Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Topic Approved.

Amrit, actually most of the bikes you mentioned are very good.

If you're into general commuting and touring, I suggest you go for Ninja 650R, or its naked-style variant, the Er6n.

TNT600i is a good choice but its not so tested yet, and I'm not sure if Bhatinda has a showroom & service center of DSK-Benelli.


Continental GT is a significant step forward for Royal Enfields, and its different to the other RE's. For example, its the lightest 500+ Royal Enfield, its the most powerful too, and it revs upto 5500rpm+ too, unlike other RE's.
Go for Continental GT only, if you have to consider a Royal Enfield.

Royal Enfields are enjoyable machines, but they're heavy and unreliable. They might stop in the middle of nowhere for some reason you'll have to figure out. It has happened to a friend of mine, that's why I mention it.


I own the Duke 390 myself, and I love every moment on it. Its revvy, fast and very much safe for India.
But its not a good machine for under 30 kmph commutes. Its good, but you have to use 1st and 2nd gears all the time.


Finally, given that you just want to commute, but you have a good budget, I would suggest Kawasaki ER 6n. It can do 40 kmph, it can do 200 too. It will have a good resale also when you sell it years later, because its a proven Kawasaki engine. It will last long if you don't sell it.
And you'll be able to do a wide variety of stuff. You can try a stint at the racetrack, you can commute, you can tour, etc.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

In case of duke, height might be an issue, you need to check it out. But your best vet would be a ninja 650r/er6n if you are an experienced rider

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Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Er-6n is a good buy considering the budget you have, But do check on the feasibility of service or any break down assistance available in case of any issues. You dont want to end up travelling 400kms round-trip just to get a bolt replaced. But definitely a decent buy than 750 whose spares are even more expensive than the kawasaki's.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Kawasaki Er-6n will be the best bet. It's an awesome bike. But do consider the nearby service center before making the final decision.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Ninja 650 or ER-6N are your best bet. They are the best in their class.

But as other members has stated do keep in mind the availability of service centers. It is no use to make a 400 kms trip just to get a minor thing checked.
As Bhatinda is a small town, I dont think you'll get premium fuel for expensive bikes or if anyone would be qualified enough to have a look at a Japanese bike.

Choose wisely brother.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
I have test driven only the Classic 500 and Duke 390. I can put foot down only on one side but that was the an issue initially with my Shogun (Shogun had a pretty high seat.)However I had adjusted my riding style for the same and never had problems. However I had to avoid off roading or situations where I could get disbalanced. Backing up was also an issue and I could not do the same while seated on the bike. That was fine for a 105 kg bike but these bikes are pretty heavy.
I had also test driven the Duke 390 and its seat height felt about the same as Classic 500 but it felt much lighter to pull back after getting off. During the same test ride I also had a look at the Ninja 650 (the Er6N was not launched then)which seemed to be of same height. At that time it was well out of my budget so I paid no further attention to the same. I have however seen the other entry level sports bike- Hyosung 650N but was way too high and I did not even dare to take a test drive on the same. The Harley 750 felt low and comfy but I have just sat on it in a showroom and not taken a test drive for it.
The nearest Showroom for Kawasaki from here is Ludhiana so I guess i will have to make a trip there to obtain a test drive. Does anyone have an idea about the showroom there? KTM however has a showroom in Faridkot a 100kms from here.
As far as handling these relatively big bikes go- I have no experience with riding anything larger than a Karizma for significant distances.
On test riding the Classic 500 somehow felt more powerful than the ktm 390 though I know Ktm has much more power however I guess the part throttle response of the Classic is better , maybe higher torque at lower RPMs and the crowded conditions where I was allowed to test ride the Duke did not allow me to go beyond 3rd gear (maybe I was in 3rd too early).

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

After thinking over everything over the last many days came to the following conclusions
The 3 bikes that are best priced and hence maybe the best value for money as they are significantly cheaper in India than anywhere else in the world are in order of their price difference between India and other countries are

1. Continental GT
2. KTM 390
3. HD street 750

The Continental GT is meant for speed unlike the rest of the Enfields, but still loses out on outright performance to machine in the same price bracket (KTM 390).Looks apart there is little going for the Conti against the KTM. The KTM gives a really lot of bike for the money. Performance is better than anything priced upto 2 times its asking price. Lacks multiple cylinders and a bit of finesse but with recent updates it is almost impossible to ignore.
HD street is another bike that makes a very strong case for itself and we get to buy it at US prices and it is cheaper here than the rest of the world. It however requires more maintenance costs and the KTM would be significantly more fuel efficient while providing equivalent performance. KTM has a lot of standard equipment going for it as well when compared with the Harley which is a more expensive bike.
The Ninja 650 and er6n are wonderful machines but loose out to the KTM in my view as the KTM provides around 80% of performance (in Indian conditions at least) at less than 50% of cost. The KTM is thus the winner in my view and so I have decided that I would buy it yet somehow I fail to connect with the bike
My friends , what are your views on the decision?
What are your views

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Hi ! Some more confusion at my end
A very hot summer is out and I never got to buying the bike throughout the same.
Now that the weather is again perfect for Biking, I continued where I had left off. Went to the probiking showroom some 80 km from where I live.
As I had decided on KTM 390 based on all the information I had gleaned from multiple websites, I just asked for a test ride prior to buying the KTM.
This time it was a slightly longer ride than the one in Delhi 2 yrs back- the bike needed to be revved a bit and I could shift out of 2nd only at speeds above 35kmph.
The bike made a bit of gruff noise but the handling and throttle response was spot on.
Now the twist
There was a Ninja 300 kept in another corner and I just sat on it and though the riding position was sporty I found it more comfortable than the KTM (mainly due to low seat height I guess).The finish of the bike is also very beautiful and it felt so much more premium than the R15s I frequently see. On inquiring they told that they had got the bike in early 2015 and it has been in the showroom ever since as no one has purchased it. Now came the big bomb- they could give that model at a discount of 50K as a replacement model had come with the same specs. No test ride is allowed for the bike and the bike is wrapped in transparent plastic covering the tank and fairing. Hopefully the bike would not have been abused for test rides.
The price I feel is a steal as it is now cheaper than R3 by 20K and N650 is 2L more than this bike. Price difference with RC390 is 1L but RC390 is very unfriendly especially for shortys like me.
Is buying a model that has been parked in a showroom for 10 months a good option?

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

It could be a good option if you do a thorough inspection of the bike and see if everything is fine and that the Speedo isnt disconnected and the Odo reading is fairly within 5km. A quick way to confirm is to check if theres any Engine oil present in the bike. If not then its factory new.

Also you compared N300 with R15, you would be better off comparing it with R3 instead.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

[MENTION=78079]RoyalIndian[/MENTION], thanks for the suggestion, I have never seen a R3, apart from online so don't know how it looks in comparison with the r15.i do really have to look at the r3 as it is available at around the same amount that i will be paying for the Ninja 300.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

The stance is much better than that of R15. Powerdrift has already made a review on it

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Finally bought the Ninja 300.... My search ends for now.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Congratulations!!! Great buy. Please post your buying experience and lot of pics in ownership thread. The thread has all useful information from basic maintenance to customisation which has no limit. This bike can take it all and still not break a sweat.

Re: suggestions for a new bike: everything being considered-Bullet to Benelli

Congrats buddy. That is a great bike you have got there. Ride safe