Hi, I live in Bangalore and am looking to buy a new motorcycle under 3 lakh (on-road) and would really appreciate your suggestions. I am planning to primarily use this bike for daily commuting, weekend rides, and occasional long-distance touring or adventure trips. My wife and I are both around 5'10" tall, and pillion comfort is a high priority. Since I occasionally experience back pain, a comfortable riding posture and good suspension are very important. Also, good mileage is another major deciding factor. I'm looking for a bike that offers a good balance of comfort (for both rider and pillion), reliability, fuel economy, touring capability and ability to handle occasional bad roads or light adventure riding. I'm open to any brand and would love to hear your recommendations based on personal experience. If you've owned or ridden any bike that fits these requirements, please share your thoughts, along with any pros and cons. Thanks in advance!

autocar.india

•1h

Since you have said you want to start riding long distances in addition to your daily commutes, buying a machine with good performance for highway rides would be a smart move. Therefore, we'd recommend choosing between the 350cc Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X, Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450, TVS Apache RTX 300 and 350cc KTM 390 Adventure. The Guerrilla 450 and Speed 400 will offer you a traditional roadster experience wherein they are easy to manage 'standard' bikes with good performance and comfort to handle your needs. If you plan to do a lot of solo riding, these bikes make good sense. If, instead, you want space for a pillion and luggage, and the ability to simply shrug off bad roads without giving it a second thought, then the RTX and 390 Adventure are the way to go. The KTM will offer more performance and is the machine that has been around much longer but the RTX is the better rounded product of the two. In the city, these ADVs can feel a little big and cumbersome, especially at slower speeds although in time you would get used to it. They also have big windscreens which will block cooling air coming to the rider, another hindrance in our climate. Lastly, the Scrambler 400 X is a jack of all trades sort of machine wherein it is good fun to ride it both in a spirited and laidback fashion, as your mood changes and it will give you a similiar amount of comfort and space to the ADVs but will lack the weather protection. Coming to why your palms were hurting, all of these bikes have very upright riding postures so it's unlikely to have anything to do with the rider's triangle. If you are to grip the handlebar tightly and stay like that for an extended duration, you will experience this. On your next ride, pay special attention to this. Based on your needs, it would be wise to pick between the Scrambler, Speed and Guerrilla, depending on which one fits your budget and personal case the best.

autocar.india

•12h

If you have had a good experience with your Electra (and considering you've kept it for 2 decades, it seems you have), then going for a new-age Royal Enfield bike like the Bullet / Classic 350 would be the ideal step up. These bikes will retain the core character and thump of your Electra but bring in many engine and chassis improvements, offering you a thoroughly modern biking experience. Reliability, too, has seen a significant jump over older REs, and this will positively impact the overall ownership experience.In many ways, the Honda CB350 models are uncannily similar to the RE 350s (sometimes to their own detriment) but bring in some signature Honda bike strengths like a lightweight, easy-to-manage demeanour and super reliability as well as low ownership costs. As for an electric scooter, it is a completely different proposition. It makes sense only if your usage is limited to short city commutes and you are looking for a low-maintenance, cost-effective solution. At your age and weight, a modern 350cc motorcycle will be far more comfortable than a scooter.

autocar.india

•5d

If you are considering purchasing a petrol two-wheeler, then you should go ahead with your decision. Over time, your resale will, of course, be impacted by this decision, but that will be quite a few years down the line, and by then your needs and preferences will likely change, which means that drop is unlikely to affect you to a great extent.