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**xBhp** · 02-29-2020, 02:01 PM

re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Thread approved.

**sagarzzz** · 02-29-2020, 04:29 PM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Ns 200 and pulsar 220 both are good.and now they come with bs6 fi engine.ns 200 is very good in city as well on highways too.have six gears which are good for highway riding,

You can ride it above 100 kmph on highways.gives good milege,above 35 kmpl.suspension is bit hard,as u will find in most of the bikes.pillion seat is also good.

And about p220 its a allrounder,can do everything,have got very good lowend pickup for city rides.and top end is also good,you can ride it also above 100 kmph without any problems,it have 5 gears.given milage is above 38 kmpl.frontbsuspension is soft nd rear is bit hard.rider seat and pillion seats are very good .

Have got projector headlamps.rearview mirrors are not good enough,

Apart from these,i say dominar is very good bike.people are doing world tours on it.its an vfm product.

Take test drive of each vehicle with ur pillion,and find which one suits you the best.

Originally posted by pseudofarji View Post

Hello all,

I need suggestions for buying a new bike budget is up to 3L INR

First about my commute and current setup:

- I travel for my job requirement total 190KM daily, of which 180km is highway, and remaining is normal city traffic.
- Currently using a Unicorn 150, which was supporting perfectly up to now. But it crossed 1L KM now and fedup with a fortnightly servicing for it.

Requirement:

- A bike with upright seating position, non racing chassis, naked bike.
- It will be a daily commute, so service interval should be longer
- Mileage should be 30 at least
- Pillion seat will be used for usual city roaming with female pillion.

Bike currently Tested/Considering:

- Tested an RE Classic 350 for a week, but didn't liked it due to vibrations.
- Considering a BMW 310R / Baby GS ( mostly due to BS4 stock clearing discount offers).
- Thunderbird 350x.
- Unicorn BS6 ( didn't got new Unicorn yet, but considering the prior experience of using Unicorn keeping this in option too (though this isnt a preference now).
- KTM 390, Dominar, FZ25 not sure, haven't test drive yet.

What other options I should look for?

**pseudofarji** · 03-02-2020, 01:14 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Thanks sagarzzz for making a reply.
can you suggest something apart from Bajaj group. as I do not have good previous experience with Bajaj service center in my city.
though I have not visited that place in last 5 years and although I have heard good things about Bajaj after that KTM partnership. but still I can't make up a mind keeping only Bajaj in options.
moreover I have kept the budget to upto 3L, and apart from that Dominar i think both were under 1.8L category

Originally posted by sagarzzz View Post

Ns 200 and pulsar 220 both are good.and now they come with bs6 fi engine.ns 200 is very good in city as well on highways too.have six gears which are good for highway riding,

You can ride it above 100 kmph on highways.gives good milege,above 35 kmpl.suspension is bit hard,as u will find in most of the bikes.pillion seat is also good.

And about p220 its a allrounder,can do everything,have got very good lowend pickup for city rides.and top end is also good,you can ride it also above 100 kmph without any problems,it have 5 gears.given milage is above 38 kmpl.frontbsuspension is soft nd rear is bit hard.rider seat and pillion seats are very good .

Have got projector headlamps.rearview mirrors are not good enough,

Apart from these,i say dominar is very good bike.people are doing world tours on it.its an vfm product.

Take test drive of each vehicle with ur pillion,and find which one suits you the best.

**sagarzzz** · 03-02-2020, 01:35 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Bro u can look for duke 250,suzuki 250 naked and yes duke 390 .thier are not many options for naked bikes.duke 390 is a very good bike.

Bro 5 years is lot of time,i know bajaj service centers have problems,bt others do have also.duke 390 wont give you the milege you want,fz can be other option personaly i like dominar 400.

