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**The Monk** · 11-28-2016, 06:28 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Query Approved

**fullmoon** · 11-28-2016, 10:37 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Thanks Monk .

1) Test Ride Royal Enfield Standard 350 (UCE) : done...
Today Morning called a Royal Enfield Dealer for a test ride of RE STD 35O. To my surprise he told me that Test ride vehicle is available. std 350 bullet for test ride is not available in most of the dealers in chennai.Done the test ride by evening 06:50 pm.Test ride is short one(done solo) for 1.5 km with sparse traffic. sales person told me , this new td vehicle just came before two weeks & had 220 km only in odometer.

Observations:
1) engine woke up in a single kick, engine doesn't have loud thump like old Cast Iron Engine, but smoothness of the engine was there.
2) Rear Brake is spongy, front brake is ok
3) vibe free till 60 kmph in top gear, but once touched the speedo indicated 80 kmph, vibes creeped in.
5) Turning Radius Ok.
6) Seat Height (nice for my height), Riding Position is awesome

I told the sales person to call me once the bullet 500 available for test ride to ride both 350 UCE & 500 back to back.

On the way to my home in my Honda Unicorn, conversation between Mind & Heart gone like this:

Mind: No Electric start, No fuel Gauge in a bullet which costs more than a lakh. what the hell?

Heart: Starts nicely without back lash in single click - I don't need a electric start & i am not going to commute in traffic. with reserve knob's presence, I could manage without fuel gauge.

Mind: your old bullet also could ride in the same speed, then why selling this & buy a new one at high price?

Heart: I tried to train you (mind) with the different side brake lever & gear lever, have u learned to do panic braking?

Mind: (Kept Mum for some time) and sheepishly said, Your Unicorn would tick all your requirement this 350 CC can do and this engine also doesn't seem to maintain 90 kmph without rattling me.. & she (unicorn) is more reliable also for all this 34000 km ridden. what is there in this chunk of metal?

Heart: Feel........& Torquey nature of the engine, and a bonding which you will not understand, you logical mess...

Mind:

...

( Need to do test ride with other choices also)

friends, would it be logical to add the faires bike Suzuki Gixxer SF (FI & Rear disc) as a choice?

**Jon Niranjan Paul** · 11-29-2016, 12:05 AM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Since you've already had a tryst with the Enfield, and your requirement is for an all day tourer with "Reliability" in consideration, I'd ask you to look at the Honda CBR250r. It's a mile muncher, robust built, can take a lot of abuse and yet take you to our destination. Has enough power for the highway, numerous SVC's across the nation, and is fairly pocket friendly when it comes to maintenance.

Or, if you'd prefer sticking to the Enfield family, have a look at the Himalayan, it's basically a go anywhere, do anything bike. And the recent batches have most of the niggles ironed out. Don't limit yourself to the Bullets, as they're fairly ancient in terms of technology and performance and are in no way reliable (no offense to enfield enthusiasts, but the bike does break down often).

I've owned two Enfields and have always had bitter experiences with both, with break downs and oil leaks and whatnot. However, I learnt a great deal about fixing bikes thanks to those steeds

The Continental is bound to give you back problems if you're planning to tour on it in the stock form.

**rugved** · 11-29-2016, 09:24 AM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by fullmoon View Post

hi friends,
i am looking for bike which would be only for touring purpose. I do have an alternate bike (2012 model cb unicorn 150) for my 40 km daily commute.
I do like to give some extra boring details

which might be useful. my height is 170 cm (less than 5.7), weight is 63 kg and i live in chennai. A healthy male without any back(spine) problems. i won't have pillion in my rides, because my wife would like to tour with kids & me on my one year old compact sedan. So would ride alone and wouldn't give a damn about pillion comfort.

note : I have a 1987 model royal enfield std 350 with me. I intend to sell this for various reasons like not suitable for high speeds, different side gear & brake arrangement etc.. But i do like my bullet, need to sell her with a heavy heart.i already had used a pulsar 220 for 2 years & sold it. It's a good bike, but i don't want to buy the same again, need a change...

i am open to all options starting from sports bikes to cruisers, everything. But i do have some priorities. That's where i need your suggestions to get a bike to suit most of my requirements.my requirements are

1) reliable engine - i do understand punctures, electrical / cable(accelerator ,brake,clutch) related issues can happen to any bike. But i need a reliable engine and don't want to get stranded in a highway or in middle of nowhere because of engine issues.

2) power/torque - suitable to ride at 80 to 100 km/hour for two to three hours continuously and to overtake vehicles at 110 km/hr. More power = more happy. I am not a person who redlines engine rpm.maximum speed i rode on my pulsar 220 is 120 km/hr, that too for a short distance of 15 km in chennai-bangalore highway.

