Mumbai

•26w

I am personally fond of naked bikes like the Dominar 400, Yamaha FZ series, MT-15, Hornet, etc. I am a beginner shifting from a scooter to a bike, so I need advice on which should be my first naked bike. I am attracted to the Dominar 400 because of its bulky, muscular looks. Is it a good idea to go ahead with that, or should I start with some other naked bike? Please advise.

•25w

Since you are a beginner rider, getting a bike that is approachable and easy to live with would be our recommendation. Bikes like the Yamaha MT-15 and Honda Hornet 2.0 - both in your shortlist - will offer approachable performance and weight while being quite fuel efficient too.

The Bajaj Dominar 400 - while a sorted bike in its own right - is a heavy machine, which will get quite tiring to manage at slow speeds for a newer rider. Instead, we'd recommend you take a look at the Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, which offers more performance and features while being significantly lighter.

In case you decide that the power and relatively low fuel economy of a 400cc bike isn't for you, but you still don't want to go below 200cc and want something sharp-looking, we'd recommend taking a look at the Bajaj Pulsar N250 and Pulsar NS200. The N250 is a refined, smooth all-rounder, while the NS200 is an engaging and sporty machine.

A test ride should help you make a more informed decision.

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The Suzuki V-Strom SX is a severely underrated machine, and we at Autocar are quite fond of it. It would actually serve your needs well, but we'd recommend you don't buy the V-Strom right now because Suzuki is understood to be working on an all-new Gixxer 150/250 lineup, which will likely debut towards the end of this year or perhaps at the start of 2027. These same updates are then likely to trickle over to the V-Strom in due course. Instead, for now we'd recommend looking at the TVS Apache RTX 300 and Hero Xpulse 210.

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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?

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.

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I have been using the Hero Passion Pro for the last 12 years, and I now think it is time to upgrade. My budget is up to Rs. 2.5 lakh. I live in Pune, and around 80% of my usage is city riding, with a 250 km long ride every alternate weekend. I hope you can suggest a good option.

Since you predominantly use your bike inside Pune city, choosing a machine with good comfort would be wise. Neo-retro machines like the Honda CB350 trio, Royal Enfield Hunter / Classic / Bullet 350 and TVS Ronin would fit the bill well and offer you a great step up from your Passion Pro too. If instead you want something off-road oriented, then the Hero Xpulse 210 and TVS Apache RTX 300 will make sense. Take a test ride of these very different bikes before you make your decision.

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Posted on: 2 Feb 2026

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