Honda bikes in India (25)

Autocar India

•13h

Since you've said you prefer cruisers and commute in heavy traffic, of the three bikes you've shortlisted, the Honda CB350 will fit your usage the best. With its low seat, light clutch action and surefooted yet easy handling demeanour, the CB350 makes for a wonderful city companion. Its engine is smooth and torquey, and when ridden sensibly, it returns very impressive fuel economy for a 350cc machine. Plus, seating comfort for both rider and pillion is also quite nice, although if you carry a pillion frequently, it would be prudent to invest in a backrest - it should be a relatively inexpensive option to purchase.The Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 is a beautiful motorcycle, but to achieve its gorgeous form, there are some functional compromises. It is by no means a horribly uncomfortable machine, but in comparison to its more conventional siblings - Classic and Bullet 350 - it is surely a step down. Pillion accommodations, too, are mediocre at best, and the main draw here is its unique design. The TVS Apache RTX 300 is the odd one out here and will feel very different to the other bikes you've shortlisted. It has a modern, liquid-cooled engine making substantially more peak output and a 6-speed gearbox. Outright comfort will be another strong point on the RTX, and this is likely to be the most comfortable machine of the lot, owing to its form factor. We'd recommend a test ride of all these bikes before you make a decision, and you should also decide what sort of bike you want before you do so.

Autocar India

•3d

In the 125cc class, if you're looking for a comfortable bike that has a monoshock for its rear suspension, then look no further than the TVS Raider and Hero Xtreme 125R. Both are popular, proven, fuel efficient and have good ride and seating comfort, making them well-suited to daily use. These bikes should easily be able to return upwards of 50kpl in the real world even if you are a quick rider.Moving to the 150/160cc segment, options like the Honda Unicorn / SP160, Bajaj Pulsar N160 and TVS Apache RTR 160 4V are mainstays of the segment and opting for any of them would make for a safe bet. The Honda models are the more straightforward option while the TVS bikes and Bajaj are the sportier, more feature-rich options. It will be quite tough to see fuel economy of 50kpl and above on these machines unless you are a very gentle rider and expect real-world economy to hover around the 45kpl mark, depending on how you ride. Take a test ride of these machines before you make your decision and before you do, choose which category of bike suits you best and proceed accordingly.

Autocar India

•4d

Since you travel long distances every day, comfort should be near the top of your wishlist and under Rs 4 lakh, the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is the king of comfort. With your purchase, you can also bundle in the cross-spoke rims (priced at Rs 16,000, which is quite fair for what you're getting), which will give you the peace of mind of running tubeless tyres as well. The Himalayan's only major drawback is its large size and heavy weight, which can get bothersome for shorter riders.If you're looking for something more manageable, then bikes like the TVS Apache RTX 300 and 350cc KTM 390 Adventure are good options to consider. Both are comfortable, have gutsy performance and should return decent fuel economy too, while being easier to manage due to their low kerb weights. If you don't resonate with an adventure bike, then the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 models offer a good compromise with the plush suspension comfort you need, with more appealing style and less bulky bodywork.In case you decide you don't want to be at the upper limit of your budget, then neo-retro roadsters like the Harley-Davidson X440 T, 350cc Triumph Speed 400 / Speed T4 and Honda CB350 models are worth considering. These bikes have great comfort levels and will also return better fuel economy. Considering the very different nature of these bikes, take a test ride of all to be sure which one would be the right fit for you.

Autocar India

•4d

Since your daily running is quite low, getting an electric scooter doesn't make sense, as recouping the higher initial purchase cost will take quite a while. In the petrol scooter space, sticking with proven models like Honda Activa 110 / 125, TVS Jupiter 110 / 125 and Suzuki Access would be prudent. The 110cc models will have better fuel economy, but the 125cc versions usually have more features and a noticeable step up in performance. However, considering that petrol prices are on the upswing currently, one electric scooter you could consider to combat that is the TVS iQube 2.2. Its price isn't much higher than most of the aforementioned ICE scooters, and it has a real-world range of 75km - we've verified this in our tests. Take test rides of these scooters before you make a decision. Remember that with an EV, longer journeys will need a little bit extra planning and preparedness than with an ICE scooter.

Autocar India

•6d

There are three bikes in this class that you cannot go wrong with - Honda Unicorn / SP160, Bajaj Pulsar N160 and TVS Apache RTR 160 4V. The Unicorn and SP160 are mechanically identical and are simple, straightforward commuters, with the latter having slightly better features and more modern styling. If you want a reliable, no-nonsense machine, either of these two will be up for the job.The Pulsar and Apache, on the other hand, promise better features, performance and handling with similar fuel economy. These two are accomplished city bikes, and if you want your daily machine to have a dash of sportiness, then both are very compelling options.Take a test ride of all three to see which one suits you best before you make a decision.

