Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Hey I have just added my ownership experience of the Honda XBlade to my youtube channel.... check that out...might help you!!

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

If anyone is looking for a commuter bike in the 150cc range with good pillion comfort, I'd suggest he should take a test ride of the Yamaha SZ-RR. FE should be around 45 kmpl which is expected from a 150cc bike. The good mid-range torque will come handy. One of my colleagues had moved from TVS Victor to SZ-RR around 2.5 years ago. He has completed 36K kms till date and counting. In December week 1, he did a ride from Kolkata to Odissa with a pillion(he had R15s, Dukes, NS200s, RTR 200s for company) and was all smiles about the performance and comfort level of the bikes when he shared his experiences with us.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Happy new year people

Regarding the hunt for the bike, now with the final list:
Pulsar 160NS
Pulsar 220F ABS
Honda X-Blade ABS.

I'm going to insist that I need my bike to be manufactured in the year 2019.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Bro, if you want a good reliable & comfortable 150cc bike, I'd suggest that you atleast consider Honda CB Unicorn. It's a wonderful bike with refinement and comfort.

Pulsar 150/180 should also be a consideration, as being Bajaj, it's spares are easily available and that too at such prices from Service centre that makes you forget about the local market.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Buy pulsar 150 abs in 2019.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

All thanks to you buddy

Since you insisted, I went to the Honda showroom but with no mood to buy the Unicorn. I was enquiring about the Unicorn and its new brother Unicorn 160 and I was like "what on Earth is that!". It was the X-Blade standing in front of me and I immediately asked for a test ride.

Showroom guy tempted me to buy the Hornet instead of the X-Blade but I ain't moving away from the X-Blade 😎

Took the keys, and went for a spin. Amazingly refined engine, perfectly flickable, stunning looks, and showed no signs of stress even when I revved it hard.

Came back to the showroom, went to ATM and made the down payment 😍

X-Blade it is.

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice. Will pay back by writing a detailed review of it very soon.

Thanks again,
Elf

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Wow, glad to know you found something you liked. X blade has a fresh & unique design, quite popular with youngsters. It also makes one think of which bike is this, when you see those headlamps after dark.

Which colour option are you going for BTW, coz I saw many good Colors on that, matte grey finish was really good.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Did you testride apache 160 4v? Have you selected the abs model of xblade?

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

For Zapps:

True that regarding the looks 😍

Regarding Apache 160 4V:
I did test ride that and felt pure brute power at the twist of the wrist. The bike was pure Bliss but what made me steer away was the low turning radius and pillion seat.

And I have went for the standard model and not the ABS version

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Yeah, it's a good bike.BDW I own hornet abs [emoji4]

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

You wont find a bike which will tick all your boxes,you have to compromize on something or the other.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Hello everyone,
Hope everyone is having a great time. Thought to give a quick heads up to everyone who has the same question of which bike to buy in the 125-160 cc segment.

All the below statements are my opinions only and I am not claiming them to be the only opinion there should be.

There is no such thing called the best 125-160 cc bike. It all depends on what you need and what the bike provides. For example, if I had been a guy staying in a rented room with my friends I would have gone for the Apache RTR 1604V but I bought the Honda X-Blade. Does that mean the X-Blade is "better" than the Apache 160 4V? There is no answer for that. I bought the Honda X-Blade because I wanted a bike my mom will have no problem getting on the pillion seat, nice looks, decent mileage, power when required, refined engine and good riding comfort. X-Blade checked all the boxes so I went ahead in booking and buying it.

For the people with different requirements and taste, let me sum up the different bikes based on my test ride experiences.

First in the list is obviously the one that still has a place in my heart - the Apache RTR160 4V! (kinda like the ex-gf)
Prepare to be amazed by such an engineering marvel. You would be shocked to see a vibration free engine on an Apache. It is super fun to ride, the engine does net feel stressed even when you rev it like you stole it. Definitely a stunning looking bike.

The bike's weight will be felt on your wrists when you try to turn in tight corners so be prepared. The brakes are also good but the short turning radius is a pain in the softest part of the body.

Second is the one I bought, the Honda X-Blade: (if Apache 1604V is ex-gf, this is the wife)
An eyecandy! I have been getting a lot of stares in red signals, and people will sometimes enquire about this bike. The LED headlamps are a treat to watch and use. The seat is as thin as cardboard so your back is in for some punishment. The flickability is great. By flickability I mean when maneuvering jam packed traffic and also when overtaking in highways. The tires are a huge let down. Please get better ones. Nice and reliable for city rides but if you are the one who goes for hard breaking, then invest in better ones.

Will update for the other bikes soon once I get enough time to sit down and write..

happy riding people

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

I have this baby, the Honda X-Blade. Bought her home 4 months back. And yes, you are right. She is an EyeCandy. At red signals people do stare at my babe and ask about her everything, which bike is this, what's the price, how much mileage,blah blah blah, and yeah they don't forget to say that she looks beautiful.

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Quick update:

About the cons of the Honda X-Blade:
This comes after 500 kms on the Odometer.

Gear shifts are bad. False neutrals and the up shifts are not at all pleasing. Gear shift indicator gets confused and takes some time to show the gear position.

Have to tighten the chain, get the buzzer replaced for blinkers, and tell the SVC guys about gear shifts during first service.

Getting thoughts like "should I have opted for the 160NS?" 😂😂

Re: New Bike - moving on from 125cc to 150/160cc

Which bike did OP go for?

Regarding some people complaining about thin seat on X-Blade, you can always go for seat mods, seat makers have different kinds of foam and seat cover fabric available. That should solve the problem.