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I am considering buying a bike mainly for city usage of around 16 km a day. I rarely ride on the highway, and this will be my first bike. I am 6 feet tall, and comfort and performance are my priorities. My budget is ₹2.5-2.8 lakh on-road (Hyderabad). I am considering the RTX 300, but since it is a new bike and my usage is mostly in the city, I am confused.

Asked by: Siddharth
Since you have mentioned that this will be your first bike and you'll be spending most of your time within the city, the TVS Apache RTX 300 isn't the ideal candidate for you. It is quite a tall and substantial motorcycle with decently punchy performance too and wouldn't be the most welcoming machine inside the tight confines of a big city, especially so for a new rider.
If you are in the market for an ADV, we'd instead recommend the Hero Xpulse 210, which will be lighter, more manageable and friendlier for a newbie to motorcycles.
If you decide you want something sporty, then the KTM 250 Duke would be a great option to start with. It has energetic yet friendly performance, great handling and features and will also be decently fuel efficient when ridden sensibly.
Take a test ride of these bikes to see which one suits your riding style best and feels the most comfortable.
KTM 250 Duke

KTM 250 Duke

Answered by
AI
Autocar India team6 Feb' 26

Latest questions

Asked by: Siddharth

I am considering buying a bike mainly for city usage of around 16 km a day. I rarely ride on the highway, and this will be my first bike. I am 6 feet tall, and comfort and performance are my priorities. My budget is ₹2.5-2.8 lakh on-road (Hyderabad). I am considering the RTX 300, but since it is a new bike and my usage is mostly in the city, I am confused.

Since you have mentioned that this will be your first bike and you'll be spending most of your time within the city, the TVS Apache RTX 300 isn't the ideal candidate for you. It is quite a tall and substantial motorcycle with decently punchy performance too and wouldn't be the most welcoming machine inside the tight confines of a big city, especially so for a new rider.If you are in the market for an ADV, we'd instead recommend the Hero Xpulse 210, which will be lighter, more manageable and friendlier for a newbie to motorcycles.If you decide you want something sporty, then the KTM 250 Duke would be a great option to start with. It has energetic yet friendly performance, great handling and features and will also be decently fuel efficient when ridden sensibly.Take a test ride of these bikes to see which one suits your riding style best and feels the most comfortable.
AI
Autocar India team
6 Feb' 26
Asked by: Ayush Pandey

I test-rode the Speed T4 and Speed 400 last week and liked both. The Speed T4 price is great at ₹2.67L, but the tyres and lack of traction control are holding me back. Speed 400 feels a bit expensive. I'm confused between these three options: Speed T4: Good price, but is it enough for an experienced rider? Speed 400: Costs ₹3.21L and has great features, but I've heard about stalling and engine stress. Duke 250: Costs ₹2.87L. What do you guys recommend?

The omission of traction control on the Triumph Speed T4 should not be a concern because, given the performance ceiling of the bike, you'll rarely miss the system - if at all. The tyres, too, are commensurate with the Speed T4's performance and should be a non-issue. If you do want better tyres, you have a wide variety of aftermarket options which won't be very expensive either, so that should solve a potential issue for you.The stalling issues on the Triumph Speed 400 are restricted to isolated units and aren't very commonplace. If you buy a brand new bike that does have this problem, you should be able to get it fixed under warranty.The KTM 250 Duke is a much more sporty machine than the two Triumphs and has some features they don't, like a bidirectional quickshifter and a colour TFT display. It won't feel as quick or as effortless to ride as the Triumph 400s because of its smaller 250cc engine, but if you enjoy revving a bike out to its limit and want to have that sort of experience, this might actually work in your favour.Do bear in mind that the KTM will feel a little cramped if you are above 5'10", and the Triumph 400s also have better suspension comfort. We'd recommend taking a thorough test ride of all three before you make a decision.
AI
Autocar India team
6 Feb' 26
Asked by: Subhin

Dear Autocar, please suggest a bike for daily commuting and occasional touring. My budget is ₹3 lakh. I want a comfortable bike with (1) plusher suspension, (2) comfortable rider and pillion seats, and (3) a smooth engine and gearbox. My touring speed is usually between 80 and 100 kmph. My shortlist includes the Scram 440, TVS RTX 300 and KTM 250 Adventure. Please rate these bikes based on suspension comfort, seat comfort and engine and gearbox smoothness.

At the sedate speeds you will be riding, all three bikes' engines will be smooth and rather unstressed, so that shouldn't be a factor for you when you decide. Coming to suspension comfort, while all three set a very high baseline, it is the TVS Apache RTX 300 which has the edge in comparison to the KTM 250 Adventure and Royal Enfield Scram 440. Its suspension is plush yet controlled, keeping you comfortable over bad stretches while maintaining its composure on the road. If you opt for the RTX's top BTO variant, you'll even get some adjustability, so that's a clear win for the RTX in the suspension department.Even in terms of seating comfort, the Apache RTX 300 is the clear winner. The Scram 440's seat is comfortable for the pillion, but the rider's section is too thinly padded and the KTM 250 Adventure's seat is thin, firm and not the most spacious for two-up riding.However, the RTX is still a very new machine, and we'd strongly advise you to wait for 6 months - 1 year before you buy one, so that if any teething issues crop-up TVS can iron them out.If you want to buy any of these bikes today, the Royal Enfield Scram 440 will make for the best all-rounder, although it will be the most expensive to buy. If seat comfort is a problem for you, this is an easy and rather inexpensive fix at a trusted local seat shop.
AI
Autocar India team
6 Feb' 26
Asked by: Jay Ramesh Deshmukh

I’m planning to buy a new car in the subcompact SUV segment. My usage is quite low, and I prefer an automatic transmission. My budget is between 15 and 20 lakh. The car will mainly be used as a family vehicle for driving within Mumbai city, with occasional highway trips once every couple of months. I’m considering the Hyundai Creta S(O) Petrol IVT, for which I’m getting a discount of ₹80,000. Do you think this is a good deal, or should I consider other options?

The Hyundai Creta S O 1.5 IVT is a great option in the midsize SUV segment. The petrol engine is smooth and refined, and the automatic gearbox is well-suited to city driving. The Creta also offers a spacious and comfortable cabin, and the feature list is quite comprehensive. The discount you are getting makes it an even more attractive proposition.Being a new launch, the Kia Seltos won't be available with any discounts, but we'll still recommend you to consider the new Kia Seltos, which is essentially powered by the same 1.5 petrol-automatic combination as the Creta, but it feels a lot more modern in comparison. Its suspension also feels more comfortable than the Hyundai's. The HTX IVT will fall within your Rs 20 lakh budget.
AI
Autocar India team
6 Feb' 26
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