Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Query Approved

If possible, retain the Pulsar for fun/ weekend rides. Buy a cheap second hand scoot for commutes. Though 27 km on a commuter would be quite tiring as well.

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Hi Monk,

Yes, scooters make me tired, I have tried my wife's Jupiter. FZ25 is a good bike to consider for my utility I guess, but will be missing ABS. Heard that clutch is also very hard. That takes a toll on fingers and palm in peak traffic. Is there any other bike which I have missed ??? Kawasaki Z250 SL? Any upcoming bikes ??? Is Duke 390 2017 unfit for 27km one way ride to office in Bangalore traffic ??? I have heard reviewers saying there is no heating problem ... I don't trust it entirely though??? Mojo also seems to be good, but what about spares and service?

I was also considering switching to a 150cc but I will definitely regret later for sure. Hence if not better, I would want to buy a bike that has atleast same performance.

I am 6ft tall and 90kg. I ride most of the time with my wife as pillion through Bengaluru peak traffic. I don't do weekend rides. I use my car to drive on weekends or for long trips.

Thoughts and suggestions ???

Regards
Sandeep

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Any news on definitive release date for BMW G310R?

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

I own new Suzuki Access (purchased Dec_2016; done 2900 kms till date).
I use this scooter for my solo office commute.

I commute HSR-Doddenakundi-HSR (30 kms roundtrip), I feel good on this scooter. the scooter brings smile to my face in this much distance and kind of traffic- which is very slow

There are days when I need to travel HSR-WTC(Rajajinagar)-HSR,(55 kms roundtrip ) on those days, while the scooter is good enough, my back hurts. My body doesn't like it at all. On those days I am exhausted after reaching office and after reaching home.

I am 36yrs old and don't want to incur injuries or back pain

Overtime i have realized that the upperlimit for commute on scooter for me shouldn't exceed 35 kms roundtrip/ 1.5 hours roundtrip time.

If you commute more than 35kms roundtrip OR commute for more than 1.5 hours roundtrip in Bangalore traffic, then you are at the edge and beyond which your body will complain.

Ofcourse people have different fitness levels and different traffic conditions and different road conditions and their distacnce and time threshholds will be little more or less than mine.
I have been using scooter in bangalore since 2011 (activa 2006 until Dec 2016 and New Access 125 since then). I believe Access is a damn damn good scooter.

Hope i gave some context.

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Daretodream,

That was really helpful. I don't want to land with more complications after buying a scooter.

I guess there are only 2 options left for me considering that I don't want to go back to buying a bajaj again.

1. Yamaha FZ25 - Assuming the clutch and gear won't need a gym body for city commute.
2. KTM Duke 250 - Assuming there is no heating problem like 390 for city commute.

I live in Basaveshwaranagar, Bengaluru. Are test rides available for these bikes ???

Regards
Sandeep

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

If it's in peak traffic, a scooter would suit you well. I think a Vespa would be a good choice. If you need the punch to gun away you can try the new Aprilia SR 150 ( a real head turner ).

And beyond the comfort, there is also the matter of maintenance like mileage and costs of services.

If you are set on buying a bike, it depends on your set budget. Apache is a decent buy but riding position is an issue for people of an average height. Dominar ABS is good but again a 400CC liquid cooled engine may not be ideal for bump to bump traffic. FZ 250 or FZ 150 will be ideal buy for your predicament.

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

No dates for G310R, however BMW motorad opening its first official showroom in Pune on 14th Apr, G310R maybe later this year. I was waiting for it now booked KTM

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did you try Aprilia scooter, guess its 150cc

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Aprilia SR150 is a good scooter but it is very small for me, 6ft tall. I did test ride it along with Vespa. Access 125 was much better with lot of leg room and under seat space. Again, scooter vs bike for 27km one way commute to office in peak Bengaluru traffic on scooter is something that everyone here is suggesting me to avoid.

Yamaha FZ25 or KTM Duke 250 are my only options.. Hence I would want some insight on engine heat after riding it for more than 15km in Bengaluru peak traffic. Is it tolerable or not on both bikes. If not, I guess I am left with no other option other than changing my job.

Or, worse, switch to a 150cc bike.

Sandeep

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Guys, I did a test ride of Yamaha FZ25 and felt that the brakes are not that impressive compared to my RS200. Though I slammed the brakes couple of times to see if it locks up, the bikes really took lot of time to slow down. I don't know if I am used to ABS and that is why I felt like that, but I have my own doubts in FZ25 brakes now. Is this expected in a new bike or is it one of case here that I faced? I liked all the other things though, riding comfort, power and quality of build.

Coming to Duke 250, what advantage does it have over FZ25 to be priced 55k more? There was no test ride available for this bike and so it is fading off my radar if KTM wants to keep it that way.

I am also considering Duke 390 strongly as it has ABS .... safety first. Again depends on how good KTM's prospective customers treatment is.

What about Kawasaki Z250? Is it suitable for Indian city riding conditions, especially Bangalore? Does it have ABS? Significant advantages???

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Wow, from scooters to FZ25 to Z250. Again bitten by the biking bug, are we?

Regarding the brakes in FZ25, yeah the new brakes in any bike might lack initial bite as the brake pads need to wear a little. I suggest you take a TD from one more showroom before striking it off.

Though reports say heating issues are resolved in the new KTM series, I think that's in reference to the intended usage of those bikes which is clearly not riding only in traffic. So I suspect they'll still heat in the traffic, at least the 250 and 390. I suggest you stay away from KTMs.

If you want ABS and also want to stay away from Bajaj, then another option, a very good one indeed, is the CBR250R ABS. Its abuse friendly engine will definitely heat less than that of KTMs.

Cheers!

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Guys, I think I will wait for BMW G310R. I took test ride of FZ25 once again but was not happy with the brakes. Dukes aren't available for test ride yet so I am striking them off the list for now. Moreover, I have read lot of ownership reviews about Duke 390 first gen and found that it is going to be a very costly affair to maintain one.

If any bike is released with ABS on both wheels, 200-500cc engine capacity, I would definitely sell my bike immediately and buy that. EXCEPT FOR BAJAJ.

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

Well more news surface regarding the release of G310R in July, let's hope the news remain true. Since the R3 has been removed from Yamaha India's site, it's highly speculated that the R3 might be refreshed. Hopefully the newer one comes with ABS as Yamaha are very receptive to complaints of India customers. So you're making a wise choice by choosing to wait rather than buying one in haste.

Also may I know the reason for rejecting the CBR250R ABS?

Cheers!

Re: Bike/Scooter for city commuting - 55km per day in peak traffic

WOW,thats good news for me!!! I just got my RS200 rear tire replaced today with Pirelli Sport Dragon 140/70 - 17 M/C 66H TL. Old stock MRF had 7 punctures. Also, I got the engine oil changed to Motul 7100 4T Fully Synthetic 20W-50 for the engine to perform better under hot conditions. I am just fixing my problems temporarily to move on with this bike. God knows when I will get fed up again

I am rejecting CBR250R because, again it is a faired motorcycle. The problem of engine overheating will not be solved with the city commute that I do in peak traffic. I am looking for a naked/semi faired bike with ABS as mandatory. Most importantly, I HATE Honda service centers. My wife had a Honda Activa and it was a nightmare for us to get it serviced properly. THEY ONLY WASH THE BIKE AND CHANGE ENGINE OIL. Any complaint or problems shared will not be addressed what so ever. Hence, HONDA is off the list unless they come up with a FANTASTIC bike which is build like RE, gives mileage like Spendor, torque like TNT300 and top speed like RS200.