3) mileage - i do mean full tank mileage - the distance i can cover in a full tank , useful while going to unplanned/unexplored destinations. Min 300 km is required.in worst case scenario atleast 250 km required.

4) suitable to mount luggage - ability to carry a tank bag (25 litre) or a backpack (35 litre) at pillion seat is sufficient.

5) less vibrations at cruising speed - at 80 to 100 km/ hour it should have tolerable vibrations, if less vibes or even vibe free, i would be happy.

I ride with all expectations of people/herds crossing in highway & ride at sane speeds according to tarmac & traffic. So handling or braking won't be a issue.

most of my touring (say 95%) would be in daylight and would stop before 6.30 or 7 pm to call it a day. So projector lamps or high wattage lamps are not an requirement.

purchase time: - not in a hurry. Would buy within 3 months. But don't suggest me to wait for new bikes like kratos or etc..

bikes in mind (not in the order of choice): royal enfield bullet 500, continental gt, yamaha r15 s, honda cbr 250r, pulsar rs 200,bajaj avenger cruise 220, bullet std 350 uce.

cbr 250 r!

**fullmoon** · 11-29-2016, 10:23 AM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by Jon Niranjan Paul View Post

Since you've already had a tryst with the Enfield, and your requirement is for an all day tourer with "Reliability" in consideration, I'd ask you to look at the Honda CBR250r. It's a mile muncher, robust built, can take a lot of abuse and yet take you to our destination. Has enough power for the highway, numerous SVC's across the nation, and is fairly pocket friendly when it comes to maintenance.

Or, if you'd prefer sticking to the Enfield family, have a look at the Himalayan, it's basically a go anywhere, do anything bike. And the recent batches have most of the niggles ironed out. Don't limit yourself to the Bullets, as they're fairly ancient in terms of technology and performance and are in no way reliable (no offense to enfield enthusiasts, but the bike does break down often).

I've owned two Enfields and have always had bitter experiences with both, with break downs and oil leaks and whatnot. However, I learnt a great deal about fixing bikes thanks to those steeds

The Continental is bound to give you back problems if you're planning to tour on it in the stock form.

Originally posted by rugved View Post

cbr 250 r!

[MENTION=10343]jon[/MENTION]... Honda CBR250R..Do you own one?what about the spares availability?about your past exp with enfields...hehe...i do have a share of experiences buddy...a) for himalayan, if the current batch issues are sorted out, only seat height is slightly an issue.otherwise it might be a good choice for my requirements. need to add himalayan also in my choice list. b)sure need to do a testride on CBR250R..
[MENTION=36417]rugved[/MENTION].. sure i would do a test ride in cbr 250r & post my observation

**rugved** · 11-29-2016, 12:02 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by rugved View Post

cbr 250 r!

Let me tell you how I arrived at the choice of CBR 250 R for you.

Pillion – You mentioned that this is not a decisive point as you expect more Solo Rides.

Reliable Engine – CBR 250 R has no known inherent engine issues. Plus, it gives you a radiated engine (pardon the exact tech term) which would mean that in long trips and in harsh temperatures (typical of India) too, your engine will stay stress free as compared to non-radiated engines.
Power/Torque – 19.5 Kw motor churning out 26.5 BHP would suffice our solo rides and still have some power left in all gears. What’s beneficial is this engine can maintain triple digit speeds for a long time happily. You never know open roads can help you catch some speed (if all situations permit) and this capability is better to have when touring is in mind.
Mileage – With the stock fuel tank you can easily achieve the desired fuel tank range of 250 – 300 Kms. Perhaps even exceed.
(Collating)

**dnewguy** · 11-29-2016, 03:14 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by fullmoon View Post

hi friends,

Bikes in mind (not in the order of choice): Royal Enfield Bullet 500, Continental GT, Yamaha R15 S, Honda CBR 250R, Pulsar RS 200,Bajaj Avenger cruise 220, Bullet Std 350 UCE.

Hi fulmoon

You are almost my height except i am bit heavier with certified back problems

I have toured on P135 / RE Thunderbird 350 / CGT / Duke 200 & 390 / CBR 250

If you are looking for something out of RE stable, i will suggest either the Himalayan or the Continental GT.
the 350's and 500's have low cruising speeds and hard suspension which would increase the ETA.
As others have pointed out that the riding posture of GT will definitely test your back muscles and therefore please be very sure if you wish to compromise on comfort while touring and only then include the continental GT / R15 / RC twins into final list. That being said there are riders who have toured on these bikes for hundreds & thousands of kms.

You already own a 150cc and experienced Pulsar 220.
So even though R15 / CGT / Duke 200 / Gixxer / RS 200 / Avenger 220 can easily do speeds of 100 kph but some of them feel strained when you push them a little more and therefore robs the rider's confidence.

