I am a beginner rider and need to buy a bike with a budget of around ₹2 lakh. I need it to be comfortable for both me and my pillion. I mostly commute about 40 km daily and occasionally do highway rides. It would be good if the bike also gives good mileage in its category. Please suggest suitable options.

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

While the government has started the roll-out of E85/E100, these higher blends won’t replace regular E20 petrol at your local pump. These higher blends need tailored flex‑fuel engines and materials to be compatible. For now, E20 is going to stick around and remain available nationwide.