Originally posted by pseudofarji View Post

Thanks sagarzzz for making a reply.
can you suggest something apart from Bajaj group. as I do not have good previous experience with Bajaj service center in my city.
though I have not visited that place in last 5 years and although I have heard good things about Bajaj after that KTM partnership. but still I can't make up a mind keeping only Bajaj in options.
moreover I have kept the budget to upto 3L, and apart from that Dominar i think both were under 1.8L category

**GandalfTheGrey** · 03-02-2020, 02:19 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by pseudofarji View Post

Hello all,

I need suggestions for buying a new bike budget is up to 3L INR

First about my commute and current setup:

- I travel for my job requirement total 190KM daily, of which 180km is highway, and remaining is normal city traffic.
- Currently using a Unicorn 150, which was supporting perfectly up to now. But it crossed 1L KM now and fedup with a fortnightly servicing for it.

What other options I should look for?

Going completely OT so you may very well choose not to answer the questions. Is there a possibility to use a small car for your commute? If yes, any specific reasons for not using one? I'm just concerned as 200kms on a bike daily is going to take a toll on one's body. Our ruthless highways only make the matter worse for a biker. I'm tempted to ask the above questions out of concern as I lost a dear friend last year who used to ride 100kms daily on highway and fatigue hit him on one unfortunate day, and things went out of hands on the highway. Again, you may choose not to answer the above questions!

Coming to topic, any specific reason for choosing a naked bike ? AFAIK, the wind blast on highways of a naked may make matters worse. Did you consider the Himalayan? If yes, what's the reason for not shortlisting the bike?

Cheers!

**hellgate** · 03-02-2020, 10:08 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

With 3lacs you can get a new Dominar or a used ER6N. If extended a bit, can get a used Vulcan S.
These rides will ensure that your highway rides becomes a lot smoother and faster.
For highways, a faired bike is a better option as it can handle cross winds and wind blasts better.
Faired bike options: New N300 and used: R3, N650

**#bpk** · 03-02-2020, 01:02 PM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by hellgate View Post

With 3lacs you can get a new Dominar or a used ER6N. If extended a bit, can get a used Vulcan S.
These rides will ensure that your highway rides becomes a lot smoother and faster.
For highways, a faired bike is a better option as it can handle cross winds and wind blasts better.
Faired bike options: New N300 and used: R3, N650

RR 310 BS6 too.

**dhawz29** · 03-02-2020, 03:24 PM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by pseudofarji View Post

I need suggestions for buying a new bike budget is up to 3L INR

First about my commute and current setup:
- I travel for my job requirement total 190KM daily, of which 180km is highway, and remaining is normal city traffic.

Requirement:

- A bike with upright seating position, non racing chassis, naked bike.
- It will be a daily commute, so service interval should be longer
- Mileage should be 30 at least
- Pillion seat will be used for usual city roaming with female pillion.

Bike currently Tested/Considering:

What other options I should look for?

Hi there,

With a budget of 3L and highway distance of 180 kms, you may look at a 250 cc bike. I feel this is a sweet spot in terms of power, mileage and also city ride-ability.

You got the following options-

Yamaha FZ25 - can give you a mileage of even 35 if you ride between 80-100. City mileage is higher. no 6th gear though. Pillion seat is usable and comfortable. 5000 kms service interval.
Suzuki Gixxer 250 - super agile and can even give close to 40 mileage on highway. Fast, only 2nd to the Duke 250. 5000 kms service interval.
KTM Duke 250 - this is your race spec bike with superior hardware and may be costly to maintain. Metz tyres are a overkill for just commuting. Will increase your costs.
Husqvarna Vitpilen/Svartpilen - no info.
Benelli Leoncino 250 - don't even consider this.
Honda CB300 R - torquey! A bit expensive and being a CKD it will expensive to maintain and service.
Himalyan - extremely comfortable and capable bike. Has improved a lot since it came out. 30-35 mileage.
BMW G310R - you rather look at CB300R which is a CKD and cheaper than a bike made in India. About 30 mileage.
BMW Baby GS - this will be close to 4 L on road.
Bajaj Dom 400 - value for money bike. Will be perfect for your highway commute.

Whatever you choose, do take test rides. Also I strongly recommend installing a front windscreen. It will cause a lot less fatigue while riding.

