The Yamaha XSR155 has many strengths, like great fuel efficiency, engaging handling and performance from its R15-derived underpinnings and its clean, neo-retro design. However, its stiff suspension will be far from ideal over bad patches of road, resulting in discomfort for your back. It is also a rather small bike physically, which means two-up riding won't be comfortable for long durations, unless you are both smaller people.Therefore, we would advise you to look at alternatives like the TVS Ronin or Royal Enfield Hunter 350, both of which are more spacious and have better suspension comfort than the XSR. A test ride of both two-up should help you decide which is best for you.

Considering you ride a lot with a pillion and in rural areas, where roads can suddenly disappear without warning, an adventure bike will suit your needs better than a cruiser. Under the Rs 3 lakh mark, you have the very capable TVS Apache RTX 300, and if you are willing to stretch your budget to Rs 4 lakh, then the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and KTM 390 Adventure X are our recommendations.If, however, you are determined to stick to a roadster/cruiser, then your best bets would be the Royal Enfield Classic / Bullet 350 and the Honda CB350 trio. These bikes will be available under Rs 3 lakh (on-road).Take a test ride of these bikes with a pillion onboard to understand which one serves you best.

On the ownership and maintenance cost front, the TVS Apache RTR 310, Harley-Davidson X440, and Triumph 400s should be more or less on par, unless major wear and tear parts like a chain-sprocket set are to be replaced.We would recommend you reach out to your nearest authorised dealer for each brand and speak to them for a more accurate picture.

In the 150-160cc commuter space, the most affordable option currently is the Hero Xtreme 160R, priced at Rs 1.05 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Bikes like the base Yamaha FZ, Honda Unicorn and lower variants of the Bajaj Pulsar N160 and TVS Apache RTR 160 4V are available for roughly Rs 10,000-12,000 more.All of these bikes are quite fuel-efficient and can return upwards of 45-50kpl, if ridden sensibly. We'd recommend a test ride of these bikes to see which one suits you best.