Hi, I am planning to buy a motorcycle. My age is 45 years, Height is 5.10, and weight is 95kg. I used to ride almost 70-80 km in a single day and almost 4 days a week. I cover both good road and bad road conditions with moderate traffic. Right now, I am riding a Pulsar 180. But getting some trouble after the introduction of E20 petrol. Please suggest a range of 2- 2.5L.

autocar.india

•1h

With a budget of Rs 13-14 lakh, an automatic SUV and monthly running under 500km, the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic is the recommendation. It offers a strong value-for-money proposition, a spacious cabin and a comfortable ride, making it well suited for both city and occasional highway use. The turbo petrol engine paired with the automatic gearbox delivers good performance without being overly complex. The Maruti Suzuki Brezza automatic is the alternative if reliability and low running costs are the absolute priority, but the 3XO feels like the more complete package for your requirements.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

autocar.india

•5d

Since you want comfort as a top priority in your next purchase, the two bikes that will deliver that much better than the others in your shortlist are the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X. The Himalayan is more adept on the highway front, but the Scrambler is the better city bike, so depending on where you spend more time, pick between these two. The TVS Apache RTX 300 is a phenomenally capable bike (especially for the price), but its engine feels a little dull once you spend some time with it. If you are okay with that, then as an overall package, the TVS is quite hard to fault. If you decide you want something more road-biased, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400 and Honda CB350RS are good options to consider. We'd skip the RE Meteor models because the Super Meteor has stiff rear suspension, and instead of the Meteor, look at the Classic / Bullet if you want more comfort with an old-school relaxed retro vibe. These are all very different machines within a broad price range, so depending on the segment you are looking at specifically, we'd advise you to take test rides of the options above and then make your decision.

autocar.india

•4d

Both the TVS Ronin and Royal Enfield Hunter 350 are excellent choices that are similarly capable in this price range, but both have different riding experiences. The Ronin feels lighter on its feet because it weighs quite a bit less than the Hunter, and while its styling is that of a relaxed retro, it actually has very nice handling. Its engine is also quick to spool up and makes a deep, bassy sound with a strong surge of mid-range torque to boot. On the other hand, the Hunter's long-stroke motor is more mellow and, in our opinion, more characterful too. The riding experience is dominated by the strong low- and mid-range torque here, and it's a pleasure to short-shift on the Hunter and listen to its thumpy beat of an exhaust note. While the Hunter is much heavier than the Ronin, you don't really feel it when you're on the move and darting through city trafic is a breeze on this RE. Take test rides of both, see which one tickles your fancy and then make your decision.