Upcoming Yamaha bikes in India (1)

Autocar India

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Since you are based in Mumbai and want a scooter with wide tyres as well as ABS to handle Mumbai's slippery and shoddily-made cement roads, the option that should be at the forefront of your shopping list is the TVS Ntorq 150. The bigger Ntorq has a 100-section tyre at the front and a 110-section hoop at the rear, which should easily be able to cope with most of the bad roads Mumbai will throw at you. Its brakes are strong and come with the safety of a single-channel ABS, which meets your requirements. While options like the Hero Xoom 160 and Yamaha Aerox 155 come with bigger 14-inch wheels and even wider tyres, these scooters are nowhere close to the Ntorq 150 when it comes to seating and ride comfort, which is a serious factor on Mumbai's bumpy roads, especially if you're going to use the scooter daily. Take a test ride of the bigger Ntorq before you make your purchase to verify whether or not its the right fit for you.

Autocar India

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While both the Yamaha options you have shortlisted have their own strong points, neither would be the best fit for your usage, in our opinion. Considering you have a pretty lengthy daily commute in Mumbai (where the road surface by and large ranges from subpar to non-existent), we would recommend you pick a comfortable machine like the TVS Ronin or Royal Enfield Hunter 350. Both have neutral ergonomics, neo-retro styling and plush suspension, which should make them well-suited for your use case. One area where both the smaller Yamaha machines will edge out the Ronin and Hunter is fuel efficiency, but aside from that, the TVS & Royal Enfield make for a better purchase. The Yamaha XSR155 is a lovely sporty neo-retro machine, but its suspension is too stiff over bad roads. The Yamaha FZ-X is a 149cc commuter, and its performance, handling, and overall feel won't be as premium as the other bikes mentioned here. Take a test ride of both the Ronin and Hunter to see which one suits you best. We also have multiple comparison reviews of the Hunter, XSR and Ronin on our channel as well as website, and we'd encourage you to take a look at them before you make your purchase.

Autocar India

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Both the Yamaha MT-15 and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V are reliable machines offering you similiar levels of performance around the Rs 1.50 lakh mark. In general, Yamaha's products are easier to live with and service in comparison to TVS' offerings. Although it's not an exact science and sometimes boils down to your particular machine and the service centre you take it to. We'd recommend a test ride of both as well as visits to authorised service centres and showrooms of both bikes, so that you can make an informed decision.

Autocar India

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Both the Honda CB350 H'ness and Yamaha XSR155 are great everyday machines, but have different characters. The XSR is light, agile and a lively machine to ride with its R15-derived underpinnings. Its motor also returns excellent fuel economy. However, its stiff suspension setup will get tiring if you encounter bad roads daily. The CB350 H'ness is a relaxed neo-retro roadster which is very easy to ride and prioritises comfort over performance. While the H'ness won't be able to match the XSR for fuel economy, it is a reasonably fuel-efficient machine for its displacement. If you ride often with a pillion, then the more spacious Honda makes a better case for itself.Picking between the two will boil down to personal prefrence so we'd recommend a test ride of both to help you make a decision.

Autocar India

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In our experience, neither the Yamaha Aerox 155 nor the Hero Xoom 160 have proven to be comfortable, especially over broken roads. Instead of these two, we'd recommend you give a long, hard look at the TVS Ntorq 150. On paper, it might seem like a step down compared to the Yamaha and Hero with its 12-inch wheels and air-cooled engine, but in reality, it is the better product. With plush suspension, a spacious underseat storage and peppy performance, the bigger Ntorq makes for a compelling sporty scooter that doesn't sacrifice practicality. In our routine tests, we also found that - when ridden gently - it can be surprisingly fuel efficient. Do take a test ride of the Ntorq 150 to see if it resonates with you.

