I have resumed my search for my next bike, I currently use Unicorn and in the past I have used RX100 and Shaolin. I prefer naked/street-fighter bikes. I am really sad to see that there is no rally good option around 2L. After all the homework, I had shortlisted two bikes and took short ride of both these bikes today and here is what I feel.

• Dominar - Looks good, 400 cc engine and ABS and few cool features. Bajaj has really made this flagship product quite impressive - the matte black looks stunning. Despite my reservations/doubts about Bajaj's reliability and quality, I was considering it seriously but then I found it rather heavy and difficult to manoeuvre in my test ride, even turning radius is quite big. Moreover, capacity of mere 13 litres for such a huge, protruding tank seems to be a bad design idea. I am not happy with 'no padlock' decision either. Even if I ignore that, I am not happy about my comfort level with its handling.
• FZ 25 - This has been a big disappointment and IMHO a great opportunity missed by Yaamaha. Despite being in so-called premium segment - this bike is designed and built like a cheap bike. Even showroom display bike had a broken plastic on it. However, I was extremely comfortable while riding this - handling this in daily traffic would be a quite a breeze - felt instantly connected with bike in that aspect. However, headlight s a joke - it can be passed on as a night-lamp instead. Not sure how did Yamaha launch bike with such a poor headlight, worse still they are not doing anything to fix it even 6 months after its launch. Not having ABS is another important drawback here. Somehow, this seems to be a basic, vanilla CD100 of 250 CC bikes and I am sad that it is coming from Yamaha. IMHO, a great opportunity lost with this product strategy. OTR of 1.65 to 1.75 with ABS, 6th gear and better frame would have made it a killer product (and still making it significantly cheaper than segment leader at that time CBR 250) - and YES, headlight MUST be replaced.

There are two distant, outsiders that I was considering but not really keen now. They are -

• Thunderbird - I love/adore its timeless looks an street presence, but was always sceptical about RE's quality and reliability. My recent Ladakh motorbike tour on Bullet (not TB though) has ensured that I'd like to stay away from RE products. There are more reliable, better built motorbikes available - the heart still flutters when I see a TB passing by, but my head now knows better.
• Duke 390 - At 2.65 OTR in Pune, it costs more than what I am willing to spend, but then I can perhaps stretch my budget but I don't like its looks much and pillion is almost non-existent. Also, I am not sure if I'd enjoy its always-pushing riding style - I like power but perhaps not the way Duke delivers it. I would still take its test ride though.

I am not considering Benelli TNT 25 because of its smallish ASS network and expensive maintenance, besides TNT 25 is their lowest priced bike and they treat it accordingly as I have experienced during my enquiry.

There are quite a few fully-loaded fantastic options in 150/160 CC segment around 1L, but despite willing to shell out double the price I don't have any option that is say as good as Hornet in 250 cc segment. I am not experiencing that "WOW - I want that bike" feeling for any of these bikes. I had postponed my decision for FZ 25, Dominar and I was also hoping to see CBR 250/300 with BSIV, but I am thoroughly disappointed now. Should I postpone purchase for another 6 months to see if Honda launches it or should I go ahead with one the currently available options?

I am rather disappointed with what is available, wondering what I should do now. Would appreciate insights from fellow riders.

TIA!