CBR 150 or 250?

For your needs outlined... with the specified caveats, getting a bike of 7lks is honestly a total OverKill. Most these bikes are lifestyle products on not essentially commuter bikes. You can infact do get a good lifestyle bike like a Bonnie or Benelli etc & also a proper commuter bike like Honda Livo or Gixer & live happily ever after.

Point is You need a bike now a good one an expensive one... so do get it. But none of those will be a commute friendly bike in any sense, neither for the pillion nor for you, will attract a lot of attention, and even simple nicks while commuting will simply give you heart burns & cost you dearly as well.

Get 2 bikes & get done with it.

/QUOTE]

For your budget and requirement, may I suggest the Triumph Bonneville. Its got the power and grunt, low end torque for the city. It can pass away for a bullet from a long glance. The new 2016 models get an upgrade. It has the history and heritage and will retain value. There is even someone from XBHP who has taken it to Leh.

It is a heavy bike but can be nimble on the move. It has awesome build quality and great finish. It is not without its niggles. It tends to heat up and rear suspension is a bit weird.

On the other side of the spectrum there is the N650 and the ER6N. I don't know much about it so I'll not say anything.

The Benelli 600i is a beautiful naked. But I don't think your pillion will be that comfortable in the city. Its an attention magnet and in spite of talks about low end torque ... I think it still is plenty for the city.

There is an upcoming CBMOTO 650 ... I only know from reviews that it is a good bike.

I have lived with both the Benelli and the Bonnie ... and I'm in love with the Bonnie. Consider these inputs with a pinch of salt pepper and masala

1. Budget
Upto 6.5L

2. Age
35

3. Height
6'

4. Weight
92Kgs (trying to get back to fitness and ~80Kgs)


5. Intended usage (eg. Office/College commute, Highway runs, Racetrack usage, Weekend recreation riding etc.)-
100% cityWeekdays Usage Pattern
3 weekday - Office Commute (HSR to Arekere via Koramangala)
Total 12 Kms of which wife would be pillion for 3-4 Kms (Both of us have laptop bag+lunch boxes)
Return direct Arekere to HSR- 8Kms

Weekends Usage Pattern
Daytime: Leisure ride around HSR/Koramangala/ORR - for those petty household work
Early morning : Little longer - (read HSR to Hebbal and back) runs

6. Fuel Efficiency requirement (approx., if any)
No bar.

7. City & Highway percentage usage
100% City

8. Approximate Daily / Monthly running
~700 Kms / Month


9. City / Town /Village of residence (so we can evaluate road conditions / traffic / terrain / altitude / OTR pricing)
Bangalore (Primary Areas : HSR, Silkboard, BTM, Bannerghatta Road, Koramangala, Arekere,ORR)
Usage will be during Office hours

10. Brand / Bike type preference (if any)


Other information
1. Want a powerful-enough and nimble-enough bike to break-away-from-the-pack without breaking sweat. Why?
I am NOT an aggressive rider/driver. Actually I am a very conservative one. My commute is 100% car(an automative grand i10) - and I feel that I should not be stuck in my new bike like the way I am stuck in my car.
This is what I face in my daily commute in BTM/Bannerghatta Road/ORR: There is an auto in front of you- driving in right most lane, not giving space; a splendor/pulsar stuck to your left - trying to overtake you- but struggling hard to overtake me at 50 Kmph only, a Box8/Swiggy/any delivery boy ahead of him trying to cut either to your lane or other lane, a Duke who is 4 cars behind you- gunning to overtake anyone before next red light. The cars behind you is a desperate cabbie who is continuously honking/flashing.
You reach a signal - and those 2-wheelers filter through to the starting line - like sand grains. Once signal is green, all of them race- some with early start. Barely 200 metres into the ride, my car catches up with them - but they don't give way- and they're running out of power after 50-60Kmph.

I want a bike, which should be able to leave these behind when I want- with a twist of throttle

2. I want my bike to charter unknown/new roads to reduce my commute time.
I commute from HSR to Arekere.
My morning route is HSR->Jakkasandara(drop my wife)->Madiwala Market Road->Silk Board->BTM Lake Road->Bannerghatta Road->Arekere Gate
and evening route is Bannerghatta Road->BTM Lake Road->Silk Board->HSR.
The traffic is very bad almost all the time.
I know there are alternate roads around - Bilekahalli->Begur Road->Bommanahalli etc - but I dont take those roads as these roads are narrow and cars can get stuck badly in traffic. However, if its a 2-wheeler, you dont get stuck and you get through quick.

3. I want least maintenance seeking bike as possible.
Weekdays - I dont get time due to nature of my job.
So much so that I got a foot pump + digital pressure gauge to manage my both car's air pressure at home
Weekends- I want to spend time with my toddler son - and not my bike.

4. I don't want a massive attention magnet- my office complex has open parking for all 3 companies . Many folks linger around that area for smoking. Don't want them fingering my bike.

5. I want a strong re-sale. I might want to upgrade in 2-3 years
6. I want a bike which others on road will respect and give way ( is it a wishful thinking )
7. How Urgently I want to buy?- I have all the time in the world

P.S.
A bit more about me:
1. Own a pulsar 150(1st Gen)- 2003 38K kms, Honda Activa (1st Gen) 2006 38K kms, Fiat Linea Emotion 2012 (47kms done. Now I use purely for Highways), Grand i10 2015(6K kms- purely for city)
2. Commute done on 2 wheelers- upto 2013
3. No health issues or back pain issues

1. Want a powerful-enough and nimble-enough bike to break-away-from-the-pack without breaking sweat. Why?
I am NOT an aggressive rider/driver. Actually I am a very conservative one. My commute is 100% car(an automative grand i10) - and I feel that I should not be stuck in my new bike like the way I am stuck in my car.
This is what I face in my daily commute in BTM/Bannerghatta Road/ORR: There is an auto in front of you- driving in right most lane, not giving space; a splendor/pulsar stuck to your left - trying to overtake you- but struggling hard to overtake me at 50 Kmph only, a Box8/Swiggy/any delivery boy ahead of him trying to cut either to your lane or other lane, a Duke who is 4 cars behind you- gunning to overtake anyone before next red light. The cars behind you is a desperate cabbie who is continuously honking/flashing.
You reach a signal - and those 2-wheelers filter through to the starting line - like sand grains. Once signal is green, all of them race- some with early start. Barely 200 metres into the ride, my car catches up with them - but they don't give way- and they're running out of power after 50-60Kmph.

I want a bike, which should be able to leave these behind when I want- with a twist of throttle