Looking for a bike for city running and long rides

I am looking for a fun bike within a budget of Rs 5 lakh that is easy to ride in the city; easy access to service centres would be a big plus.

Published on Sep 09, 2020 11:00:00 AM

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I’m looking to buy a fun bike within a budget of 5 lakh that I can take on long rides. I'm approx 5'10" tall (if that matters in the decision making) and am a bit partial towards naked bikes. If it's easy to ride around the city, it's a big plus. Pillion rider comfort is not a big priority, but the bike should have decent place to sit for the pillion. I live in Hyderabad and Pune and easy access to service centers would also be a big plus. Please help me out with a few options.

Satyam Alkari, Nagpur

Unfortunately, we still have a bit of a gap in our market where bikes like the Honda 500 series and Yamaha 700 series would fit in nicely, so there isn’t much to choose from under Rs 5 lakh. You could look for a good used example of a Kawasaki Ninja or Versys 650, or a first-gen Triumph Bonneville, or even a Triumph Street Twin, if you’re lucky. However, if you want to go for a new bike, the KTM 390 Adventure is probably your best bet. You will get a new motorcycle with a 2-year warranty, and it will be far more affordable to run than the bikes we’ve mentioned above. You’re tall enough to handle the KTM’s seat height, it’s a very comfy bike on poor roads. It also has plenty of space for a pillion and can comfortably handle highway speeds well.

If the KTM doesn’t catch your fancy, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is a beautiful motorcycle, but I’m mentioning it last because the bike does feel a little big and cumbersome in the city and pillion comfort isn’t a strong point either. Beyond this, the RE is a soulful companion and our long-term test bike proved that the bike has no serious reliability issues.

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