Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

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Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

Firstly.. I would like you to decide one thing for yourself.. What type of machine you are into..? Some like cruisers more, while some like street type.. You have been riding of more than 10 years and that enough time get familier with this..
Like me, I like only naked style bikes and riding fz and will buy a bigger duke few years later..
So keeping Bullet, duke, R15 in you choices is all confusing..
First decide which type of bikes you into and then go for that..

From the above mentioned bikes.. Duke 390 is the best.. Most powerful and the latest..

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

As you already owned a Re so now with your description CBR 250 only.
Duke 200/390 not at all good with pillion.
Rest I don't see a choice hear.
ZMR is good but not that good on highways.

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

I do not really care for what bike type, i.e. cruiser, sports etc. Any bike which has comfortable upright seating position is ok for me (along with the criteria of performance and no maintenance). Right now my 3 shorlisted bikes are Duke 200, Duke 390 and Pulsar 220/200NS. But I had some specific questions which I have asked in the first post and am hoping the owners will answer.

Duke 200

Duke 390

• How is the reliability and maintenance record for those who have completed more kms? Is the servicing and oil/pads etc replacement more expensive than the 200?
• Also I have read that the tyres will run out in 10k km and spending Rs. 24k per years seems too much. Can some other cheaper and longer lasting tyre be used?
• Is there any information about new colors to be released? I am not a fan of the current color scheme. Also I heard that price increase will happen soon.

Pulsar 220/200NS

• The price is also great but I have heard some negative things about the maintenance.
• Does it make sense to get this over the Duke 200 considering I would be saving about 50K?

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

No other option of tyre in the market. I tried MRF Revz, the one that comes with Duke 200 but the bike becomes very unstable after 140 and the wet grip is not great. Also the bike eats MRF much faster than Metzeller

No new colour option atleast for some time to come.

Also read this thread, most of your queries will be answered
http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/first-im...de-review.html

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

Going through the thread right now.

The tyre problem may be a deal breaker. I cannot justify spending 24k per year
Are the MRF Revz ok for speeds of around 110? That will be my crusing speed. I dont think I will be driving much faster than that.
Will they last longer with those speeds?

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

I have a NS and apart from slight vibrations faced by some owners, theres no issue.I didn't even have the vibrations or anyother niggles.

But I think the low end torque of 390 is great and it should be well worth the extra 50k .



Sai itna dijiye , ja me kutumb samaye,
Me bhi bhuka na rahun, Aur Bike me petrol bhi bharpoor dal jaye !!

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

If you need pure fun Duke 390 it is. But you got to compromise on pillion comfort and smaller range due to small fuel tank.

If you want a super comfortable cruzer(100-130 kmph) with good pillion comfort - CBR 250R. Though wont be as fun as 390 its an awesome tourer for its price. No doubt in that. Its worth the price.

Duke 200/200Ns will be bit stressed at 110kmph. Youll bring down the speed after some time. Its comfortable speed is 90-100.

So choice is yours and you are worried about the torque figures because you come from the bull. Obvi its torque is high due to its weight. But the above machines are light and so their respective figures are more than enough to keep you happy. Good luck :thumbup:

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

reply in bold...

Apart from what you asked... here are few other things...

naked bikes like duke and NS, are not very good to ride on open highways at high speeds, since above 100 kmph, wind blast does hit you, and create slight problems.

duke has very limited pillion seat space as well as luggage mounting space like tankbags and saddlebags. apart from this tank capacity is also less.

P200NS has a really hard suspension and coming from a bullet, you may not like the ride quality. also suffers from tankbag problem, i find it hard to mount my non-magnetic tank bag.

please include CBR250 in your list too, it is a really good all-rounder, and a really good tourer.

in my opinion, go for either Duke390 or a CBR250 only.

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

@OP
I'm not trying to confuse you even more but why didn't you consider any cruiser model bikes? Unlike most others, even your office trip includes 75% of highway riding. I know most of the cruisers are expensive but well worth investing since they are more likely to satisfy all your needs. Very good pillion seat, great for cruising around the ton mark and weekend shopping will be fun too since it has the space.

Man, Duke 390 is a powerful naked bike. It can easily do that 110kmph speed but IMHO it isn't the kinda bike to do a relaxed 150km long trip with a pillion. It ain't a cruiser.

Would you recommend a Duke 390 to someone whose riding routine is like Home <-> office, home <-> shopping with pillion (I would say it's nearly impossible), home <-> a 150km highway trip once in a month, that too with a pillion? I wouldn't. Duke 200 is a similar story.


200 NS has a slightly better pillion seat but it probably isn't the torque monster you are looking for. And I don't think it's a great highway cruiser either.

If it's about performance only, all the bikes you selected are definitely good enough, which is probably why you shortlisted them. But otherwise they are not entirely capable of satisfying any other needs of yours.

By the way, I have a doubt. Why do you give too much importance to torque since you have no intention to accelerate very quickly and you will be riding mostly on highways where frequent shifts wont be required?

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

I could not find any decent cruiser around the price point I am looking at. Something like HD is waay beyond my budget. The Dukes do not seem anything like cruiser but in my (short) test drive they has a nice upright position. Also the performance is hard to beat.

The torque thing is mostly an addiction . And it is not just for fast acceleration.
I dont know if you have driven 500 Bull but locomotive like pull is extremely addictive. I come to slope, most of the other bikes, cars are either down shifting or the engien is being stretched, the bull just keeps on going and even accelerating!!!

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

Maybe something like this?
Not necessarily that model but something similar? Don't you think something like that suits your needs more than a naked sports bike? And guess what it has more torque than the Duke 200. Don't know about the rpm though.
Btw, I just posted an article I saw on the web. I don't know anything about that bike or the credibility of that article. Hopefully the experts will shed some light on it.

Re: Bullet 500 to Duke 200? Duke 390? Something else?

On Saturday morning I decided to take final test drives on my shortlisted bikes before booking on Sunday. I had removed Pulsar and based on the recommendations here, added the CBR250R. So three bikes shortlisted – Duke 200, Duke 390 and CBR250R.

The first was Duke 200. Great initial acceleration and easily reaches 100. At lower speeds the bike keeps pushing you to go fast. Would be easy to drive in low speed traffic. But I felt that the 100 was a bit frantic. It was not a comfortable cruising 100. In one of the posts here someone mentions hearing the engine and it did not seem very happy.

The next bike was Duke 390. Strangely the 390 seemed more relaxed than the 200. It was not really frantic at lower speeds and cruising at 110, it did not seem to be straining. The rpm was a comfortable 5500 or so. 120 was easy too but the windblast is a bit too much. The braking coming down from 120 to 40 or so was simply fantastic. I was firmly planted in the seat. I could not check in traffic as there was almost none but I came upon a speed breaker in 3^rd gear at 70. One downshift and slight clutch play later it was crossed easily and I could immediately accelerate back to 70. I am not sure but the handle bar seemed a bit longer than 200 and it was more comfortable for me.

Finally the CBR250R. After the 390 ride, it just seems so ordinary (personal opinion, not intending to troll). The seating and riding was definitely better and I suppose the pillion will be more comfortable but this bike seems like an upgrade over Karizma and not really in the class of the Dukes.

So decision time.
The 390 was the clear winner.
It offers so much more over the 200 at just 50k extra that it may be the most vfm bike available anywhere in the world today. I am sure the prices would increase by 20-30k minimum. The CBR is a decent bike but priced too high.
I booked on Dussera and now going through each and every post on the 390 waiting for delivery.