Autocar India

•3d

Since your usage is mostly going to be inside the city, we'd advise choosing between the Honda CB350RS and 350cc Triumph Speed 400. Both bikes have smooth, torque-focused engines, light clutch action, manageable seat heights and good weight management, which should make them easy to use in the city. Out on the highway, both feel quite unstressed as long as you keep the speeds between 100-110kph at the most in top gear. The Speed 400 will feel more sprightly than the CB350RS owing to its higher output and lower weight but the Honda's engine has a little more character than the Triumph's.The Royal Enfield Goan Classic 350 is a gorgeous and eye-catching bobber but comfort and highway capabilities aren't exactly its strong suits. If you do want an option from the 350cc Royal Enfield lineup, we'd recommend taking a look at the Bullet / Classic because these bikes are excellent at city duties and if you don't mind carrying a sedate pace on the highway, they'll do the job just fine. These options are very different from one another, so we'd advise you to take proper test rides of each to see which one suits you best before you pull the trigger on your next purchase.

Autocar India

•1w

Fuel economy isn't set in stone and is a facet of the bike that depends on various factors. How you ride, what condition the bike's mechanicals are in, whether tyre pressure is within the prescribed limits, surrounding weather and traffic, and many more. In our experience, the Triumph Speed T4 has returned better fuel economy than the Speed 400 in pretty much all situations. And we suspect the new 349cc engine is near-certain to be even more fuel efficient than the 399cc version we tested.That being said, the Honda CB350RS is a machine that is one of the most fuel-efficient in its class, and given that its motor makes lower output, it's likely to be more economical than the Speed T4. While fuel economy is undoubtedly an important factor in a vehicle's purchase decision, especially in today's inflationary times. We recommend you take the overall picture of the bike into consideration before finalising your choice.

Autocar India

•2w

Since your priority is road riding and you like to cover more than 1,000 km in a day on your travels, we'd recommend you look at machines like the Honda NX500 and Kawasaki Versys 650. Both offer very good seating comfort, wind protection and smooth twin-cylinder engines that can comfortably sustain triple-digit cruising speeds without intrusive vibrations. While they may look like adventure bikes, both are much more road-focused in the way they ride and behave. They can handle bad roads if needed, but they are not hardcore off-road machines.If you want something that's a little more road-focused and sporty, then the Kawasaki Ninja 650 is also a good option. It has a smooth engine and is very capable at highway cruising speeds, though it will not be as comfortable over very long distances as the NX500 or Versys 650. You will also need to be mindful of the low ground clearance and the expensive alloy wheels over bad roads.Depending on the sort of bike you prefer, make your decision, and before doing so, take a test ride of all three to figure out which one is right for you.

Autocar India

•3w

The Honda Shine 125 is one of those bikes you simply can’t go wrong with, especially if you value reliability and fuel economy above everything else. The Shine has built a strong reputation over many years in the market, and if you want a simple, no-nonsense commuting partner, it is likely to suit you well.However, if you want something flashier, more feature-rich, and sportier-looking, we’d advise you to consider the TVS Raider. It is a 125cc commuter that is also fun to ride, and if that sounds appealing, the Raider is worth a look. The top variants also come with the added safety of single-channel ABS, which we would strongly recommend stretching for, especially on unpredictable roads.Make a list of what you want from your next purchase and choose accordingly. A test ride of both bikes should help you make a clearer decision.

Autocar India

•3w

Both the machines you've shortlisted are great ones for commuting within Mumbai but have different characters. The Royal Enfield Classic 350's smooth thumper is known for its low-end torque and encourages you to ride in a relaxed fashion. Its seating posture and suspension comfort both are excellent at keeping the rider shielded from road imperfections and should be good enough for you. We'd also recommend you take a look at the Honda CB350 models if you want a similiar riding experience with a little less weight and clutch effort. If instead, you want a quicker and more modern-feeling machine, then the TVS Apache RTX 300 is a great option to consider. The RTX has a tractable engine but its smaller motor cannot be lugged around in higher gears like the Classic's engine can. However, the Apache has a much higher performance ceiling and a lot of electronic features (including a bidirectional quickshifter, from the Top variant onwards) if that sounds appealing to you.You should also consider the Hero Xpulse 210 because this bike has lovely suspension and upright, commanding ergonomics - both great attributes to tackle Mumbai's largely subpar roads. The Xpulse will be slower than the RTX but quicker than the air-cooled 350s and you can expect it to be the most fuel efficient of the lot, when ridden sensibly. A test ride of these bikes should help you decide which is the best fit for you.