Autocar India
6w

Hi Autocar India Team, I would like to hear your suggestions for a new bike. I currently ride a 2012 Hero Splendor Plus, but it no longer suits my requirements. I ride about 100 km per day, of which 80 km is on the highway and the remaining 20 km is within the city. I am looking for a bike that offers a good balance of power and fuel efficiency, as it will be my daily commuter. It should also have a comfortable suspension so that I don't feel tired at the end of the day. I am 182 cm tall and well-built. Which bike would you recommend?

Verified
5w

Since you have a long daily run, predominantly on the highway, we'd recommend you step up to something more powerful. Specifically, the Hero Xpulse 210 will be a good fit for your needs. It has great suspension, which will isolate you from the worst of our road imperfections; good performance on the highway and when ridden sensibly, it will also give you decent fuel economy. 

If you want to stick with a street-biased commuter, look at the Honda Unicorn and Bajaj Pulsar N160. These will feel more natural for you to ride and will return good fuel economy, although highway performance will be weaker than the Xpulse. The Pulsar N250 is also a good machine which would make sense for your use case.

Take test rides of these bikes before you make your decision.

Hero MotoCorp Xpulse 210

Hero MotoCorp Xpulse 210

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1w

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Verified
3d

The Suzuki Gixxer models (both 150 and 250) are due to get a generation change soon and therefore, buying one of them right now would not be our recommendation. If you want something in a similar displacement and price bracket, then the Bajaj Pulsar N250 would be the closest match.The Hero Xtreme 250R is also a well-priced alternative that rides well and unlocks a whole new spectrum of performance, although Premia dealerships are quite few and far between currently.

Bajaj Pulsar N250
Hero MotoCorp Xtreme 250R
1d

I’m 32, married, and based in Bengaluru. I currently own a 5-year-old Yamaha FZ25 that has completed only around 14,000 km. The bike has been extremely reliable overall, but it now needs some work which includes mainly new tyres, ABS repair and proper service. I am estimating around Rs. 20 -30,000 to bring it back to a really good condition. I am in a dilemma as I’ve wanted a Royal Enfield Himalayan for almost 10 years. I actually rode a Himalayan 411 for over 1,000 km on a trip and absolutely loved its riding position, suspension, engine character and the way it handled bad roads. It was one of those bikes I didn't want to return. The new Himalayan 440 has now been launched, and I’m getting a Bangalore on-road quote of around Rs. 2.98 lakh. I could put around Rs. 1 lakh down and finance roughly Rs. 2 lakh. The practical side says: keep the FZ25 by spending Rs. 20,000 to 30,000 on it and continue using it. I don't ride very much at the moment, and my wife isn't particularly interested in motorcycle trips. My options are either repair and keep the FZ25. Second option is to buy the Himalayan 440 and keep it for long term and last, wait another 1-2 years and decide later. I would love some brutally practical advice, especially considering the Rs. 3 lakh price and relatively low riding usage.

Verified
3h

The very fact that you still want a RE Himalayan, despite not having ridden one in many years would suggest you have a deep yearning for the bike. More so, since your very words are,"It was one of those bikes I didn't want to return." Even though you don't ride a lot currently, the Himalayan 440 may well change that. From our experience with the Scram 440, we believe the Himalayan 440 will offer a step up in terms of refinement, reliability and features compared to the erstwhile 411. Take a test ride and if you like how the bike rides, go ahead and make your purchase.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440

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Posted on: 29 Jul 2026