I own a Bajaj Avenger 220 Cruiser, and I am quite satisfied with it. However, I want something bigger and better in terms of comfort, safety, and speed. For touring purposes, which bike should I go for with a budget of ₹4 to 5 lakh?

•27w

If you are looking to upgrade to a cruiser body style, your options are limited to the Royal Enfield Shotgun / Super Meteor 650 within your budget. These bikes are large, stylish, twin-cylinder machines that will be relatively easy to live with from an ownership and running costs standpoint. However, both weigh 240kg (or more), and that could potentially be too much to deal with on a daily basis.

A test ride of these bikes should help you understand their riding experience and whether or not their weight is manageable for you.

On the other hand, if you're willing to wait a while, Honda is reportedly gearing up to launch a localised version of the Rebel 300 later this year. This would be a more manageable and approachable machine given its single-cylinder engine and more compact dimensions.

Explore bikes mentioned

Royal Enfield

Shotgun 650

from ₹4.61 Lakh

Royal Enfield

Super Meteor 650

from ₹4.67 Lakh

•27w•

I like Avenger 220 cruise I want to buy but new models I dont want to because the new models are plastics. Earlier until 2014 the bikes use to come with metal guards on the sides and grills as well. These days they are using fiber like material and I have decided no to Avenger 220. The day they retai orignial metal guards I will think of buying or replacingthe then bike I might have purchased. But for now I shut down or dont recommend anyone to buy bike with huge investment with less care for bike riders

More posts on similar bikes

•1d

I’m 32, married, and based in Bengaluru. I currently own a 5-year-old Yamaha FZ25 that has completed only around 14,000 km. The bike has been extremely reliable overall, but it now needs some work which includes mainly new tyres, ABS repair and proper service. I am estimating around Rs. 20 -30,000 to bring it back to a really good condition. I am in a dilemma as I’ve wanted a Royal Enfield Himalayan for almost 10 years. I actually rode a Himalayan 411 for over 1,000 km on a trip and absolutely loved its riding position, suspension, engine character and the way it handled bad roads. It was one of those bikes I didn't want to return. The new Himalayan 440 has now been launched, and I’m getting a Bangalore on-road quote of around Rs. 2.98 lakh. I could put around Rs. 1 lakh down and finance roughly Rs. 2 lakh. The practical side says: keep the FZ25 by spending Rs. 20,000 to 30,000 on it and continue using it. I don't ride very much at the moment, and my wife isn't particularly interested in motorcycle trips. My options are either repair and keep the FZ25. Second option is to buy the Himalayan 440 and keep it for long term and last, wait another 1-2 years and decide later. I would love some brutally practical advice, especially considering the Rs. 3 lakh price and relatively low riding usage.

•4m

The very fact that you still want a RE Himalayan, despite not having ridden one in many years would suggest you have a deep yearning for the bike. More so, since your very words are,"It was one of those bikes I didn't want to return." Even though you don't ride a lot currently, the Himalayan 440 may well change that. From our experience with the Scram 440, we believe the Himalayan 440 will offer a step up in terms of refinement, reliability and features compared to the erstwhile 411. Take a test ride and if you like how the bike rides, go ahead and make your purchase.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 440

•3h

Hi, I have been riding TVS Jupiter since 2017 and my usage is around 20 km but now, when I took it for service, I came to know that the chassis of the bike has rusted and there are cracks in it. Since I am unable to find a spare, I want to change it. Should I go for electric or petrol scooter? If I choose the electric scooter, will the rusting problem still persist in the chassis. Please provide your valuable suggestion as I want to go for a budget scooter.

•34m

Since you stay in a coastal city like Chennai, its not uncommon to hear about rust causing structural integrity issues in the scooter's chassis. Given that your daily run is quite low, opting for an EV would be our recommendation only if you plan to keep it for a long time because that's the only way you'll be able to recoup the additional initial acquisition cost over an ICE scooter. In the EV space, our top picks are the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Ather Konarc / Rizta, Vida VX2 and River Indie. Whereas in the ICE scooter segment, choose between the Honda Activa 110/125, Suzuki Access, Yamaha Fascino / RayZR and TVS Jupiter 110 /125. Ensure you take a test ride of all the models in whichever segment you are shopping in before you make your decision.

Yamaha Fascino 125 Fi

Honda Bikes Activa 110

Honda Bikes Activa 125

I’m torn between the top-spec Toyota Hyryder Hybrid and the Duster Hybrid. I’m not sure if the Duster Hybrid’s characteristics can be extrapolated from the Turbo-Petrol variant, so I would appreciate some advice. I am planning to purchase the car around the Diwali season.

•1h

The upcoming Duster Hybrid is an interesting option, and if the petrol version is anything to go by, expect stellar ride-handling balance and a larger boot than the Hyryder. Also, as a four-cylinder engine, it is likely to be a touch more refined than Toyota's 3-cylinder unit, but we'll have to wait and test it before passing judgment.Sure, the Hyryder Hybrid is a proven product with a strong track record, and Toyota's reputation for reliability and low maintenance costs makes it a very sensible long-term ownership proposition. But since the Duster hybrid is something you're keen on, we'll recommend waiting for it to launch and making your decision only once you've tested both cars. However, if you can't wait, then the Hyryder hybrid is a sensible pick.