Ather bikes in India (2)

From our experience with the practical and comfortable River Indie, it seems likely that the Yamaha EC-06 will carry forward those qualities as well. However, it remains to be seen what Yamaha's sales and service network for its EVs shapes up to be, and that is a crucial factor to consider. 

We would recommend you stick to the proven mainstream players like the Ather Rizta, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube if you're looking for an electric scooter right now. 

Within your budget, there's no electric scooter with a battery big enough to fit your requirements. The options we would recommend looking at for you are the Bajaj Chetak 35 models, TVS iQube 3.5 or 5.3 variants and the Ather Rizta 3.7 duo. These options are quite a bit above your budget, so if you're open to a petrol scooter, you can consider the TVS Jupiter, Suzuki Access and Honda Activa models. Coming to the Ola S1X you're considering, even though it may be falling within your budget and look tempting on paper, please do not waste your hard-earned money on that product because the internet is flooded with horror stories that people have faced after buying Ola Electric products. 

In the electric scooter space, you can consider the TVS iQube 2.2 / 3.1, Bajaj Chetak 3001 and Ather Rizta 2.9 variants - all three are comfortable and practical offerings with enough range for your daily needs. 

In the petrol scooter space, options you can consider are the Honda Activa models, TVS Jupiter duo and Suzuki Access 125 - all are fuel-efficient, practical and comfortable options. 

Entry-level motorcycles like the TVS Raider or Hero XTreme 125R can also be considered if you like their sporty designs. In case you want a straightforward commuter, something like the Honda Shine 125 will serve you well. 

Since you're considering a wide variety of options, make sure you take a test ride before you decide. 

Considering that the Kinetic DX electric has just been launched and we haven't been able to test it for ourselves, going with the proven options like Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube or Ather Rizta, which are our picks in the class. Do take a test ride for yourself to see which one will suit you best. 

Since your scooter is already quite old and not E20 compliant, we would recommend changing to a newer petrol scooter or an EV.

If you’re interested in an electric scooter, consider options like the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Ather Rizta, or River Indie. Make sure you choose a variant that offers enough range for your daily use.

However, if EVs seem too expensive, a new petrol scooter like the TVS Jupiter 110 or the Suzuki Access will fit the bill. 

Currently, in the electric two-wheeler space, scooters are proving to be a far more convincing purchase and in the sub-2L space, we would suggest you go with any of these three options for a 40km daily commute: Ather Rizta Z 3.7, Bajaj Chetak 3502 or 3503 or the TVS iQube 3.1 / 3.5. Do take a test ride of all of these to see which one is the most comfortable for your physique.

Coming to ICE bikes, you have a litany of options under the 2L mark for your sort of usage. For good comfort, efficiency and lightness we would recommend a 160cc commuter machine like the Bajaj Pulsar N160, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, Honda Unicorn / SP160 or the Suzuki Gixxer 150 models. Since you have used an FZ previously, you could also look at a modern model, although in our opinion, the options mentioned above give you more for your money.