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**xBhp** · 09-14-2020, 03:39 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Thread approved.

**arya809** · 09-14-2020, 08:25 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

I bought the Pulsar dtsi when it was launched. It was good for its time, but alas, nothing has changed over the decades. There's no sense in buying the same outdated motorcycle in today's age. I own a Dominar 400 so obviously I don't hate Bajaj, just stating the facts.

I also have the Honda Unicorn 160R (2018) so can tell you all about it as well as its clone - Xblade. Both these bikes share chassis and fork setup with Honda's 100cc and 125cc commuters, hence they don't have any kind of sporty handling or stability. They are excellent as commuters, just ride cozily at low rpm's and handle it like a commuter. Braking is also average, just don't expect any kind of sporty behavior and you will be a cozy rider.
Honda's service center experience is pathetic. The technicians behave as if they are meant for working on cbr1000rr only and all other vehicles are below their pay grade. They service a motorcycle as if it's the worst chore of their life. They never use a FEELER gauge for valve gap adjustment, and IF I dare to tell them to use it, they tell me to get out of the service area.

Headlight in both of these is useless. Unicorn's halogen is too dim, Xblade's LED headlight is more of a cosmetic item, doesn't really illuminate the road. I have put super-bright H4 LED bulb in my Unicorn. For Xblade, you will have to buy separate auxiliary LED fog lights.

Its Mono-shock is a spine breaker! The seat's sponge is not your normal airy sponge with holes, no, it's a hard plastic-like stuff with ZERO holes! You will get the shock from every 1 cm pothole transferred to your spine. I soon identified this problem and took the bike to a custom seat cover shop. I told him to tear away all of the stock foam and put a normal sponge in its place. Then got a cotton pad based seat cover on top of that. RESULT - Suddenly I couldn't feel any shock, even the biggest ones. For a few days I felt as if I was riding it standing - totally disconnected with the rear tyre. In my opinion, every Honda owner should get their seat's foam changed for better comfort.

GIXXER 150 - Truly sporty and fun loving. I really love it. It's not too sporty like R15 etc. Its suspension is quite stiffer than pulsar, shine, unicorn, xblade and Hornet. Stiffer suspension allows for sporty riding, better stability while leaning-in and lesser front dive under braking. Gixxer has got sporty seating position but not so much so to make it uncomfortable. Its engine is peppy and easy revving, you can ride is at low rpm's normally and pull hard for a thrilling acceleration at higher rpm's.
I only dislike one thing about Gixxer - Pillion comfort. The pillion seat is quite small, stiff and has a bump in the center, okay for male pillions but uncomfortable for ladies.

TVS apache 160 - Also one of my favorites. The RTR tech sounds good, makes us feel as if it's more powerful than it actually is. It has cushy suspension, ultimate comfort for both rider and pillion. In my opinion, it's a perfect blend between commuter and sports. It won't feel small for your height, I am 6'3" tall and it feels only slightly smaller to me. Kindly visit a TVS showroom, the latest apache 160 has got lots of other new age technology which I am too lazy to google!
One thing I am sure is that the BS6 apache series has got actually bright and usable LED headlights.

check out this link for apache 160 4v bs6:

Apache RTR 160 4V BS6 Archives - xBhp Machines

https://www.xbhp.com/machines/tag/apache-rtr-160-4v-bs6/

In my opinion, Honda and Suzuki are not economical. Their servicing costs are significantly higher than bajaj and TVS. Hence, I would strongly suggest you to buy Apache 160 because it ticks all your requirements - solid stability, reliability, comfort and economical.

