Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

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Are you sure you are not trolling! First you ask about this http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/what-bik...0-new-one.html

And now this!

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

I know that's why I mentioned "finally" the bikes above were a replacement of my hero maestro. Which now is not being sold. So thus now I'm getting these premium bikes.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

I have an RC 390, so I'll tell you about that, as I've only ridden the thunderbird 350 once(road trip, me and my friend switched for a while).
Firstly, fuel efficiency, on the 390 you'll get 20-24 in city, 30-35 on highway.
Maintenance of the 390 is lesser than other bikes in this segment, a service would cost you roughly 2k. Spare parts are super cheap.
ABS + Metzler + Slipper clutch is a brilliant combination, which doesn't really have any rival.
Power output too is a lot more than RE.
However, comfort wise, I'd definitely have to go with RE. Looks are subjective, thats dependent on your personal preferences. The RE is smoother too, to an extent, and is a lot calmer ride.
Speedo of the KTM is a lot more informative.
Another slight point what I observed is the RE maintains 80 comfortably, not more, and also the wind blast causes the mirrors to be pushed inwards.
Personally I have never been much of a fan of RE, so my views are a little biased here, so do take that into account, but I would hands down go with the 390.

PS Which 390 are you considering? You've just mention KTM 390, no particular model. The RC and Duke are the same pretty much feature wise, main difference being the looks and the riding posture.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

I believe price bracket is the only thing common in shortlisting these 2. If yes then I am wondering why are you not considering CBR 250(ABS) and Mojo? Both these bikes(CBR and Mojo) will be good for touring as well as City usage. Duke 390 is already being updated for 2017 and buying the current model may not be the wisest decision. Apart from this Duke 390 is not recommended for heavy city usage. TB 500 is great but not reliable(as most other REs); vibrations; useless mirrors. But REs are ageless with proper maintenance(read a lot of maintenance). If I were you(Height 5'9 Weight 60 kg) I would not buy a RE; no offence.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Hello,thanks for all this replies.
I'm looking forward to the KTM duke series.

I really did not like the mojo. Braking specially.
I heard cbr250 abs is High on maintenance(that stopped me)

This is what I feel please correct me is wrong.

I'm going for KTM cause it seems to be much more reliable.
What stops me is speed. I dont ride so fast. I prefer a calm and comfortable ride.

What's stopping me from getting a thunderbird 350 is its reliability.
Are the UCE engines good? Or does a bullet still break down a lot.
(Please don't tell me I have to care a lot and know it in and out. I am a diy guy, and I do service on time)

Or shall I get a 2001 Thunderbird. Which Has the gear and brakes on the opposite sides. Please let me know.

Thank you.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Man you're confused alot.

First,
Here's the thing Royal Enfields are for enthusiast if you want a bike that's reliable/ less maintenance etc you can drop RE from your list right away because these are still hand made and if you are unlucky and get one with bad engine /parts you will be visiting service alot on the other hand good mechanic is always around for RE in most cities.

Second,
"I heard cbr250 abs is High on maintenance(that stopped me)" I',m using the bike for 5 years the only major costs in spares were rear suspension (3-4k) and speedometer (6k) (this was my fault) apart from the break pads etc cost around 2k and nothing major to be frank.

Finally,
KTM duke 390 this is most bang for the buck you can get but its going to phased out soon. and Old bullet I don't recommend as we don't know how well they are maintained.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Haha
I'm so sorry.
You made it sound easy.
Well, how is the CBR 250 for city use? And mileage would be?

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Its Ok for city use but because of fairing and the bull horns (side mirrors) you can't zip through the traffic.
your feet wont be deep fried in bumper to bumper traffic.
But if you take Duke 200 (not 390) it will be easy to flick the bike etc.
I generally get 30ish kmpl its in moderate traffic and also mine is 2011 you might get slightly better one with newer ones.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

WOW!! KTM 390 and Thunderbird are as poles apart as you could get, or maybe if you include Ninja instead of KTM, that would take it farther.
If REs were reliable and hassle-free, I would have bought one long ago! I am stil contemplating it... ;-)

KTM is powerful and probably best value for money today - however I am not sure if it is comfortable for the pillion. If that's not a concern, you can go ahead with that. If you're still unsure and willing to explore other options, there are plenty of bikes in that price range. I am also exploring combination of a good city bike and a decent tourer.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Haha yeah.
I guess the Thunderbird is out then
Its KTM 200vs390
Should the lack of abs in 200 bother me at all?
Or shall I get the 390 for more value of money.

CBR seems outdated cause a new version is gonna come this/next year.

KTM seems more accessible in terms of service, cause of Bajaj.

If I ride in the city and highways sometimes is 390 good?
Pillion isn't a concern.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

New CBR250 version gonna come out next year? 😄 I've been hearing this since 2013, and still no new bike.

If you want relaxed ride, CBR is better than the Duke 200 or 390. And a friend who owns CBR250 and Duke390 believes the CBR is better built to last, with lower service costs.

Test ride both bikes and decide.

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

And now I'm leaning on the CBR 250 again x_x

Re: Finally decided! KTM 390 vs royal Enfield thunder bird 350

Actually you yourself don't know what you want and to find out in that case is test ride all the bikes and choose whichever you like.