Cheers!

**sagarzzz** · 03-02-2020, 03:26 PM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

He wants naked bikes only,and his wife will be his pillion.

Originally posted by #bpk View Post

RR 310 BS6 too.

**svbhende** · 03-02-2020, 04:52 PM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Considering your requirements, i think you can consider the RE Interceptor 650. You will get: No vibes, high stability on highways, FE approx 28-30, service interval of 10K kms.

**pseudofarji** · 03-02-2020, 09:36 PM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by GandalfTheGrey View Post

Going completely OT so you may very well choose not to answer the questions. Is there a possibility to use a small car for your commute? If yes, any specific reasons for not using one? I'm just concerned as 200kms on a bike daily is going to take a toll on one's body. Our ruthless highways only make the matter worse for a biker. I'm tempted to ask the above questions out of concern as I lost a dear friend last year who used to ride 100kms daily on highway and fatigue hit him on one unfortunate day, and things went out of hands on the highway. Again, you may choose not to answer the above questions!

Coming to topic, any specific reason for choosing a naked bike ? AFAIK, the wind blast on highways of a naked may make matters worse. Did you consider the Himalayan? If yes, what's the reason for not shortlisting the bike?

Cheers!

the main reasons which made me look for a bike and not a car is the frequent Jam on highway i use plus the toll tax additional expense, and I drive solo, I feel lonliness in a car, while a Bike let me feel free.
regarding Naked bike priority, its coz of the riding posture, most faired bikes I feel doesn't have the right riding position for travel daily for such long commute and mostly they don't have a great female pillion comfort seats. might be i'm wrong or ignorant on the first point though. and Yes I did considered a himalayan, but its reviews were mostly off roading , and didnt got much info regarding its highway usability, moreover recent bs6 version reviews suggesting to be having some issues with bike.

Originally posted by hellgate View Post

With 3lacs you can get a new Dominar or a used ER6N. If extended a bit, can get a used Vulcan S.
These rides will ensure that your highway rides becomes a lot smoother and faster.
For highways, a faired bike is a better option as it can handle cross winds and wind blasts better.
Faired bike options: New N300 and used: R3, N650

Thanks hellgate for the input, I was indeed interested in Vulcan S, but mileage is a major constraint.

Originally posted by dhawz29 View Post

Hi there,

With a budget of 3L and highway distance of 180 kms, you may look at a 250 cc bike. I feel this is a sweet spot in terms of power, mileage and also city ride-ability.

You got the following options-

Yamaha FZ25 - can give you a mileage of even 35 if you ride between 80-100. City mileage is higher. no 6th gear though. Pillion seat is usable and comfortable. 5000 kms service interval.
Suzuki Gixxer 250 - super agile and can even give close to 40 mileage on highway. Fast, only 2nd to the Duke 250. 5000 kms service interval.
KTM Duke 250 - this is your race spec bike with superior hardware and may be costly to maintain. Metz tyres are a overkill for just commuting. Will increase your costs.
Husqvarna Vitpilen/Svartpilen - no info.
Benelli Leoncino 250 - don't even consider this.
Honda CB300 R - torquey! A bit expensive and being a CKD it will expensive to maintain and service.
Himalyan - extremely comfortable and capable bike. Has improved a lot since it came out. 30-35 mileage.
BMW G310R - you rather look at CB300R which is a CKD and cheaper than a bike made in India. About 30 mileage.
BMW Baby GS - this will be close to 4 L on road.
Bajaj Dom 400 - value for money bike. Will be perfect for your highway commute.

Whatever you choose, do take test rides. Also I strongly recommend installing a front windscreen. It will cause a lot less fatigue while riding.

Cheers!

Thanks dhawz29 for pointing out towards the 250cc category, I have kept FZ25 in my options, it is indeed worth a test ride. I have kept CBR300 in options too, but it was not available in showroom currently.
Regarding Dominar i heard that mileage is low (under 25)? I got interested in 310R n Baby GS only coz of the discounts which they were offering to clear BS4 stock, which made Baby GS to sit for 3.4L and 310R for 2.9L OTR. and reviews about both were good for ride quality and negatives about them mentioned at most places was the price factor. Himalayan I have added to my Test ride list now, will check RE showroom to find if there are really major issues with it .