**Achilles2205** · 09-15-2020, 02:14 AM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by arya809 View Post

TVS apache 160 - Also one of my favorites. The RTR tech sounds good, makes us feel as if it's more powerful than it actually is. It has cushy suspension, ultimate comfort for both rider and pillion. In my opinion, it's a perfect blend between commuter and sports. It won't feel small for your height, I am 6'3" tall and it feels only slightly smaller to me. Kindly visit a TVS showroom, the latest apache 160 has got lots of other new age technology which I am too lazy to google!
One thing I am sure is that the BS6 apache series has got actually bright and usable LED headlights.

check out this link for apache 160 4v bs6:

Apache RTR 160 4V BS6 Archives - xBhp Machines

https://www.xbhp.com/machines/tag/apache-rtr-160-4v-bs6/

In my opinion, Honda and Suzuki are not economical. Their servicing costs are significantly higher than bajaj and TVS. Hence, I would strongly suggest you to buy Apache 160 because it ticks all your requirements - solid stability, reliability, comfort and economical.

Thanks for that honest opinion. I had never thought about TVS before and you made me think about it today. As you said if Honda and Suzuki are not economical and expensive in service compared to bajaj and tvs then I will stay away from them. I just quickly went through the Apache 160 review. It does not seem to have a visor but other ways the review is very positive. Review also says the bike may yield 50 to 55 mileage at 60 kms speed. Do you know the average mileage of this bike assuming we drive at a normal speed say 50 - 60 kms.

Do i have any other choice?

**#bpk** · 09-16-2020, 01:47 AM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by Achilles2205 View Post

Thanks for that honest opinion. I had never thought about TVS before and you made me think about it today. As you said if Honda and Suzuki are not economical and expensive in service compared to bajaj and tvs then I will stay away from them. I just quickly went through the Apache 160 review. It does not seem to have a visor but other ways the review is very positive. Review also says the bike may yield 50 to 55 mileage at 60 kms speed. Do you know the average mileage of this bike assuming we drive at a normal speed say 50 - 60 kms.

Do i have any other choice?

Checkout the FZ v3, it's a comfortable and peppy bike .

**arya809** · 09-16-2020, 01:09 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by #bpk View Post

Checkout the FZ v3, it's a comfortable and peppy bike .

Fz is an excellent hooligan bike, but not comfortable and economical by any standards, its mileage is the worst. It feels comfortable to youngsters and newbies but the highly dampened suspension is actually tiring for daily commuting, which is the main criteria of the thread starter.

@Achilles2205

Why does it matter whether Apache has a visor or not? None of the bikes in your budget will attain speeds high enough to have a visor as a necessary wind protection, sorry but it's the truth, not trying to be condescending.

What do you mean by "assuming we drive at a normal speed say 50 - 60 kms"? I assume you mean sane riding in city conditions without abrupt acceleration and max speeds of 60 only. That will return the mileage of 48-50 kmph in practical conditions.

If you mean "constantly driving at 50-60 on highway" then mileage would be around 66-70.

Please note that I suggested Apache because it's the most comfortable yet sporty choice. As you mentioned that you used bajaj platina for 15 years, I am assuming your age to be above 30 and your extreme dislike for stiff suspension. AFAIK guys above 30 can't tolerate stiff suspension for daily commuting, speaking from personal experience.

Just take a test ride of apache and decide for yourself. Note that if you take test ride of other bikes like gixxer, unicorn, xblade, fz, you won't be able to gauge the actual discomfort because we are quite excited while taking a test ride and can't feel the discomfort in that short duration. Hence, I suggest you to only test ride apache and if there's nothing to dislike, simply book it on the spot.

**#bpk** · 09-16-2020, 06:05 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by arya809 View Post

Fz is an excellent hooligan bike, but not comfortable and economical by any standards, its mileage is the worst. It feels comfortable to youngsters and newbies but the highly dampened suspension is actually tiring for daily commuting, which is the main criteria of the thread starter.

@Achilles2205

Why does it matter whether Apache has a visor or not? None of the bikes in your budget will attain speeds high enough to have a visor as a necessary wind protection, sorry but it's the truth, not trying to be condescending.

What do you mean by "assuming we drive at a normal speed say 50 - 60 kms"? I assume you mean sane riding in city conditions without abrupt acceleration and max speeds of 60 only. That will return the mileage of 48-50 kmph in practical conditions.

