I currently own a Honda Activa and want a reliable motorcycle. I’m 5'9" tall and my budget is up to ₹2 lakh. Daily commuting is up to 20 km. I’ve been diagnosed with a slipped disc, so I need a bike with good suspension and a comfortable riding posture for two. I prefer a sporty look, low maintenance, strong fuel efficiency, and good after-sales service. Which bike should I buy?

Autocar India

•2d

In the 150/160cc commuter bike segment, options like the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and Bajaj Pulsar N160 are great bets if you want your commuter to pack in a little bit of spice and some feel-good features like a USD fork, TFT display and the like. These bikes are also quite fuel efficient and comfortable, making them good daily-use machines. If, on the other hand, you want a simple, no-nonsense commuter, then we'd advise you to look at the Honda Unicorn / SP160. Both are mechanically very similiar but the SP has more features and sharper styling than the Unicorn which has the same silhouette since it debuted 20 years ago. Depending on the sort of bike you prefer, make a choice between these three. To make an informed decision, we'd recommend test rides of all three before you make your purchase.

Autocar India

•1d

Since you're innately familiar with Royal Enfield ownership, upgrading to the Himalayan 450 seems like a safe bet. The Himalayan's suspension can iron out pretty much any road imperfection you encounter and its performance will be a big step up over the Hunter you own too. The only caveat with going for the Himalayan is that it is a tall and heavy bike, and these attributes will make their presence felt at slower speeds inside the city. If you want slightly higher performance levels on a lighter machine, then the KTM 390 Adventure models (whether you opt for 350cc or 399cc iterations is up to the budget you have) are worth considering. The KTM bikes have great handling, punchy top-end performance and come with features like adjustable suspension, traction control and a bidirectional quick shifter - depending on the variant. In your Rs. 7 lakh budget, you can also get the BMW F 450 GS, although depending on your city's taxation structure, you may need to stretch your budget a little if you are eyeing the top Trophy variant. The new entry-level GS is a competent machine and will be a step up in refinement from the single-cylinder machines mentioned above and it is also lighter than them. You will, however, need to be prepared for higher running and maintenance costs expected of a machine wearing the BMW badge. Take test rides of these machines to decide which one works best for you before you make your next purchase. If none of these options seem enticing, you could also retrofit the latest-gen Hunter's suspension to your older model which will bring some much needed relief in terms of ride quality. Do bear in mind that this swap will likely void your warranty and we'd recommend reaching out to your nearest dealership for more clarity on the same.

Autocar India

•2d

Both the bikes you have shortlisted are similar on paper and in terms of their laidback, relaxed riding experience. Picking between the two will boil down to factors like fuel economy, styling and pricing. The TVS Ronin's oddball styling will be more polarising than the clean styling of the Royal Enfield Hunter, although the Ronin is lighter and has slightly better ride and handling than the Hunter. It also managed to be a little more fuel efficient than the Hunter in our tests, although fuel economy varies greatly depending on your riding style. Finally, the Ronin is also quite a bit more affordable than the Hunter, with the top-end variants of both differing by as much as Rs 20,000 when it comes to ex-showroom pricing. Of course, deciding on which one purely on these factors wouldn't be fair to either and if you want to make an informed decision, take exhaustive test rides of both before you go ahead with your purchase. The Hunter is a very different sort of Royal Enfield with some core strengths like a characterful, torquey engine and good comfort. The Ronin's trump cards are that it can handle very well and is the more economical of the two to purchase and run.