Autocar India

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Within your budget, you have three very different options you can look at - Yamaha XSR155, TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, TVS Ronin and Hero Xpulse 200 4V. The XSR is the least powerful but is also the lightest motorcycle here. It will also feel the sportiest to ride because its engine and underpinnings are derived from the popular Yamaha R15 and MT-15. The downsides of the XSR are that it is a rather petite motorcycle. For someone of large stature such as yourself, this will be a potential challenge, and its rear suspension is quite stiff. It can get uncomfortable over repeated bad patches. The Apache RTR 200 4V is another sporty roadster, and with its larger engine than the XSR, it will feel more at home at sustained higher speeds. Its suspension comfort and more spacious seats will also be helpful for your usage. The TVS Ronin is a relaxed roadster with its smooth and torquey engine and relaxed and neutral ergonomics. Also, plush suspension setup and relatively larger size - compared to the other two bikes here - the Ronin has the potential to be the most suited to your use case.Moving on to the Hero Xpulse 200 4V, this is the bike you should buy if you want to venture off-road on your long tours. It will have by far the most plush suspension of all the bikes here, although its on-road handling will leave you wanting once you pick up the pace. We'd recommend a test ride of all three before you make a decision. Also, do note that all four bikes are all slightly above Rs 1.50 lakh (your stipulated budget), within that amount, there's no credible option for your requirements.

Autocar India

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The recently updated Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has a super-light clutch action thanks to the slip/assist clutch that RE has equipped it with. Even for a newer rider or a scooterist looking to move to a motorcycle, it shouldn't be that much of an issue in big city traffic. However, if you are looking to stick to a scooter, then we'd advise against the Yamaha Aerox 155 because of its stiff rear suspension. We would recommend scooters like the Suzuki Access and TVS Jupiter models instead, for their good ride comfort and spacious, well-padded seats.

Autocar India

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The Honda SP160 is based on the same platform as the popular Unicorn and should have similiar strengths like good comfort, exceptional fuel efficiency, as well as durability and reliability in the long run. The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is one of the best options in the sporty commuter bike segment and will offer you good performance and features without sacrificing comfort and practicality. Do bear in mind that if you are a tall person, then this bike will feel a little cramped, especially with its tight seat-to-footpeg distance.Coming to the TVS Ronin, this bike will offer you more performance and comfort than the other 150/160cc options you're looking at, but it will return lower fuel economy. And since you're looking at the base variant, you'll only get single-channel ABS like the smaller bikes. The Yamaha FZ-X Hybrid will likely be the most fuel-efficient machine of this lot, but it offers lacklustre performance, and its comfort levels aren't that high either.Our advice would be to take a test ride of everything you shortlist before making a decision.

Autocar India

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Considering your stature, in the Yamaha stable, instead of the MT-15, we'd recommend looking at the new XSR155. While both are mechanically near-identical, the XSR is a more spacious machine than the MT. Since this will be your first bike, the XSR will prove to be the most manageable and approachable. Thanks to its lighter weight and unintimidating power output. The Bajaj Pulsar N160 you're considering is a good option, but it will be the slowest of all the bikes you've shortlisted. However, if all you're going to do is potter around town, then getting the Pulsar makes sense as it is the most city-friendly bike here. Coming to the two Pulsar NS models, the NS200 will feel quite sporty and engaging while still being friendly enough for city use. However, the bigger NS400Z isn't the most city-friendly machine. Also, it will return lower fuel economy owing to its larger engine. The Honda CB350 models are very different to ride, thanks to their neo-retro leanings. It will be the most comfortable and relaxed machine of all the bikes you're considering. Lastly, the TVS Apache RTR 310 is actually quite a capable do-it-all machine, and will give you room to grow as a rider, too. Since you are considering multiple bikes with different riding styles and at very different price points, we'd recommend you first decide on your budget. After that, choose within that range accordingly. Also, take a thorough test ride of everything you shortlist.

Autocar India

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Since you are a beginner rider, getting a bike that is approachable and easy to live with would be our recommendation. Bikes like the Yamaha MT-15 and Honda Hornet 2.0 - both in your shortlist - will offer approachable performance and weight while being quite fuel efficient too. The Bajaj Dominar 400 - while a sorted bike in its own right - is a heavy machine, which will get quite tiring to manage at slow speeds for a newer rider. Instead, we'd recommend you take a look at the Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, which offers more performance and features while being significantly lighter.In case you decide that the power and relatively low fuel economy of a 400cc bike isn't for you, but you still don't want to go below 200cc and want something sharp-looking, we'd recommend taking a look at the Bajaj Pulsar N250 and Pulsar NS200. The N250 is a refined, smooth all-rounder, while the NS200 is an engaging and sporty machine. A test ride should help you make a more informed decision.