I’m 5′8″, 35 years old, an IT professional with back pain, and I ride occasionally. Last year, I purchased a Speed 400 after 12 years of riding just an Activa, and I found the Duke too powerful at that time. I ride mostly in the city and take highway trips of 400–800 km once every month or two. I am thinking about buying a new bike because I am not fully satisfied with the Speed 400, especially on the highway. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a great bike - but I want to cruise comfortably at 110–120 km/h. With the Speed 400, I’ve found 90 km/h to be the sweet spot; anything above that becomes irritating. The bike can easily reach 140, but when I let go of the throttle, it feels like the bike brakes itself and only smooths out again near 90 and below. I am not into off-roading, and I am not a serious rider. I am looking for something more powerful than the Speed 400 but not excessively so - something in the range of 50-60 bhp. Budget is not a constraint.

autocar.india

•6h

The answer we give you will vary based on whether or not you will retain the Hunter alongside a new RE 650 upon its purchase. If you were to keep the Hunter for daily use, the Continental GT 650 makes for a good step up, given your sporty leanings. We'd recommend opting for the colour with allloy wheels for added peace of mind that tubeless tyres bring when fixing a puncture. You could even wait for the upcoming Continental GT-R 750 which will offer an even bigger step up in terms of performance and features, although it will be priced higher than the 650. If, however, you plan to only keep one bike to do it all, the Continental will feel cramped, uncomfortable and committed for repeated daily city use. We'd recommend the Interceptor instead because its upright ergonomics will allow you to be comfy in the city and it still handles reasonably well when you venture out on the weekend. Do bear in mind that if you expect razor sharp handling akin to a smaller, lighter machine (like a KTM RC 390 or Aprilia RS 457) from these heavier, simpler and larger bikes, you will not find that here and while the RE 650s handle well, that's in the context of heavy, relaxed neo-retros.

autocar.india

•6h

Since you seem like a mature rider and will be getting a motorcycle after a long wait, we'd recommend splurging a little and getting a more premium machine like the Honda CB350RS or the upcoming Triumph Bonneville 400. These bikes will not only perform better than the TVS Ronin, they will also deliver a sense of occassion and premiumness which the TVS simply won't be able to match. Coming to the bikes themselves, the CB350 is a known quantity and delivers a comfortable and laidback riding experience with trademark Japanese reliability to boot. The Bonneville 400 hasn't been launched yet (although it seems like its not that far away either) but going by our previous experience with other Bajaj-built Triumphs, we expect it to be a competent machine although we'll reserve our full judgement until we ride the baby Bonnie. We'd recommend you wait a couple of months until we can ride the Bonneville and once reviews are out you can choose between it and the CB350. Do bear in mind that with every all-new model, there are almost certain to be some teething niggles at the start so waiting 6-8 months until the manufacturer sorts them out would be prudent. And before you go ahead with your purchase, taking a test ride of whatever is on your shortlist should be done too.

autocar.india

•1d

If you can live with its tall 835mm seat height, the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X seems like a bike that would suit your needs very well. Even the Speed 400 will handle all of this but the Scrambler brings an effortless ability to tackle rough roads which its road-focused sibling doesn't. You should also check out the Royal Enfield Scram 440 because it will be similarly capable over longer distances and bad roads but it does have a lower performance ceiling owing to its less powerful engine and heavier kerb weight. A test ride of these 2 should help you decide which one suits your needs better.