If you mean "constantly driving at 50-60 on highway" then mileage would be around 66-70.

Please note that I suggested Apache because it's the most comfortable yet sporty choice. As you mentioned that you used bajaj platina for 15 years, I am assuming your age to be above 30 and your extreme dislike for stiff suspension. AFAIK guys above 30 can't tolerate stiff suspension for daily commuting, speaking from personal experience.

Just take a test ride of apache and decide for yourself. Note that if you take test ride of other bikes like gixxer, unicorn, xblade, fz, you won't be able to gauge the actual discomfort because we are quite excited while taking a test ride and can't feel the discomfort in that short duration. Hence, I suggest you to only test ride apache and if there's nothing to dislike, simply book it on the spot.

He can also check the new xtreme 160R, it has a soft suspension setup ( showa sourced, same as apache), also costs less and gives more mileage. But it's reliability is not proven yet !!

**Achilles2205** · 09-17-2020, 12:28 AM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by arya809 View Post

Fz is an excellent hooligan bike, but not comfortable and economical by any standards, its mileage is the worst. It feels comfortable to youngsters and newbies but the highly dampened suspension is actually tiring for daily commuting, which is the main criteria of the thread starter.

@Achilles2205

Why does it matter whether Apache has a visor or not? None of the bikes in your budget will attain speeds high enough to have a visor as a necessary wind protection, sorry but it's the truth, not trying to be condescending.

I see the reviews mention without visor the wind blast is felt much when they drive at high speeds (like 100 plus) in highways. Anyways, I don't ride such high speeds. To me it's just the look without visor.

Originally posted by arya809 View Post

What do you mean by "assuming we drive at a normal speed say 50 - 60 kms"? I assume you mean sane riding in city conditions without abrupt acceleration and max speeds of 60 only. That will return the mileage of 48-50 kmph in practical conditions.

If you mean "constantly driving at 50-60 on highway" then mileage would be around 66-70.

Please note that I suggested Apache because it's the most comfortable yet sporty choice. As you mentioned that you used bajaj platina for 15 years, I am assuming your age to be above 30 and your extreme dislike for stiff suspension. AFAIK guys above 30 can't tolerate stiff suspension for daily commuting, speaking from personal experience.

Just take a test ride of apache and decide for yourself. Note that if you take test ride of other bikes like gixxer, unicorn, xblade, fz, you won't be able to gauge the actual discomfort because we are quite excited while taking a test ride and can't feel the discomfort in that short duration. HenOne ce, I suggest you to only test ride apache and if there's nothing to dislike, simply book it on the spot.

One dumb question here since I have not driven any performance bikes before. If I am comfortable driving at 60 km speed I think these bikes very easily attain such speed level in 3rd gear itself. Is it okay to drive in 3rd gear all or most the time in city? I think I might then need 4th gear only driving in highways which happens only once in a while

.

**arya809** · 09-19-2020, 11:50 AM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by Achilles2205 View Post

I see the reviews mention without visor the wind blast is felt much when they drive at high speeds (like 100 plus) in highways. Anyways, I don't ride such high speeds. To me it's just the look without visor.

One dumb question here since I have not driven any performance bikes before. If I am comfortable driving at 60 km speed I think these bikes very easily attain such speed level in 3rd gear itself. Is it okay to drive in 3rd gear all or most the time in city? I think I might then need 4th gear only driving in highways which happens only once in a while

.

Those reviewers must have spoken too soon. Wind blast is MANAGEABLE till 130 kmph, above that speed it becomes unmanageable and a nuisance. I ride my Dominar 400 (2019) at 130 - 150 kmph on highway regularly. Wind blast doesn't bother me till 130 kmph, a heavy & sturdy full-face helmet, skin tight riding jacket helps in this matter. That's why I mentioned that none of the 160cc motorcycles will achieve the speed (130 or more) to bother about it.

