Hi team, my dad’s current bike, a Honda Unicorn, has completed 7 years, so I am planning to purchase a 350 cc bike. I am confused between the Honda CB350, Royal Enfield Hunter, and Meteor, as the bike will be ridden by both my father and me. I am looking for a comfortable and reliable option within a ₹2.5 lakh budget. Please suggest the best option with reasons. Thanks.

autocar.india

•4d

The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 you have shortlisted would be the best machine within your budget for your use case. It has a charming, torque-rich engine with a heart-tugging soundtrack, a low seat height and pretty decent comfort (for a cruiser). You could also look at the Goan Classic 350, which has very distinctive styling and bright colours with similar strengths to the Meteor, like a low seat and a comfortable (ish) ride. We'd advise sticking with the RE 350s and not stepping up to the 650cc models because the bigger ones, which a shorter person like you will consider, aren't very comfortable and also they are quite heavy.Take test rides of both the Meteor and the Goan Classic before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•5d

The Orbiter is a sensible electric scooter that focuses on maximising range and practicality, and of the two options, the Orbiter will be the safer bet in the long run. Do bear in mind that the Orbiter's performance is quite mellow, especially in Eco mode, and if your daily commute involves a lot of flyovers or riding in hilly regions, then you will have to use the scooter in City mode as well as keep the throttle pinned. The Ampere Magnus will likely be a bit more affordable, but in the real world, small quality-related niggles are more common than they should be, and after-sales can be patchy depending on your city.One thing to watch with the Orbiter is that the top 3.1kWh variant's price will be over Rs. 1 lakh on-road in your city, so you may have to stretch your budget by a small amount.If stretching your budget is simply not an option and you must have an EV from a reputed brand, choose the Hero Vida VX2 Go 3.4, which should give you enough range and performance.Try to take test rides of the Orbiter and VX2 before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•5d

Between the two available bikes in India currently, the Suzuki GSX-8R and Triumph Daytona 660, we'd recommend the Suzuki. It has a superb, torquey engine, good handling without sacrificing comfort, is built well, and Suzuki's big bike after-sales experience is quite straightforward and not terribly expensive either. The one area where the GSX-8R doesn't score very highly is that it has a rather mellow exhaust note. That's exactly where the Daytona 660 comes in with its wonderful triple howl and intake sound. If a wailing exhaust note is a non-negotiable factor for you, then it's hard to beat the Daytona at this price point. Do bear in mind that the 660cc Daytona doesn't have the same chassis poise or high-quality factor as the GSX-8R, and of the two, feels like the more budget-friendly option. Triumph's aftersales service has also become quite expensive of late.That leaves you with the Honda CBR650R. If you want to buy a CBR, you'll have to wait until Honda brings the next batch of allotted units to India, which is an uncertain and rather long timeline. In general, Honda big bikes are pretty reasonable to maintain and are very reliable too, so from an ownership standpoint, you are making a safe bet. The CBR650R is a mellow sportbike with an inline-four engine, and of all three, it will have the best exhaust note. Do bear in mind that to initially purchase, the CBR650R will actually be the most expensive.Try getting a test ride of all three bikes before you make your decision.