MOD MESSAGE:
@vipin-I have been following your posts from a pretty long time and everywhere I notice only one thing "Your hatred for the manufacturer named Bajaj".Next time I see it you are getting an infraction.

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@bioblade-R15 is a very very good bike for the twisties.The only bike which comes close is RTR.Regarding traffic and everyday usage I will just say that a Karizma and P220 is more practical and easy to use than R15 but you can manage unless you are getting stuck in Mumbai traffic everyday.

Regarding P220 a new one should be out in a month and half I guess.

Mate, as wonderfully said by Born2Lead, even a 100cc bike would do the needful but More is never enough.
I would say go for Pulsars....150-200, suit your budget. Easily serviceable, easy on pocket, wonderful mileage etc.
Yamahas are good again, but see if R15 suits the budget and the riding conditions. I mean, how far do you have to ride, what are the traffic conditions. R15 is good for spins but somehow for a grocery shopping, I will rule it out. FZ-16/S is good street fighter, rear seat may be an issue.
Zma is good, but as a lot of my mates said..its an old work horse....
Why dont you try GS150R.... wonderful mileage, good riding posture, good pillion seat, and good low end. Spares availability might be a point of concern though, we don't have a very huge dealer network, but Suzuki hardly needs a spare. (and I can even get you some discount on it...buy one from our showroom )
Unicorn again is a tried and tested thing.

Ok i have driven my R15 for around 6-8 months now and in all sorts of traffic.

I am 92 kgs in weight and do not keep superbike expectations from R15.

As for city, depends on what sort of traffic conditions are there, i'll consider normal delhi traffic which includes long red lights and occasional jams as well.

Things you would enjoy:

Easy drive (first 14 days pain in arms and shoulders and wrist, due to forward leaning sitting stance)
High Show-Off factor ( Major from females)
Good fuel efficiency ( if you don't burn rubber always )
Best cornering and handling abilities
Good Fit and Finish, Better Quality parts
Best service experience only at Yamaha Pro centre.
Best Braking
A very nice top end, at my weight i have done 137, you can sure do better.
A no fuss machine, rides well without issues at long stretches.
Amazingly no vibes even at >125 speeds if you do proper run in.



Major Problems :

Heat from air vents near legs in traffic jams or crawling traffic scenario ( i am 6 feet and have long legs)
You laden it with body weight > 140kgs and it looses on performance
Its not the 150cc rocket it is @ > 60kmphs, below it.
Single headlamp or heck yeah double headlamp might be inadequate at times.
Parking guys decline from parking it in 2-wheeler car parks ( i usually park it in car parks and pay additional parking costs)

Myths:
Can not win drags ( depends on riders ability rather than machine's sply on Indian roads, I have seen people loose with karzima and p220 and i have seen them win too)
High affordability ( If you don't break physical parts its not that costly )
Very poor low end torque ( It's not that bad its average )
Chain Noise ( bound to happen on any o-ring chain with no cover in indian dusty environment)
Poor Allows : never faced an issue, have had bumpiest of roads with highest speeds possible)
Corrosion under tank and other places ( never faced any, found paint quality to be superb)


Ok, i guess thats all from my side.

If you JUST know how to ride a bike, avoid R15, RTR, ZMA, Pulsar 220.
Not that these are 'un manageable bikes' but all of these are the last of the league that we call for an upgrade.

The R15 will pamper you with its Handling, and then if you switch to another bike, it will feel like bull poo...

The RTR will blow you away with its flickability and acceleration, and when you upgrade everything else would seem like a moped.

The P220 and ZMA are good options but they are considered to be the 'performance' bikes of India, moving to them now is like calling the biggies for small jobs.

What I would suggest,
Ride the following bikes if you can
GSR150,
Unicorn,
Pulsar 200, 180

Everything in this segment is good handling bikes (the P200 might be a slight overkill)

If you are more conscious of mileage
Check
The TVS Flame,
CBF Stunner Carb/FI
Bajaj XCD
Pulsar 150
Discover

I would recommend a Unicorn for the beginner bike anyday, because its relaxed, comfortable and handles well, but since you dont like em... may be the Stunner...!

The Avenger is a lazy bike..... its uits your requirement as well, but you will end up sticking to it and not wanting to upgrade to anything else.

