I’m a beginner (5'6") planning to buy a bike next year. My top choice is the Triumph Scrambler 400X, which I’ve admired since early 2024. I’m torn between that and the newly launched TVS Apache RTX 300, which offers cruise control and a bi-directional quick shifter. I’ll use the bike for daily office commutes, occasional weekend rides, and some soft-trail riding. Which one should I pick — and are there other expert-recommended alternatives?

Autocar India

•1d

In terms of familiarity, the Harley Davidson X440 will be the logical next step up for you from your Thunderbird 350. With its neutral ergonomics, plush suspension and torquey air/oil-cooled engine, the X440 T will serve your use case well. If you want something with a bit more performance and more commanding ergonomics, then the Triumph Scrambler 400 XC is what you should consider. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 will easily be the most comfortable for two-up riding of the bikes you've shortlisted, but its heavy kerb weight could be hard to manage, especially with a pillion onboard in stacatto big-city traffic. We'd recommend you steer clear of the Super Meteor 650 because its laidback riding position and stiff rear shocks will cause you discomfort over bad roads. Take a test ride of the other three with your pillion to see which one you find comfortable before you make your purchase.

Autocar India

•5h

We would recommend you go ahead with the KTM 250 Duke purchase as your first bike. It will be an easier and friendlier machine to learn on. The upcoming 350 Duke will likely be similar in terms of its throttle response and power output to the 390 Duke, which will make it a much faster machine and thus less suited to a beginner.

Autocar India

•1d

Since you have a rather long daily commute, we'd recommend going with an electric scooter with a battery capacity of 3kWh or more. In that space, you have options like multiple variants of the TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak models. Both are reliable, dependable, comfortable, practical and no-nonsense offerings that come from established companies. You can also look at the Ather Rizta, although in your budget, you'll probably only get the base S 2.9 variant, which has a slightly lower range than the other two, although it should still suffice for your needs. A test ride of these three is imperative before you make a decision.