I love riding and want to buy a bike suitable for touring within a budget of Rs 1.5 lakh. My requirement is that the bike should be long-lasting with continuous running. I have shortlisted the Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Bajaj Dominar 400 and the KTM Duke 200.
Mayank Satyam, via email
AAA The three bikes you have listed do fall within your Rs 1.5 lakh budget; however, they are of very different natures. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 would be the best tourer of this lot but it will have some minor reliability issues, which could prove to be worrisome in the long run. The Dominar 400’s non-ABS variant has proved to be quite reliable thus far. It is quite sporty in nature and could easily pull off highway duties. Although, it does have a rather stiff ride and emanates a fair amount of vibration from the handlebars and foot pegs; which is tolerable to some people. And the KTM 200 Duke is more of a city machine. While quite reliable and peppy, it has short gear ratios and can get a bit cramped on longer rides. We recommend you keep these points in mind and actually test ride each bike to see which suits your riding style best.
Ved Janve
Vishal Venugopal
