I want to upgrade to a more powerful street naked motorcycle. I am considering the Kawasaki Ninja Z900 and the Triumph Trident 660 but are there any others I should also consider?
I am currently riding a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. I am thinking of upgrading to a much more powerful motorcycle within a budget of Rs 10 lakh (on road). I will mostly be using the bike in the city and on weekend rides, and also on some occasional long tours. I have a fascination for street naked bikes. What are some of my options? I was thinking of the Kawasaki Z900 or the Triumph Trident 660, or is there any other motorcycle which is good in this category?
Charan, Bengaluru
The Z900 is great value for money, although it will probably end up costing slightly above Rs 10 lakh (on road, Bengaluru). Among its rivals, the Z is the easiest to ride in the city because of its excellent heat management and very tractable nature. However, Kawasaki's running costs are on the higher side and the Z900 is not the sharpest handling or the most exciting bike at the price. If that is what you’re after, you’ll like the Triumph Street Triple R more.
The Triumph Trident 660 and the Honda CB650R are two other good options. The Honda, in particular, will come with the promise of strong reliability and low running costs, but the bike has been priced too high for what it is. We are yet to ride both those bikes, so we can’t give you a full picture yet.