Hello friends,
I want your precious inputs from your rich experience of touring.
My requirements:
1)Main purpose of bike is going to LEH coming June ,(no pillion with light luggage) so bike should have
sufficient torque at low engine rpm to pull on steep inclines in thin air.The bike should not cry while
climbing.
2)I do not drive bike at speeds more than 80 kmph.I will normally cruise between 65-80 kmph and will very
rarely exceed 80kmph.(After seeing a lot of bike accidents on road-i stayed in ghats on mumbai goa highway
this is my stance).
3)Bike with decent fuel economy and cheap spares would be welcome but I would not change my bike for at least
further 6-7years and so good reliability and long term smoothness of engine are required.
4)After LEH bike will be used for commuting in Pune and for further 400-500 km rides in mountains near
Pune.Presently I do not like boring rides on plain straight highways and for more longer travel I would board
the bike in train to the nearest destination.
5) My budget is 72k onroad and I am interested for a VFM buy but will stretch a bit if its really required
because I will use the bike for long term so dont want to repent later.
My assessment till now:
(Background: Presently I own a 6year old 110 cc TVS Victor GL with 32k kms on odo.,used for 1 day 400 kms
rides in ghats near Mumbai-Pune.The bike now feels underpowered-showing its age and the engine harsh (not
smooth).But no problems in bike till now.Only replacement is front and rearwheel bearings,brake shoes and
battery.)
1) APACHE RTR:
I have driven RTR160 and have fallen in love with its acceleration and braking.It makes sense to go for 180 as
its not much costly than 160.
Good points: Beautiful acceleration,Handling and braking.No plastic parts to vibrate or break.VFM bike.
Bad points: Sporty seating position,I heard that a drive of 200+ kms would give a real good back pain.This is
the only reason why I wont go for this bike,Apache owners please clarify on this point.Vibration?? like
RTR160? Engine is not smooth like a unicorn but can live with it bcoz of the fantastic throttle response.
2) Unicorn,HUNK:
Good points: Smooth engine,longer wheelbase,good seating position-Unicorn for Hunk someone can comment as
compared to Uni.Good torque at low speeds.
Bad points: Unicorn lacks acceleration and the feel of driving a reasonably powerful bike is not there.Uni
suspension is hard as compared to its competition.
3) Pulsar 150,180:
Good points: Its average in every quality,good aceleration,big bike feel,Brakes have good bite,Fuel economy is
quite good.Cheapest to maintian,cheap spares and good availability of spares.
Bad points: Quality is still suspect,Long term reliability 6-7years is in doubt.The firing,smoothness and
power of the engine goes down considerably in 2-3 years time.(My perception,Pulsar owners can comment)17" poor
quality alloy wheels.Suspension is hard.
4) Suzuki GS150:
Good points:Smooth engine,big fuel tank,good stability.
Bad points:Easy availability of spares.
5)Yamaha FZ:
Good points:Only looks (I am least interested in looks for me performance matters).
Bad points:Lack of Peformance with respect to the money invested.
6) Karizma-The king of touring:
Good points:Stress free butter smooth engine,Good seating position,Ample amount of low rpm torque,Nice soft
suspension(heard of),long wheelbase.Most important relaibility.
Bad points: Spares are very very costly,Unnecessary plastics which vibrate,brake and make our wallet empty.
Fuel economy is not upto the mark should give at least 40 kms but heard of very poor mileage like 28-32 kmpl.
7)Pulsar 220:
Good and bad points are same as pulsar 150,180. Build quality is suspect and long term reliability and engine
smoothness is a big question mark.(Pulsar owners please comment).The feel that bike has grown old,like engine
noise,vibration,rattling of panels,roughness of engine,decrease in engine power.All these set up too early in
the life of Pulsar,thats what my perception is...Please correct If i am wrong.
8) Royal Enfield:
Good points: Excellent seating position,Driving pleasure,music to the ears bcoz the thump does not feel harsh even if
its a 30 year old bike.(I do not like loud thumps,just one with the standard silencer)
Bad points: Suspect reliability,Over weight.Niggling issues require a lot of precious time from your side
Due to lack of knowledge I also do not understand which one is good Std 350 or Bullet electra and why?
Other bikes like R15,Thunderbird etc are beyond my budget and reach.

Disclaimer:Above assesment is by reading various sites and I have only test driven apache rtr 160,unicorn as of now.
Inspite of collecting the above material from Xbhp and Various other sites I am confused bcoz I now have only the theoretical knowledge not the practical so need your expert assistance.

My Questions:

1) For above requirements which bike i should buy and why?

2) As I am a sedate driver do I really require a 223 cc(Karizma) for my purpose or a 150cc should suffice? I
mean will buying a bike of more CC be justified for my driving of 65-80kmph cruising.Will I be able to Utilise the true potential of bike or its just unnecessary investment?Will a 150 cc be able to generate sufficient
torque to carry me and my luggage over the steep inclines of Chang la?If higher CC will not amount to any significant benefit upto 80 kmph range than I would not like to invest much for higher cc bike.

3) Is Apaches seating position a strict No-No for long touring?I had a small test drive and my back and hands
were paining a little,or would i get adjusted to it later?Also is apaches engine suitable for long drives or will it always require me to redline it always to get the true potential out of it?

4)Karizma can some one share the maintenance cost please am worried about the expensive spares.