PS:
My first bike was a HH Passion, then an Avenger, then the RTR and then the R15...
(a Bullect electra and the ZMA for a while in between)

There are people who will recommend a R15, a P220 and all... probably because of thier own experience in riding... Ofcourse ALL these bikes can be ridden in traffic and in general commute, but then thats not what they were meant to be...
Its like Hiring Glen McGrath to open the innings with the BAT! Ofcourse he can bat a bit... but damn!

oh as for DCS grocerry shopping comment, i fully agree, i tried buying 24 eggs this morning and carrying them home on r15, reached with 22 stable ones.

But on other side, i have managed to carry non fragile items safely, i mostly keep an under seat small bag.

Very well put in words @satyenpoojary. Liked the Glen McGrath part...lol.
Well said.

brother dont mistake me
do i need to prove i am not against BAJAJ in anyway
i already doubted myself and said i dont know much......
and hence the guy would not take my comment seriously
then why unncessarily you want to raise an argument
infact i made the same comment about automobile companies as u made
if that were the case,,,,, i would not have told avy 200 is a good bike

anyways..... lets drop the matter........ let the forum have a healthy discussion
if you have any problems in the future with my post
pm me........ i ll happily delete or edit it
cheers

@ bioblade
well........ the best and final recommendation frm my side is for you to test ride the bikes
and best......... if any of your friend has a particular bike...... ask him for a ride and ride it in different conditions and see it
same with test ride........ request them to take you on a ride which has all things like bad roads,,,, traffic etc
generally showroom guys prefer a good and clear roads........ but try and request
best of luck

That is a unconventional logic. But I guess to each his own.

And frankly don't you believe that by the time he upgrades (around 3 yrs from now, 2012), better bikes will be available? Why are you so sceptical?

Edit - If any newbie comes to us for recommendations, and we ask him to buy a entry level 100cc bike like you did, don't you thing all the manufacturers will sit smug with what they have and stop innovating, knowing that by the time people goes through the upgrade route suggested by you, ie - 100 -> 125 -> 150 commuter -> 150 sports - > 160 -> 180 ->200 -> 220, they will be quite old and the market will not really need anything bigger? (assume each category bike is used for 3 yrs only, this whole cycle will take 24 yrs!!!)

I suggested a Unicorn....which is not a 100CC bike..... my reasons for the suggestions are there in the post.... plain and clear...

I wouldnt suggest the R15, the RTR and the ZMA/P220 as they are overkill for a 'learners' bike in our scenario.... plus for the factors he mentioned about cost of servicing and maintenance etc...

Considering the way last three years has been... I am not really being skeptical....
Oh and for records we have 'the-most-innovative' 100-225 CC segment in the WORLD!

I guess he is not learning how to ride!

Its just that it is his first bike.

That was a response to Abhijeets post about noobs!
Kitna confusion create karte hain tum log
Anyways where is the thread starter!

Even I thought you were referring to the OP here. This internet medium sometimes gets bhery bhery confusing!

Read three words before it as well...
thats the beauty of the post, every body reads the way they want to read it...

btw we are going OT

Thread starter was out trying to find a Suzuki dealership to get a Gs150R test drive but no such luck. I am yet to see a single Gs150R on the street here in my city, Cochin.
Test drove the Uni today and well it seems like it would be a great buy , no nonsense,comfy with monoshock and all, but that drive was simply ordinary.I will be driving the bike buy for maybe 4 years or more and well i dont want to feel ordinary .The Karizma and the R15 left me smiling wide as i turned them off and i had this sense of reluctance in handing back the keys at the dealership.I did not get that feeling with the Uni and a friends Pulsar 150 i drove.
Still waiting on the Pulsar 220 , Bajaj people seem annoyed everyday when i show up asking if "its here yet"

I dont think there is anything wrong in starting with a higher capacity/ more powerful bike......even for beginners.....as far as its not a zma.......(cos if he is learning, he will spend the rest of his life paying the cost of spares in installments.....)


If we do not shed this habit of buying smaller capacity bikes, brands like honda would never go up and spend all ther innovations in smaller segment bikes to lure the masses....!


and its just because of the strength of the brand Honda, we are unable to move up the ladder....!

No matter how much other companies try /tried, people will buy smaller hondas......!