My wife and I both currently ride an 11-year-old Yamaha FZ. She is 5′3″ and I am 5′8″; both of us weigh over 90 kg. I don’t feel confident that this bike is safe and responsive enough — it needs a lot of throttle, is hard to manoeuvre in traffic, and handles pothole-ridden city roads poorly, especially for pillion riding. I also have back issues. What would be the ideal bike for us to upgrade to so we can ride together comfortably, mainly in the city with potholes and occasionally on the highway?

•39w

Bikes you should take a look at are the Royal Enfield Hunter / Classic / Bullet / Meteor 350, Scram 440, TVS Ronin and Honda CB350 trio. All have smooth, torque-rich engines, comfortable seats for two passengers and great suspension comfort.

These factors will help you on both broken city roads and open highways. We would recommend you take a test ride of all machines with your wife so as to ascertain which one is best for you.

Explore bikes mentioned

Royal Enfield

Classic 350

from ₹2.08 Lakh

Royal Enfield

Bullet 350

from ₹1.84 Lakh

Royal Enfield

Meteor 350

from ₹2.17 Lakh

Royal Enfield

Scram 440

from ₹2.48 Lakh

TVS

Ronin

from ₹1.41 Lakh

Royal Enfield

Hunter 350

from ₹1.53 Lakh

More posts on similar bikes

•4d

I’m confused between the Honda CB350 H’ness and the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. I liked the refined engine and comfortable riding position of the CB350, while I liked the Hunter’s looks, lightweight nature, and ease of manoeuvring. My daily travel is around 40 km, mostly in traffic, with speeds rarely crossing 80 kmph. I plan to use the bike primarily for daily commuting. Which one should I go for? Also, would using an inclined handlebar riser on the Hunter 350 improve its riding comfort?

•2d

The Honda CB350 would make more sense for your needs because you spend most of your time in city traffic where comfort and refinement are paramount. While this Honda bike is a slightly larger machine than the Royal Enfield Hunter (both weigh the same 181kg), after a brief acclimatization period, you will get used to it. While a set of handlebar risers can improve your seating posture on the Hunter, you will lose some feedback and control from the front end and you will also need to arrange for longer cables and hoses to accommodate this change.

Honda Bikes CB350

Royal Enfield Hunter 350

•1w

I’m 38 years old and 5'6" tall. I’ve been riding a Honda Shine 125 for about a decade and now want to upgrade to a bigger bike. I really like the Triumph Speed 400, but I’ve heard that its maintenance costs can be high. I’m also considering the Bajaj Dominar 400, Pulsar NS200, and Royal Enfield Classic 350. Please help me choose the right bike based on my requirements. I’m also open to other suggestions. I plan to keep the bike for at least 8 years, so long-term reliability and maintenance costs are important to me.

•3d

Since you are going to keep your next purchase for a long time and are coming from a Shine, we'd advise you to consider with the Royal Enfield Classic 350. The Classic is a simple, fuss-free motorcycle which should be easy and inexpensive to maintain. This Royal Enfield bike will also offer you a step up in terms of comfort, features and road presence from your Shine although, expectedly, its fuel efficiency will be lower owing to its larger engine. If you want something sportier, then consider the KTM 250 Duke. The quarter-litre Duke has approachable yet exciting performance and will allow you to grow into it as time passes. This KTM bike has great handling, cool tech like a colour TFT display and bidirectional quickshifter and its zingy engine can also be rather fuel efficient with sensible riding. These are two starkly different machines and depending on your preferences, pick between them. A test ride of both should help you decide which one is right for you.

Royal Enfield Classic 350

KTM 250 Duke

•1h

Switched my daily commute from the car to a scooter six months ago just to beat traffic, and honestly haven't looked back even once during peak hours.

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