The CBR 250r would be my choice of the above mentioned bikes.

I am waiting for Kratos 400/ D390 2017 etc because Honda won't upgrade the Cbr250r + I like nakeds more.

Cheers.
Happy motoring.

**fullmoon** · 11-29-2016, 04:14 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

[QUOTE=rugved;1264761]

thanks rug for your suggestion with clear detail. getting a test ride with cbr 250r is difficult, as i have tried with two dealers saying test ride not available.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Originally posted by dnewguy View Post

Hi fulmoon

You are almost my height except i am bit heavier with certified back problems

I have toured on P135 / RE Thunderbird 350 / CGT / Duke 200 & 390 / CBR 250

If you are looking for something out of RE stable, i will suggest either the Himalayan or the Continental GT.
the 350's and 500's have low cruising speeds and hard suspension which would increase the ETA.
As others have pointed out that the riding posture of GT will definitely test your back muscles and therefore please be very sure if you wish to compromise on comfort while touring and only then include the continental GT / R15 / RC twins into final list.

So even though R15 / CGT / Duke 200 / Gixxer / RS 200 / Avenger 220 can easily do speeds of 100 kph but some of them feel strained when you push them a little more and therefore robs the rider's confidence.

The CBR 250r would be my choice of the above mentioned bikes.

I am waiting for Kratos 400/ D390 2017 etc because Honda won't upgrade the Cbr250r + I like nakeds more.

.

man, same thoughts.had it not for low cruising speeed (350 std - 60 km/hour and bullet 500 - 80 km/hour) i would have gone for this. still in a dilemma to reduce my speed requirement to go for this. hehe... but i know i would regret because i rode Pulsar 220 in high speeds.If you want to spend sometime in scenic areas,you need to compensate it with some higher speed in open highways.i am not getting test ride here for cbr250r. i think i need to try with each & every dealer in chennai for test ride.

**Jon Niranjan Paul** · 11-29-2016, 07:32 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by fullmoon View Post

@jon... Honda CBR250R..Do you own one?what about the spares availability?about your past exp with enfields...hehe...i do have a share of experiences buddy...a) for himalayan, if the current batch issues are sorted out, only seat height is slightly an issue.otherwise it might be a good choice for my requirements. need to add himalayan also in my choice list. b)sure need to do a testride on CBR250R..
@rugved.. sure i would do a test ride in cbr 250r & post my observation

Yep! I own one! Been 3 years and 70K on the odo. The CBR is kind of a jack of all trades... I've done trail riding with it, highway stints, corner carving in ghat sections, heck it even survived the Chennai flooding! Parts are readily available if you know where to look. Maintenance comes to around 4k per service (I use shell FS oil, so thats ~2k + oil filter + chain lubing and the occasional brake pad change which would cost another ~2k) The tyres are easily replaceable without blowing a hole in your pocket, I've used the shitty contigos, awesome Pirellis, Michelins and am currently on a set of MRF's now. The bike, even today gets me to my destination without any fuss, and the best part about this is the suspension! It soaks up even the largest potholes without unsettling the bike or the rider! I've bent one alloy when I went over an invisible speed breaker on triple digit speeds, and the replacement cost 4.5k, same part for a ninja will set you back by ~15K. So it is easy on the pocket and has enough power for smoking those indicas and cabs on the highways.

For test rides in Chennai, check Didar motors in Egmore. They also have the largest inventory of CBR parts in the city, and you are bound to find any damn part you need! For servicing, go to JSP Honda, there's a mechanic there, Rajesh, and he does a beautiful job. been getting my bike serviced there since purchase.

This post might seem really biased to the Honda, so I'd ask you to check all other options before giving the Honda a shot!

And please do not go for the Std version, the ABS is well worth the cost. (I ride a Std version, many incidents where my balls rose up to my throat)

Regarding the Himalayan, the seat height isn't that tall. My better half is about 5.5ft, and she was able to maneuver it pretty well in traffic.

P.S: Honda's relaunched the Repsol version again, with Marquez and Pedrosa graphics, you might wanna check that too!

**leech** · 11-29-2016, 11:30 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Try Didar Honda Egmore, or Anna salai, for a test ride of the CBR250.

Most guys here will agree the CBR 250 scores above any RE by virtue of its reliability alone.

Tubeless tyres, more mileage of 30-45 kmpl on highway, and higher cruising speed of 120-140 kmph made me choose the CBR. The stability at high speeds is another cool thing sport bikes can give you.

My CBR has done 32k kms, and hasn't left me stranded. The only blotch on the record is a CCT change at 25k kms, which costs ₹500, and takes 10 minutes to fix.

