I am new to two-wheeler riding in the city and am also a short rider. I have only used a Honda Activa 125 so far. I am confused between buying a geared or a non-geared two-wheeler. I do not know how to ride a geared motorcycle yet, but I am willing to learn. This purchase will be for multipurpose use, including office commutes and short city rides. Please advise.

Autocar India

•4h

From the options you've shortlisted, the Hero Xpulse 210 will be the most comfortable as well as the most fuel-efficient. Its long travel suspension can gobble up pretty much anything our roads will throw your way while keeping you comfortable.However, if you want a neo-retro machine that's easier on your eyes but don't want to sacrifice comfort, then the Honda CB350 models and the Royal Enfield Bullet / Classic 350 are your best bets. These 350s are spacious and offer good ride comfort, which helps on Mumbai’s notoriously bumpy roads.A test ride will help you decide which is the right fit for you.

Autocar India

•7h

The BSA Scrambler 650 is a new launch in India and its long-term reliability still remains unconfirmed. While the engine is largely the same as the Gold Star and shouldn't throw any unwelcome surprises, the rest of the bike is significantly different and it would be prudent to wait a while before you pull the trigger on it.Another important factor to consider is that BSA’s network here is still quite limited, and parts and service access need to be readily available when it comes to your daily ride. Add to the fact that Classic Legends has so far not been free from its share of customer complaints related to service and parts availability. We would advise you to consider other machines in the class or if you have your heart set on the BSA, at the very least, defer your purchase by 6 months to see how the market reacts to it.

Autocar India

•7h

You've test ridden many 300-400cc machines and have a good understanding of what you like or dislike in each machine, so that's a good place to start. We still believe that the Himalayan 450 is your best bet because aside from its weight (which you will learn to work around, over time) there are no significant drawbacks here. And this is not a case of settling for a machine with an innate flaw. Instead, riding the Himalayan 450 day in and day out, will automatically make you more cognizant of its weight and you'll start to manage your starts and stops better as well as improve your slow speed balance on the bike, given some time and a little bit of practice.We would also recommend you look at the Scram 440 because while this bike weighs as much as the Himalayan, it is a much shorter machine so its weight doesn't feel top heavy like the Himalayan. It has good highway legs up to 100-110kph and with long travel suspension and neutral ergonomics, it will be a good city commuter and highway mile muncher.Take a test ride of the Himalayan again and see if looking past its weight, is doable for you. Also spend some seat time aboard the Scram before you make a decision.

Autocar India

•5d

Depending on your riding style, there are multiple different options to choose from in the segment you're looking at. If you're looking for a quick and sporty machine, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400, KTM 390 Duke and Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 make good sense because they have energetic performance as well as good comfort (the KTM bike will be a little less comfy than the Triumph bike in this one regard, but will have more performance). On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you prefer to ride in an unhurried fashion, then look no further than the Royal Enfield Classic / Bullet 350, Honda CB350 models and Triumph Speed T4. These bikes have great comfort and should also be reliable in the long run.If you want something that prioritizes comfort and utility over all else, then an adventure bike is the way to go. You have the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, TVS Apache RTX 300 and KTM 390 Adventure models (with both 350cc and 399cc motors, depending on your needs and budgetary restrictions) in this class. In our opinion, as an all-rounder, nothing can match the versatility of the Himalayan and if you're comfortable with its size, this is definitely an option worth considering. As always, first decide what form factor appeals to you the most and will suit your usage best and then accordingly take test rides based on that before making your decision.

Autocar India

•1d

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla comes with a 452cc engine, whereas the Triumph Scrambler 400 X now comes with a 349cc engine so its no surprise that the Triumph didn't feel as sprightly in comparison. However, for your usage, should you be willing to sacrifice some pep, the 350cc Scrambler 400 X is actually a great all-rounder. Especially since you're a novice and want to get into off-roading. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a great bike but we'd advise you to not consider this bike, at least not if you plan to start your off-roading journey with it. At 196kg, the Himalayan is a heavy machine and with its fuel tank full, it also feels rather top heavy, which could get challenging for a beginner to manage at crawling off-road speeds. However, for city commuting and highway journeys, this Royal Enfield bike will be quite nice - its only off-roading where its weight will be a serious deterrent.The 350cc KTM 390 Adventure would be a good middle-ground option between the two aforementioned bikes - in theory, at least. Its lighter than the Himalayan and has more power than the Scrambler. A test ride should shed more light on whether this KTM bike is the one for you. Since you said you're looking to get into off-road riding, we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend the Hero Xpulse 210 to you. Now, the Xpulse is definitely a smaller and slower machine than all the machines listed above but if you genuinely want to hone your craft and get better at off-road riding, there's genuinely no better place to start than here. City commuting is another strength of the Xpulse, although on the highway, its engine feels a little stressed post 100kph. If you don't mind compromising on outright performance on the highway, then the Xpulse will be a good option for you. Some other benefits of choosing the Xpulse would be that it returns excellent fuel economy - much higher than all other options - and it costs much less to buy too.You need to evaluate your priorities and make an informed decision after test riding all three bikes. Best of luck!

Autocar India

•5d

Since you have a rather long daily commute and don't want to go for a neo-retro machine, an adventure bike makes good sense. Your previously shortlisted - but no longer available - options indicate that you were looking to get something in the 250-300cc space. In that vein, we'd recommend you look at the TVS Apache RTX 300. The RTX is a comfortable, quick and feature-laden machine which will also return decent fuel economy if ridden sensibly. In a similiar vein, you should also look at the KTM 250 Adventure and the base 390 Adventure (350cc) models, depending on your usage and budget. A test ride of these options will help you narrow down which bike is best for you.