Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Query Approved

I would drop the 220 from the list. It is a good bike, but dated. Focus on the RS200 and Apache 200. Depends on whether you like naked or faired bikes. Both are good bang for the buck. Though you might not find it a big upgrade in terms of power, though both will be substantially more refined than a 7 year old RTR180!

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Why is the dominar not on your list ?

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

My opinion is that you could drop RS200 altogether and instead have Dominor. For a little more money you get a lot more and still within your budget. But it's advisable to wait and watch Dominor since there will always be niggles in the early batches.

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

My opinion is to remove RS200 from your list as it doesn't justify its price for the much better Dominar costs more or less the same. Both Pulsar 220F and RTR 200 are good choices and tick most of the right boxes for touring and commuting. I don't see any REs on your list, so can I assume you've avoided them?. If you haven't rejected the Duke 200 for any reason, I suggest to include it as well in your list. Duke 200 is more powerful, fun to ride, and also delivers descent FE figures as you commute daily. Now the big question: Should you wait for/buy the Dominar 400? I see Dominar more as a tourer than a commuter and I think from what you've mentioned you need something more of a commuter than a tourer, but hey that doesn't mean one cannot commute on Dominar. People tour on an Activa and commute on a RC390/Harley so it's for you to decide. I suggest you to wait at least till Jan 14th for there is going to be a new launch from Yamaha, hopefully in the quarter litre segment and keep researching until then

Cheers!

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Firstly, Thanks to all of you for your valuable inputs

I had the same running in my mind, currently leaning towards RS200 for the amount of goodies it offers for the value. Its just that, for the number of options available now, Its too confusing on what to opt for! Hoping to find some help here
And also thanks for the approval!



Hi masterminds and kannanmr16,
I had TR on both RS200 and Dominar400 back to back. For some odd reason I felt the RS200 to be a tad bit more refined and had smoother gear shifts The Dominar gears felt hard! and may be I'm the only one here who prefers the console of RS200 over the Dominar.
Apart from this, the Dominar is just released, I feel it would take another 5-6 months to get a proper user feedback. and also, I know that FE should not be a major factor while considering bikes of 200CC+, but I'm sure there will be a huge difference between the FE of Dominar and RS200(at least around 10) which might be a deal breaker for me. I would be fine with anything over 35+ in city.
What do you guys feel on this? would it be worth the wait for Dominar?

Hey GandalfTheGrey,
I had a short TR of the TB350, I must say, it was an awesome experience. The ride i felt was comfortable and unique. If I'm not wrong, the RE's have a league of their own, and I'm not sure if I fit into that category. I have a friend who owns a 5+ year old classic, I have seen him cribbing a lot for the maintenance and niggles he faces in his bike.
so, this kept me off from including the TB in the list.
Coming to the DUKE 200, considering other options available (RS200,RTR200,DOMINAR), I felt the DUKE is too over priced :|
What do you feel?

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Kiran, there are 2 things which in my opinion makes Dominor better than RS.
1. Safety - has dual channel ABS, RS has single( front wheel only). I have seen the rear wheel lock more than the front, so it is something that is going to make a difference in panic braking.
2. The problem with 150+cc bikes are sooner or later you will yearn for more power. You would curse yourself if one day you think for a few thousands more you could have got 35ps bike in Dominor.
Other than this you get slipper clutch as stock and LED headlamps, which are better looking. So have these things in mind and decide on your purchase. Good luck.

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Yes mate, I've heard enough horror stories from RE owners and that's one of the main reasons I'm staying away from RE. Agreed the Duke is priced a bit higher than the RTR200 but the power to weight ratio makes it forgivable. I think the Duke and RS200 are priced closed to each other though the latter has ABS the Duke's power to weight ratio scores in favour of Duke. Yes, RTR200 is the absolute bang for buck bike one could by right now in 200CC category. I'm not suggesting CBR 250 as its mileage is on the lower side. If you want the mileage to be north of 30 then you can safely omit Dominar too. In one of the reviews in a Youtube channel (Highway Man) the bike delivered somewhere around 26 kmpl and if driven sanely I think it might return close to 30kmpl. Also did you consider not selling your Apache and keeping it alongside a new bike? If so, I suggest you to look again at the Dominar as it's good for short trips, occasional commuting(twice or thrice a week), and won't be that heavy on your pockets compared to using it alone as a daily driver.

Cheers!

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Like what Kannan pointed out, Drop RS200 and P220 from your list. If you have included RTR200, then you must be an Apache lover( I am not surprised). The best buy would be Dominar , wait for few more months to see the reviews and decide.

You get a good bump in power for both city and it can easily cruise in highways at 100+ kmph all day long. You can consider the CBR250 as well. Though outdated by ages, still one of the best performing quarter liter segment bikes. By far one of the best for touring.

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Hi kannanmr16,
I completely agree to your comments!
I was actually looking at the non-ABS version for the RS200. Since the ABS for RS200 is a single channel, I felt it would be better to not go for it.
Now the cost for this is 1.44 on road here in Bangalore, where as the cost for Dominar is almost 35k+ (considering if i go for Dominar, it would be a ABS since it has dual channel ABS).
I completely agree on your 2nd point!
But for now, since RS200 is fitting my needs completely (city commute, FE and the casual touring), is it worth looking at the Dominar where I will have to sacrifice on the few of my needs?
I don't mind waiting a while though!

