Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Thread approved.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

I'm too coming from a Gixxer 155 , bought the Honda CB300r in March'20.
Small piece of advice: Close your eyes and go for the Gixxer 250. Quality & reliability of Gixxer 250 can't be compared to that of KTM Bajaj bike.
Since you plan to keep the bike for 5+ years.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Thanks! I agree with your point..... Quality & reliability wise gixxer 155 has proven its mettle and hence I think 250 will be at least as good as 155 if not better. BTW Congratulations for the new CB300r. Actually CB300r was my first choice for the upgrade but drooped it as it is out of my budget. Can you please let me know what is the interval and cost of general servicing for CB300r.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Suggestion would be to wait for a year or so on the BS6, rumors are that the current forst/ second batch of BS6 vehicles are not that free from niggles as the change was drastic.

KTM= Bajaj built wont be confident on the quality but it is a bang for the buck.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

I have not used KTM and none of my friends have it. I can definitely talk about the Bajaj I own. It is one of the most reliable bikes, very good quality and hardly any maintenance issues:



Same I can say for the Avenger, knew a guy who was a member of an Avenger motorcycles group: very much reliable and not much headache of maintenance. Then @ashwinprakas here owns a CT100B and earlier owned P220 and he is a very well known motorcycle-smart guy. Check his posts.

Not specifically regarding the KTM, any high-compression engine needs good maintenance and all engines that are designed to rev (means top-end power, means speed-freak) are going to be high-compression and hence that adds on your pocket for extra maintenance. But your requirement is not speed. So I suggest you get Gixxer out of the two. I will take a test ride of RTR 200 4V too though, unless 200cc is something you don't want.

Also, read ownership experiences threads on the forum. You will be benefited a lot by them

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Thanks! Manan I will check on this, If required I can wait for a year. Yes the value for money factor makes a very strong case for D250 along with the goodies..but what I have noticed is KTMs don't age gracefully unlike the japanese machines.

I have been riding gixxer 155 since 2014, the service center is less then 2km from my house. What I can best describe my experience for parts is that...I never had to visit the service center twice for any parts. It was always available in stock. Now having said that... the only parts changes in my bike in these 5 odd years are a couple of throttle wire (last one lasted only 6 months due to the technicians fault. He over torqued the throttle nut and the thread was cut.) and a timing chain tensioner. Apart from these nothing has been changed with ODO at 29K mark.
As far as service is concerned frankly speaking, you cannot just give the bike for servicing and leave. Otherwise they will cut corners, but that is the case with most service centers. Just for eg: The only issue I faced during the initial period was oil leak from near magnetic coil area(known issue for 1st few batches ). I had to visit service center 3 times and had to leave the bike there but still issue was not fixed. Then I fixed it myself with anabond gasket maker and a DIY video form youtube. . I would rate suzuki service 6.5/10.

Thanks Arnuld for your suggestion... appreciate it. Sure I will check the posts you suggested also. I owned a bajaj discover ST125 2013 and the experience was very average though. Good to see positive comments on bajaj. Yes thats what I keep hearing mostly about KTMs...that since these are high compression engines they don't last long. RTR 200 4v is a grate bike, lots of good fetures, however, upgrade of only 50cc is keeping me away from it I am looking for something around 250 to 300 cc.

So till now I have got 3 votes for gixxer and 0 for D250. hope I have not offended the D250 owners with my postJust sharing whatever info. I had from different online and other sources.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Boo - My Dominar 400 has 40 bhp, cb300r is too underpowered and expensive!
Hehe, just kidding. I also wished to buy cb300r but I really hated the short, congested stance. I am 6'3" tall and could not ride comfortably on it. I also know that on paper Dominar 400 has 40 bhp but on actual road, cb300r has got better efficiency in transferring the power to wheels, and a respectable power to weight ratio, thanks to its ridiculously light weight!


@motoX
I almost ended up buying the gixxer 250 SF. Finally dropped it because of its short & compact seating. I felt like a camel sitting on a Honda Navi! But I couldn't find a single shortcoming with it, test rode it multiple times on long stretches. Engine is peppy with superb low end torque. You won't actually need to shift gears constantly in city traffic. This is a great advantage compared to Duke because Duke 250 has got horrible low end torque, the engine even hates riding at low or mid rpm's. And when you decide to twist the throttle, it unbelievably pulls ahead without hesitation. On paper it has got around 27 bhp, but in real world it feels adequately powerful, at least in city traffic.

Its engine is got a unique oil cooling radiator, along with a special cylinder & piston cooling mechanism. In real world, its engine runs much cooler compared to heat monsters of Dominar, Duke etc.