You are correct about the speeds. You will even achieve 60 kmph in 2nd gear if revved hard enough! You can easily ride around 60 kmph on all the above mentioned motorcycles in 3rd gear. You would be riding at around 6000-7000 rpm's at that speed which doesn't stress the engine at all. Obviously it will result in slightly lower mileage, after all, top gears (4th and 5th) are there for better mileage only.

**dhawz29** · 09-19-2020, 04:30 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by Achilles2205 View Post

4. So far was looking at below bikes:
Pulsar 150 - have an advantage of previously owning same bajaj brand bike but there are other better 150cc bikes in today's market so tempted to consider other bikes.
Honda Hornet and Xblade - bike is good but not sure will get the expected mileage.
Gixxer 150 - bike is good but not sure will get the mileage.
Honda sp125 - interesting because of mileage not sure about the power though. Costly (i.e. 95K) on road in my city as some 150cc bikes. Also not sure if the bike is solid. I don't want to end up owning a bike again which is too light for my height and weight.

I am open to other brands also. Looking for a solid, comfort, reliable bike which is also little economical.

Hi... Any reason you are not considering the Hero Xtreme 160 R? Do check it out too.

Cheers!

**Saurabh Umadikar** · 09-19-2020, 10:42 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by arya809 View Post

I bought the Pulsar dtsi when it was launched. It was good for its time, but alas, nothing has changed over the decades. There's no sense in buying the same outdated motorcycle in today's age. I own a Dominar 400 so obviously I don't hate Bajaj, just stating the facts.

I also have the Honda Unicorn 160R (2018) so can tell you all about it as well as its clone - Xblade. Both these bikes share chassis and fork setup with Honda's 100cc and 125cc commuters, hence they don't have any kind of sporty handling or stability. They are excellent as commuters, just ride cozily at low rpm's and handle it like a commuter. Braking is also average, just don't expect any kind of sporty behavior and you will be a cozy rider.
Honda's service center experience is pathetic. The technicians behave as if they are meant for working on cbr1000rr only and all other vehicles are below their pay grade. They service a motorcycle as if it's the worst chore of their life. They never use a FEELER gauge for valve gap adjustment, and IF I dare to tell them to use it, they tell me to get out of the service area.

Headlight in both of these is useless. Unicorn's halogen is too dim, Xblade's LED headlight is more of a cosmetic item, doesn't really illuminate the road. I have put super-bright H4 LED bulb in my Unicorn. For Xblade, you will have to buy separate auxiliary LED fog lights.

Its Mono-shock is a spine breaker! The seat's sponge is not your normal airy sponge with holes, no, it's a hard plastic-like stuff with ZERO holes! You will get the shock from every 1 cm pothole transferred to your spine. I soon identified this problem and took the bike to a custom seat cover shop. I told him to tear away all of the stock foam and put a normal sponge in its place. Then got a cotton pad based seat cover on top of that. RESULT - Suddenly I couldn't feel any shock, even the biggest ones. For a few days I felt as if I was riding it standing - totally disconnected with the rear tyre. In my opinion, every Honda owner should get their seat's foam changed for better comfort.

GIXXER 150 - Truly sporty and fun loving. I really love it. It's not too sporty like R15 etc. Its suspension is quite stiffer than pulsar, shine, unicorn, xblade and Hornet. Stiffer suspension allows for sporty riding, better stability while leaning-in and lesser front dive under braking. Gixxer has got sporty seating position but not so much so to make it uncomfortable. Its engine is peppy and easy revving, you can ride is at low rpm's normally and pull hard for a thrilling acceleration at higher rpm's.
I only dislike one thing about Gixxer - Pillion comfort. The pillion seat is quite small, stiff and has a bump in the center, okay for male pillions but uncomfortable for ladies.