Hi GandalfTheGrey,
I have seen a lot of Youtubers/online reviewers who vote for the RS200 against the duke200/RC200 in terms of comfort. May be I should also take a TR of the Duke 200 now!

And your point of keeping back the RTR180, while opting for the Dominar makes complete sense. But the only reason I'm looking for an upgrade is due the to the fact that my RTR is aged! I'm facing a lot of issues(most of which are results to my decisions) . and I'm pretty sure no matter how sane riding I do, I cannot get FE figures for my needs considering 70-80% of usage is within city!

Hi TheArcher84,
Bang! you hit the bull's eye . I've been an RTR fan boy for a long time. But now looking to try something apart from RTR.


@All
I completely agree regarding the price difference for RS200 and Dominar is less and the fact that Dominar offers a lot more value for the money, but I'm not sure if the Dominar fits my needs(or even can I handle it?).
Its like asking for more than I can chew.
I feel the RS200 has everything going my way, but not sure with the ground clearance and reliability for the next 4-5 years!
Right now, I may seem biased towards the RS200, but I do completely respect all your suggestions, I don't mind waiting for a while too.

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Mate,

My personal experience is this; I would rate the riding comfort in this way : Duke 200 >= Apache 200 > RS200. The RS has a slight forward bias but it should pose no problem for someone coming from riding an Apache. The RTR200's riding stance is very little forward biased and doesn't feel like previous Apaches'. The seats of RS200 and that of Duke were similar in their stiffness. TD a Duke to see how you feel about them. Yes, you are spot on in your decision. Though the Dominar is a good bike, whether it's meant for serve your purpose is something only you can tell and you seem to be clear on that decision with your priorities. The RS200 is a very good offering from Bajaj apart from its price and it seems to tick all your boxes. One more cent, I suggest you to wait for some more time, a month may be. With the Dominar released, the positioning of the RS200 is awkward now. So I guess Bajaj will do something on its front by overhauling it, reducing its price, or even stopping it completely. With the 2017 P150 and P220 refreshed, it's just a matter of time before they do something with NS200 and RS200.

Also as mentioned already by fellow bhpians, the RS200 will be a minor upgrade from the Apache 180 and it's more of a commuter than a tourer. So you might long for more power on open roads while touring. But if you can control your libido for such thrills 200cc is a good way to go

Cheers!

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Hi Kirankj1724,
RTR fan here too [emoji14] . See my dp?
Great bike buddy. Happy you had it for 7 years.
Now coming to your questions, RS200 is a great bike from Bajaj. I personally love the bike but, but, as people before me have told you the Dominar offers more for a little more on the purse.
The Dominar should be good for city commute, but FE will be a problem it gives 25-28kmpl in city. Considering Dominar's price being very close to RS200, BAL should reduce the price of RS200 quite soon. I suggest you wait for a while if you are not in a bit of urgency to get a bike.

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Why do I have a feeling you are inclined towards the RS200 even after many people suggest you other options [emoji3]

Anyways, the RS200 is a great bike. Nothing too bad about it..

Why people praise the Dominar so much? Well, it is because of what it has to offer for the price.. it ticks every bikers checklist with many features.. while I still wont go for it if my priority is better FE..

Duke 200 is highly priced due to the fact it uses a better chassis as compared to the other bikes in the list.. it is a hooligan, a monster in city roads..

Yamaha is bringing in FZ25 (hopefully the name is right but a 250cc) in few weeks from now.. could be worth the wait as well..

Go with what your heart says!! Does your heart say RS when someone suggests some other bike? Then go for it

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

Hi GandalfTheGrey,
I completely agree on your comments! I'm due for a TR of the Duke 200, may be I will do it by this weekend. And I will definitely hold on for at least the end of this month before I can make any purchase. I shall update you here with my experience of the TR of Duke 200 as well.

Hello Unforgiv3n biker,
Nice DP
I must say, I loved the RTR. It served me very well and hope you clock more than me with your RTR.
Yes. I'm planning to hold my purchase at least till end of this month till I get some reviews and also will have a talk with the Bajaj dealers regarding any updates on the price of RS200 meanwhile!



HI rreneav1987,
Yes, you are right currently I'm inclined towards RS200 due to the fact that it offers more FE in city(difference of at least 10KM/L) and I feel the console RS200 to be the better looking compared to Dominar.
The only reason why I wasn't considering the Duke 200 is because of its pricing. I can get the Dominar for pretty much the same price.
Regarding the FZ25 is something I'm completely not aware of o.O I should do a bit more reading on this.
Right now my heart does say RS200, but I feel its right to hold on at least for the month end to get a better clarity of things.

Re: Upgrade from RTR 180

I'd suggest you to Test ride Duke 390. I know that it crosses max limit by 15-25k (on road).
It's full on hooligan performance machine and low on comfort. It's just that once you go out and try a 45bph machine with that brutal acceleration, everything else feels hollow.

Duke 200 is pointless due the the presence of Dominar.

If you can wait, follow the updates of BMW G310, Akula 300 (?), FZ 250 ( 20 bhp :/ ), 2017 Duke 390 ( Epic dashboard / console ).

ps- I don't like fairings much and found rs200 to be a vibe monster. Dem plastics vibes.