BMW F 450 GS GS Trophy

Autocar India

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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

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Sadly, in India, if you're looking for a decently priced sub-500cc, twin-cylinder adventure bike, then you'll have to extend your wait as there's nothing currently or on the horizon either. The BMW F 450 GS is, all things said and done, the somewhat palatable option because the Honda NX500 - as accomplished a bike as it is - simply cannot justify its steep Rs 7.44 lakh ex-showroom asking price, even with its super convenient and non-intrusive E-Clutch technology. We'd advise you to also take a look at the mid-spec Exclusive variant of the 450 GS because that has pretty much every option that you'd need and want ticked without the centrifugal clutch seen on the top Trophy model. Its also a good chunk more affordable to buy. If you're okay with making your peace with the alloy wheels, then you also save the moolah that BMW wants you to shell out for the pretty - but pricey - cross-spoke wheels. Unless you're a hardcore off-road rider, these spoked wheels bring no functional improvement and sticking with the alloys is the sensible bet. You could also purchase them a little later on, if your heart is really set on them. Coming to the Aprilia Tuareg 457, there’s no clear India launch or even global reveal timeline yet.

Autocar India

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The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is one of the most sorted single-cylinder adventure bikes on sale, and aside from its portly kerb weight and large size, there are few drawbacks with this machine. It has excellent seating and ride comfort, a grunty engine, a plethora of official accessories, and RE's service network is one of the widest in the country. If you can make your peace with its size, the Himalayan is a hard machine to fault realistically, for most use cases.Today, KTM India will sell you a 390 Adventure with both 349cc and 399cc engines, and the price difference between the most affordable and most expensive model is over Rs 1 lakh. The 350cc 390 Adventure is a capable long-distance machine, and you won't miss the drop in outright peak power too much, especially if this is your first 300cc+ machine. The 399cc models are, of course, packing in better performance, and the higher variants even come with more adjustable and longer travel suspension. Owing to its lighter weight, the KTM is more lively than the RE in the twisties and is also easier to manage at slower speeds inside the city. Do bear in mind that no matter which version of the 390 Adventure you choose, you'll have to make your peace with some amount of vibration because these aren't the most refined bikes in today's market. Coming to the Norton Atlas adventure models, with their 585cc, twin-cylinder motors. These bikes are sure to be in a different segment when compared to the single-cylinder 350-400cc machines listed above. No realistic comparison between them would be a fair or straightforward one, and it's better to cross-shop the Atlas with the Honda NX500, Kawasaki Versys 650 and BMW F 450 GS - if at all. We're yet to ride and evaluate the Norton Atlas models, and even if they launch this year, it would be a wise move to wait at least 6 months - if not more - before investing in a brand-new platform from a new brand which has yet to establish a comprehensive presence in the Indian market.

Autocar India

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Addressing the two single-cylinder machines first, between the 399cc KTM 390 Adventure and 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 XC, the KTM bike is sure to be the more fun and capable machine. Its engine is much more powerful, its suspension much more capable and it fits the brief better for your needs than the Triumph bike. One area where the 390 Adventure will not be as good as the Scrambler 400 XC is city manners, because its engine feels buzzy and frankly unhappy at lower revs and its large windscreen also blocks some cooling wind at predominantly slower city speeds. Now coming to the BMW F 450 GS, this is a machine that could be your one bike to do it all with its twin-cylinder engine, capable suspension and comfortable ergonomics. However, we still haven't spent enough seat time on the small GS - the first ride event was a rather rushed one - and BMW bikes are notorious for being expensive to own and maintain. Then there's also the fact that the F 450 GS is based on an all-new platform and its long-term reliability still remains a question mark. Our recommendation would be the 399cc KTM 390 Adventure of the three bikes you've chosen but should you decide to go for the GS instead, we'd advise you to at least defer your purchase by six months so that you have more real-world information on the GS and then make an informed decision.

Autocar India

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The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is a proven commodity in our market, and it is a fairly capable city machine, so long as you get used to its weight. Since it uses a big 648cc, twin-cylinder engine, its fuel economy isn't its strongest suit, although that's par for the course for an engine of this size. The Interceptor is the most affordable RE 650 model, and since it is a simple machine, servicing and maintaining it shouldn't be too expensive. Since the BMW F 450 GS is yet to launch and we also haven't ridden it, we can't comment on what the bike will be like to ride or to live with. We recommend you wait until media and owners' reviews are out before making a decision.Do bear in mind that BMW's dealer and service network is far smaller than Royal Enfield's expansive dealer network across the country.

Autocar India

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The KTM 390 Adventure is a thoroughly competent machine, and if you are satisfied with its riding experience, it will make for a good adventure bike in the class. Plus, all Bajaj-made KTM 390s and Triumph 400s will be downsized to 350cc to better comply with the new GST norms, so now is a good time to buy the 390 Adventure while you can still get one. Coming to the BMW F 450 GS, it will be considerably more expensive to purchase and maintain than the KTM, owing to its twin-cylinder engine and the Bavarian brand's reputation for rather high ownership costs. We would also urge you to wait until media reviews and customer feedback of the F 450 GS emerge, which will take some time. Another option to look at in this class is the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. Its strong points are its magic-carpet-like ride, punchy performance and a widespread sales & service network. Its heavy kerb weight and oddball styling are some reasons to not get one. A test ride of the KTM and the RE will help you make up your mind if you want to buy a bike right away.

Autocar India

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The Honda NX500 is a smooth, proven, and reliable package as an ADV tourer, and is something you can't go wrong with. Its few drawbacks are its steep price tag and a shock that rebounds a little too quickly for comfort. Since it's a Honda bike, it's likely to last a long time without major issues and also be fairly easy on the wallet to maintain. Since we have not ridden the BMW F 450 GS, we can't comment on its strengths or weaknesses. We recommend you wait until the media as well as owners' reviews of this bike are out before making a purchase.

Autocar India

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If you want an adventure bike that is E20 compliant, you will need to either purchase a new bike or search the pre-owned market for a lightly used model manufactured within the last 1 or 2 years. If you are looking for a new bike, we would recommend paying the high initial purchase price of the twin-cylinder Honda NX500. It is a rather sorted machine in almost every regard and will feel like a nice step up from your single-cylinder KTM. And since you're familiar with the trouble-free Honda big bike ownership experience, the NX500 makes for a logical step up. If you decide to go for something a little less pricey, then bikes like the latest KTM 390 Adventure models and the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 are also options worth looking at. You also have the option of waiting for the new BMW F 450 GS, although its pricing will be similar to the Honda bike rather than the single-cylinder models mentioned above.A test ride of everything you shortlist should help you make a decision.

Autocar India

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There's no way to accurately portray how much the maintainance cost of the BMW F 450 GS will be, as it is yet to be launched. However, BMW bikes have a reputation for being a little pricey to live with, even the smaller 310s. You shouldn't expect the F 450 GS to be as easy on the wallet as its peers, like the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, KTM 390 Adventure models or even the Honda NX500. We recommend you wait a while before you buy the F 450 GS so that you can see thorough reviews of the bike. Also, you can speak to actual owners of the machine, and then make an informed decision.

Autocar India

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We have not yet ridden either the Norton Atlas or the BMW F 450 GS, so we can't comment on the riding dynamics of either machine. We would suggest you wait until you can see multiple reviews of both bikes before purchasing either one to err on the side of caution.