**rugved** · 11-30-2016, 09:39 AM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by fullmoon View Post

thanks rug for your suggestion with clear detail. getting a test ride with cbr 250r is difficult, as i have tried with two dealers saying test ride not available.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

man, same thoughts.had it not for low cruising speeed (350 std - 60 km/hour and bullet 500 - 80 km/hour) i would have gone for this. still in a dilemma to reduce my speed requirement to go for this. hehe... but i know i would regret because i rode Pulsar 220 in high speeds.If you want to spend sometime in scenic areas,you need to compensate it with some higher speed in open highways.i am not getting test ride here for cbr250r. i think i need to try with each & every dealer in chennai for test ride.

You are welcome, and yes even at the time i was about to buy a bike CBR250R was not easily available for test ride, but finally one shop did offer me a test ride.

And you got the second part right too, that you need to have some speed ready in your bike when touring is the purpose, only the difference is both, 350cc as well as 500cc versions of RE can hold the same speed, no difference there. 80-90 Kmph is its territory. But whatever the difference, its still not up to the mark of 3 digit speed.

**fullmoon** · 11-30-2016, 12:38 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by leech View Post

Try Didar Honda Egmore, or Anna salai, for a test ride of the CBR250.

Most guys here will agree the CBR 250 scores above any RE by virtue of its reliability alone.

Tubeless tyres, more mileage of 30-45 kmpl on highway, and higher cruising speed of 120-140 kmph made me choose the CBR. The stability at high speeds is another cool thing sport bikes can give you.

My CBR has done 32k kms, and hasn't left me stranded. The only blotch on the record is a CCT change at 25k kms, which costs ₹500, and takes 10 minutes to fix.

Originally posted by rugved View Post

You are welcome, and yes even at the time i was about to buy a bike CBR250R was not easily available for test ride, but finally one shop did offer me a test ride.

And you got the second part right too, that you need to have some speed ready in your bike when touring is the purpose, only the difference is both, 350cc as well as 500cc versions of RE can hold the same speed, no difference there. 80-90 Kmph is its territory. But whatever the difference, its still not up to the mark of 3 digit speed.

@ leech.. thanks for cbr 250 r test ride info. i would try for sure. [MENTION=36417]rugved[/MENTION]..yes, i can't do triple digits in these continuously, but still one user in my area who has 10000 km odo on his bullet 500 says he ride at 100-120 km/hr speedsfrom chennai to nagercoil without any fuss. Really now a days, more bullet owners boasting such speeds, i don't know whether to believe it or not.

friends, what about adding suzuki gixxer sf, Hero karizma zmr to this list? would these suit my requirements. Kindly give your inputs.

**leech** · 11-30-2016, 01:14 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Rohan12, you rode just 900 kms and now a fan of RE? That's cute. You will have to ride atleast 20-30 k kms, my friend, to find out the problems, if any, exist on any bike.

Now, as to power requirements on highways, sure the Bullets are enough. For some. For others, what matters more is the stability at speed, the agility of the motorcycle and the reliability.

Just imagine, you maintain your vehicle to the best of your ability, when the exhaust pipe suddenly falls off. Oil starts leaking. Or you get a puncture, and the nearest Bullet mech is 20kms away. What do you say then? Bike's got character? Real men ride Bullets? That's a hilarious quote for a vehicle which any fool with ₹2 lakhs can buy.

No doubt the Bullet 500 will continue to be sold long after the CBR 250 gets discontinued, but the point is, the CBR is much more practical than any Bullet on the highway. Only once you've riden the bike at 155 kmph will you realise this. Only once you see CBR 250 with 3-4 punctures still doing 120 kmph on the highway, while the man's bike is stuck on the roadside will you realise this.

Times change, and so does technology. What used to be the top bike in India, is now an outdated relic which only survived due to upgrades and improvements by Siddhartha Lal.

**rugved** · 11-30-2016, 01:24 PM

re: A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

Originally posted by fullmoon View Post

@ leech.. thanks for cbr 250 r test ride info. i would try for sure. @rugved..yes, i can't do triple digits in these continuously, but still one user in my area who has 10000 km odo on his bullet 500 says he ride at 100-120 km/hr speedsfrom chennai to nagercoil without any fuss. Really now a days, more bullet owners boasting such speeds, i don't know whether to believe it or not.

friends, what about adding suzuki gixxer sf, Hero karizma zmr to this list? would these suit my requirements. Kindly give your inputs.

120 is possible. I have witnessed Desert Storm doing so All the way from Pune to Miraj...BUT, Believe me, its not a speed range where engine will be relaxed and stress free. also can't think of holding such speed all day long without taking breaks to let the engine cool down, as well as not sufficient braking power to stop a 200Kg Royal enfield within safe duration doing 120 Kmph.

Its All THESE factors that determine safe cruising speed, and not just the engine

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A Bike for only Touring under a budget of 1 lakh to 1.7 lakh Rupees

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