I’ve been using a BS4 Yamaha MT-15 since 2019 and am now planning to upgrade. My daily office commute is about 25 km, and occasionally I do a 540 km trip. I’m looking for a comfortable and reliable bike with reasonable fuel efficiency.

autocar.india

•4d

Since you already have a Hunter 350 and want more power for your daily commutes, stepping up to the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 would be the logical move. The Guerrilla has a punchy engine with a strong mid-range which makes for a brisk yet effortless commuting partner. While the Guerrilla has engaging handling, its suspension is also reasonably pliant to tackle the daily grind. Given that you have experience dealing with the Royal Enfield sales and service network, your ownership of the Guerrilla should also be fairly straightforward and trouble-free. If you want a twin-cylinder experience, then the Aprilia Tuono 457 special edition should be on your radar. The Tuono has sublime handling, a characterful engine that belts out a lovely soundtrack and its also a fairly uncommon sight on our roads, giving you an air of exclusivity. Do bear in mind that the Aprilia dealer network is quite small and service will likely be pricier than its single-cylinder rivals.

autocar.india

•6d

The Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 is one of the most approachable ADVs on the market and once you get accustomed to its size and weight, you should be able to comfortably manage it. Its only at slower speeds in the city when you're navigating through traffic when the weight and size will be a problem but otherwise on the highway at constant speeds on a long tour, you'll hardly feel the weight. If you want something similar but with an even friendlier seat height, the Scram 440 is another good option and its top variant is the one to go for as it comes with alloy wheels and tubeless tyres. The Guerrilla 450 is another option from the RE stable that you should consider. It brings properly energetic performance and sporty handling to the table as well as a fancier colour TFT display, making it a step up in almost all ways to the relatively more spartan 440s. Its super friendly 780mm seat height is lower than both of the aforementioned bikes. Take a test ride of all three, see which one you gel with most and then make your decision. Do bear in mind that all three will be above Rs 2.50 lakh (on-road), so you will have to extend your budget.

autocar.india

•3d

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.