TVS apache 160 - Also one of my favorites. The RTR tech sounds good, makes us feel as if it's more powerful than it actually is. It has cushy suspension, ultimate comfort for both rider and pillion. In my opinion, it's a perfect blend between commuter and sports. It won't feel small for your height, I am 6'3" tall and it feels only slightly smaller to me. Kindly visit a TVS showroom, the latest apache 160 has got lots of other new age technology which I am too lazy to google!
One thing I am sure is that the BS6 apache series has got actually bright and usable LED headlights.

check out this link for apache 160 4v bs6:

Apache RTR 160 4V BS6 Archives - xBhp Machines

https://www.xbhp.com/machines/tag/apache-rtr-160-4v-bs6/

In my opinion, Honda and Suzuki are not economical. Their servicing costs are significantly higher than bajaj and TVS. Hence, I would strongly suggest you to buy Apache 160 because it ticks all your requirements - solid stability, reliability, comfort and economical.

Hey mate! Being a 6 footer how's the comfort of Apache 160 4v for you?
Any back pains in initial days?
The bike looks great on paper but I'm a bit skeptical how it will go with my 6'2 frame.
Currently I'm riding a Jupiter and every ride greater than 10kms gives me a stiff back.

**Achilles2205** · 09-21-2020, 01:46 AM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by arya809 View Post

You are correct about the speeds. You will even achieve 60 kmph in 2nd gear if revved hard enough! You can easily ride around 60 kmph on all the above mentioned motorcycles in 3rd gear. You would be riding at around 6000-7000 rpm's at that speed which doesn't stress the engine at all. Obviously it will result in slightly lower mileage, after all, top gears (4th and 5th) are there for better mileage only.

Should I be considering a 125cc bike in that case as I may be underutilizing an 150/160 cc bikes due to the excess traffic in the route I travel daily will not allow me a speed above 60 kmph? The city roads in chennai is full of traffic and I am not that kind who rides into the gaps to keep up the same speed. Also unlike you I rarely use highways where the 4th and 5th gears can be used. Talking about 125cc bikes I am not sure which one fits the bill for me, still would be looking for same solid stability, reliability, comfort and economical.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Originally posted by dhawz29 View Post

Hi... Any reason you are not considering the Hero Xtreme 160 R? Do check it out too.

Cheers!

I have no idea about brands other than bajaj as I was using a CT100 for last 15 years. Now when I have a need to buy a new bike I thought of Honda but I did not hear anything good about Honda's spares availability, cost and their service. I have been hearing some good things about TVS and so I was interested in Apache 160R but really want to find a suitable bike so doing all calculations before choosing. Thanks for asking

.

Now, I see you are from chennai location too. How do you cope with the traffic and road conditions here and what cc bike you have and how is the fe, comfort etc?

**arya809** · 09-22-2020, 12:08 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Originally posted by Saurabh Umadikar View Post

Hey mate! Being a 6 footer how's the comfort of Apache 160 4v for you?
Any back pains in initial days?
The bike looks great on paper but I'm a bit skeptical how it will go with my 6'2 frame.
Currently I'm riding a Jupiter and every ride greater than 10kms gives me a stiff back.

I suggested Apache because my close friends and cousins have one. I had a karizma ZMR till last year, upgraded to Dominar 400 in Dec 2019. Still, Apache is not that great for tall people. I have ridden it (apache) 50-60 kms in a single stretch in the city, never took it on the highway. I won't say it causes back pain but the overall length is quite short to ride and maneuver comfortably. In comparison, Fz series, Gixxer series and Honda Hornet are all better suited for your height. Do note that back pain generally means that you are not HUGGING the tank with your thighs and sitting with a curved/hunched spine. That's a bad posture to ride a sports motorcycle. Once you start tank hugging and keeping a taut back/spine, you won't have back pain ever. It's also better for balancing and counter steering.

**Achilles2205** · 09-26-2020, 04:36 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Any suggestions on 125cc bikes with similar qualities - solid stability, reliability, comfort and economical.?

**Zapps** · 09-26-2020, 08:21 PM

Re: New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

Honda shine/SP is the way to go, even glamour is a good bike. Test ride all your choices before deciding.

Originally posted by Achilles2205 View Post

Any suggestions on 125cc bikes with similar qualities - solid stability, reliability, comfort and economical.?

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New 150cc bike - looking for suggestions

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