Suspension and handling is sporty yet comfortable. Seating is sporty but not as aggressive as KTM RCxxx or R15. SF (fairing) version has got way better headlights, which are sharp, bright and focused. Besides, the naked version will feel too close to your old Gixxer 150 in terms of seating and handlebar position. Whereas the SF will provide you lower and sporty handlebars which adds value to the sporty handling characteristics.

Oh, the tyres are wide and grippy, which allows for much better contact patch and extra extra confidence while cornering and braking. The front brakes felt a little too soft for my taste but not underpowered at all. Dual channel ABS works better than our expectations. Clutch lever doesn't feel heavy or sluggish. Gear changes are instant and never miss.

I like Duke's too, but in my opinion, Duke 250 has got a limited target group. If somebody has got money, they should buy Duke 390 instead. Duke 250 is feels heavier and sluggish in city traffic conditions. You will constantly find yourself revving it a lot often than required. Duke's are also delicate and a risky matter as a second-hand purchase.

I would suggest you to simply test ride a Gixxer 250 SF, you will instantly fall in love and book it on the spot!

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Which KTM bike have you owned, that you're sharing this wonderful experience with us?

Tbh, what you've heard about Bajaj-KTM bikes being this and that, that was about the 390 engine, it has one problem, which may or may not occur.

250 engine is an entirely different engine and does not has those issues.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Since you mentioned you love low-end and mid more, KTM is high revving but it's also fun. But considering your riding conditions, I'd look at Gixxer from your choice. Apart from those, we have FZ25 (low-mid end) and also RE is launching the new bikes. Can't beat them for low end, but it's a very subjective preference.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Hi MotoX, Service intervals for the CB300r is 6000 kms. Done 2 free service till now. 1500 rs. Takes 1.4 litre of Full synthetic oil. Paid service should be around 1900-2000.
I'm thinking of selling of the CB300r if the India made BS6 model doesn't show up in the next 3-4 months. No point keeping a bike which will have big spare parts availability issue as only 1000 or so were sold in 1 year + expensive spares as it's all imported.
Have my mind set on the Gixxer 250 Naked.

What have you decided??

I've been in the biking/touring/enthusiasts circle for 12 years. Most people will tell you to buy the bike they themselves own and will feel offensive if someone points issues with their bikes,thus you will find people passionately claiming KTM/Bajaj bikes are as reliable as Suzuki/Yamaha/Honda. Heck,there are people who 'defend' Royal Enfield's too.��
I'm sure you know by now which bikes/manufacturers provide what quality.

So take a mature decision.

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[QUOTE=arya809;1394718]Boo - My Dominar 400 has 40 bhp, cb300r is too underpowered and expensive!
Hehe, just kidding. I also wished to buy cb300r but I really hated the short, congested stance. I am 6'3" tall and could not ride comfortably on it. I also know that on paper Dominar 400 has 40 bhp but on actual road, cb300r has got better efficiency in transferring the power to wheels, and a respectable power to weight ratio, thanks to its ridiculously light weight!


Haha �@Arya. I too had the Dominar in mind as I do a lot of touring,but the high weight/turning radius/slow speed city handling made me choose the CB300r.
You are right,at 6'3 the Honda would be too cramped for you. I feel a bit cramped on longer rides myself. The CB300r is best for riders under 5'10.
Happy Riding.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Thanks Arya for the excellent input... this is exactly what I am looking for.. peppy engine with superb low end torque along with 156kg weight(Naked) should help in making quick work of city traffic and I think 27 odd BHP is enough for staying in speed band of 80 to 100kmph in highway. Since I am around 5.6 and about 70kg won't have the issue you faced . Although gixxer 250 misses out on some features like slipper clutch etc, but I am happy with what it has. I have already booked a test ride, however naked gixxer was not available for test ride in my local dealership. Thanks again...

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Gixxer is capable of doing speeds of 150kmph but it's probably happy between 80-120kmph range.

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

Hi Zapps Thanks for your suggestion. FZ25 is good but it misses out on the 6th gear and few other features as compared to Gixxer250, hence I skipped that. REs are very different as far as my riding and preferences goes .

Re: New BS6 Gixxer 250 OR Used KTM Duke 250 ABS BS4

[MENTION=17096]undercoverzafar[/MENTION] : I have almost decided to go for Gixxer250, just waiting to have a look at the Honda Hness 350, while I still have the opportunity. It seems like a good option also. Will confirm after that.

Thanks you all my buddies for you valuable suggestions..... appreciate it.
[MENTION=23793]mod[/MENTION]erator You can close this thread if you want..... Thanks a lot.