Originally posted by svbhende View Post

Considering your requirements, i think you can consider the RE Interceptor 650. You will get: No vibes, high stability on highways, FE approx 28-30, service interval of 10K kms.

Interceptor was not available at showroom when i visited, and will check again while going for himalayan test ride.

**hellgate** · 03-03-2020, 09:55 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by pseudofarji View Post

Thanks hellgate for the input, I was indeed interested in Vulcan S, but mileage is a major constraint.

Thanks dhawz29 for pointing out towards the 250cc category, I have kept FZ25 in my options, it is indeed worth a test ride. I have kept CBR300 in options too, but it was not available in showroom currently.
Regarding Dominar i heard that mileage is low (under 25)? I got interested in 310R n Baby GS only coz of the discounts which they were offering to clear BS4 stock, which made Baby GS to sit for 3.4L and 310R for 2.9L OTR. and reviews about both were good for ride quality and negatives about them mentioned at most places was the price factor. Himalayan I have added to my Test ride list now, will check RE showroom to find if there are really major issues with it .

The Vulcan S will return around 26-30 on the highway if you manage to stay below 130kmph. I had the N650 and thats what I used to get if I maintained below 130kmph.
Between 130-150 expect around 22-25. Above 150, you shouldnt be looking at the odo to check your mileage....

I would suggest you not to look at any if the BMWs as maintenance will be very costly. Even I am tempted to get the F850 GS Pro as they have 4 lacs discount on that. But its the sky high cost of spares that's preventing me from getting it.

If you have bike rental service in your city, rent out your shortlisted bikes for a day and use them for your daily commute. This will give you a fair idea of how these machines will behave.

**pseudofarji** · 03-03-2020, 10:35 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by hellgate View Post

The Vulcan S will return around 26-30 on the highway if you manage to stay below 130kmph. I had the N650 and thats what I used to get if I maintained below 130kmph.
Between 130-150 expect around 22-25. Above 150, you shouldnt be looking at the odo to check your mileage....

I would suggest you not to look at any if the BMWs as maintenance will be very costly. Even I am tempted to get the F850 GS Pro as they have 4 lacs discount on that. But its the sky high cost of spares that's preventing me from getting it.

If you have bike rental service in your city, rent out your shortlisted bikes for a day and use them for your daily commute. This will give you a fair idea of how these machines will behave.

I won't be driving over 110 mostly.

surely Beemer got a higher spare cost, but the lower models are make in India stuff and the most selling, so I feel the availability of parts won't be an issue. it will still be better then buying an import bike with cheaper listed parts that are non available.
so how is the spares availability in Kawasaki ?
and you sure Kawasaki 650 engine will give 30 if I cruise around 100 ? as claimed mileage is around 20-22 only

**hellgate** · 03-03-2020, 10:43 AM

Re: Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

Originally posted by pseudofarji View Post

I won't be driving over 110 mostly.

surely Beemer got a higher spare cost, but the lower models are make in India stuff and the most selling, so I feel the availability of parts won't be an issue. it will still be better then buying an import bike with cheaper listed parts that are non available.
so how is the spares availability in Kawasaki ?
and you sure Kawasaki 650 engine will give 30 if I cruise around 100 ? as claimed mileage is around 20-22 only

Part availability for BMW is not the concern, but the price of those parts are way high as compared to even Kawasaki N300.
The 650 parallel twin engine from Kawi is great. You will for sure get around 28-32 if you keep within 110.
My N1000 returns around 25 if I maintain 120, but who rides a 1000cc at that speed on the highway.
For Kawi, generic spares like brake pads, oil filters etc are easily available.
However parts like fairing and the kind are mostly on back order which general arrive within 3 weeks.

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Bike suggestion for 200 km daily commute

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