I want to buy a bike within a budget of ₹2 lakh on-road. I will mainly use it for daily commuting in Mumbai, with a daily running of around 50 km, so decent mileage is important. The bike should also be comfortable for long rides, especially for the pillion. Can you suggest the best possible bike in this price range?

autocar.india

•1d

Since you mentioned comfort is your top priority, switching to a motorcycle makes sense, as it usually offers better ride comfort than a scooter. We would recommend you look at the 160cc segment, specifically options like the Honda Unicorn / SP160, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and Bajaj Pulsar N160. These bikes have low seat heights, manageable kerb weights and will be much more comfortable than your Pleasure over road imperfections. Another upside will be that you will see a noticeable step up in terms of performance with just a small drop in fuel economy, provided you ride sensibly.If, instead, you want to go for a smaller 125cc machine, then look at proven options like the Honda Shine / CB125 Hornet, TVS Raider and Hero Xtreme 125R. These bikes will be extremely fuel-efficient and will give you the step-up in comfort over your Pleasure that you want. Since you are a shorter person, their lower kerb weights and friendly seat heights will also appeal to you.Take test rides of options from both segments based on your preferences and then make your decision.

autocar.india

•1d

Both the Honda Hornet 2.0 and Bajaj Pulsar N160 have similar performance and fuel economy in the real world, so picking between the two will boil down to which bike's design, comfort, features and overall ownership experience you prefer. The N160 is also considerably more affordable than the Hornet, and, at the Hornet's price, you could even consider the larger Pulsar N250.However, Honda bikes are generally known for their hassle-free ownership experience with bulletproof long-term reliability and low maintenance costs. Bajaj's ownership costs, too, are quite frugal, but service can be a point of friction.Take test rides of both bikes and also speak to your nearest authorised dealer and service center for both brands before you make your decision.

autocar.india

•4d

Since you have a rather long commute with comfort and fuel economy as your top priorities, we'd recommend looking at these 160cc options - Honda Unicorn / SP160, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and Bajaj Pulsar N160. The Honda bikes are textbook commuters and are simple, no-nonsense machines which should also prove to be reliable and hassle-free to own. On the other hand, the TVS and Bajaj bikes are feature-rich, sporty commuters that will give you better performance while still being reaonably frugal and comfortable. In fact, if you want a little more pep, then the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and Bajaj Pulsar N250 both are worth considering. These bikes offer a tangible step up in performance in comparison to their smaller siblings without sacrificing too much fuel economy and since you have a long commute every day, you will value the added performance on tap. Take test rides of these bikes to see which ones float your boat before you make a decision.