but the moment I sense something, even a tiny weeny little something, I fall back to 50. This you must keep in mind at all times.

Ride to enjoy. For your own pleasure. No ego when you are on the road. Let that splendor guy overtake you. Its for your own safety. You can ride fast when the road is good and open and safe. When its not, just enjoy the ride and the nature.

yess i understand what you're saying and i completely agree you can ride a 250cc and plus bikes as beginner bikes but you just need to always be aware of the power you have on tap and that its a two wheeler and you can crash because of your mistakes and others mistakes if you have these 2 things imprinted in your mind and be cautious and it can be a job well done
and its a great thing you haven't crashed yet
best of luck