The fun part - shopping for your ride

You may already have a commuter bike that belts out a heart pumping 8bhp (!), or been handed down the family heirloom – a vintage Bullet with a cast iron engine which marks its territory by leaving a puddle of oil behind but produces a thump that can be heard a mile away. If it’s neither, then the list below will at least tell you where to start looking for your first ride. I have covered bikes with an engine capacity of at least 150 cc and are considered to be at the entry level of the sports bike segment (no Ninja, Truimph, Harley etc) with a price tag ranging from just under a lakh – 1.5.My comments, apart from my own experience, also reflect opinions of fellow bikers and are in no way biased towards any of the brands below

The Bajaj Pulsar RS/AS 150/200cc

Simply put, the Pulsar lineup brought ‘sports biking’ to the masses. With its masculine appearance, 150cc engine (at the time of launch) bassy grunt of the torquey engine, Bajaj has come a long way with the Pulsars with the latest AS/RS avataars featuring contemporary tech like liquid cooling and a perimeter frame for better handling. The engine block is borrowed from the KTM Duke (whose bikes Bajaj now manufactures in India) which at 200cc revvs freely, belting out an impressive 24 horses setting the new age Pulsars apart from their older siblings. The pricing makes it compelling for those with less than a lakh to spend even though the fuel injected RS with front ABS retails for well over a lakh.

Pros

Competitive price, wide service network, low cost of ownership, single channel ABS on the RS

Cons

Quality still leagues behind the Japanese, Bajaj sales and service experience not up to the mark

The TVS Apache 160/180/200

While the Pulsar is known for its masculinity, the Apache manufactured by TVS is known for its nimble handling, be it on the roads or on the racetrack. The Apache 180 was also the first indian motorcycle to feature a single channel ABS (front only) While fast and agile, the engine is vibration prone and the TVS tyres are not the best when it comes to grip. The latest Apache offering which comes with a 200cc engine addresses some of these problems and has a good road presence while still lacking liquid cooling and a 6 speed gearbox. An ABS + Fuel injected variant is in the pipeline and should be available soon.

Pros

Light, nimble and fast, single channel ABS on the 180, competitive price

Cons

5 Speed gearbox makes highway rides stressful for the engine, vibey engine

The KTM Duke 200

One paragraph may be inadequate to do justice to the impact the Austrian made (in collaboration with Bajaj) KTM Duke 200/390 cc bikes have had on the local motorcycling scene. Introducing cutting edge technology like liquid cooling and a trellis frame for sublime handling, all at a mouthwatering price, the Indian biker has never had it so good. The 390 offers life saving features like ABS and super soft Metzeler tyres for better grip in addition to its brutal 43 horses at less than a lakh over its smaller 200cc sibling. For someone looking for his first ride with a lakh and a half to splurge, the KTM Duke 200 is simply a hoot to ride for a small premium over the others in the comparo.

Pros – Cutting edge tech, 25 PS engine on the 200, mean street fighter looks

Cons – Pricey now at 1.6 l on road, power delivery is manic – difficult to handle for novice riders, no ABS on the 200

Yamaha R15 V2/S

This is the model which gave India its first taste of what a track bred bike is really like. The legendary Yamaha Deltabox chassis available on Motogp bikes, was made available to the masses on this 150cc bike. That, in addition to liquid cooling, fuel injection and sticky tyres, were all industry firsts when the V1 was launched in 2008. The next iteration (V2 in 2011) and the latest S (single seat) included updates like tweaking the engine for better low end grunt to aid city commute, fatter rear tyres and reintroducing the single seat for pillion comfort. With the launch of its bigger sibling the R3 (321cc twin cylinder) the R15 has been firmly positioned as the entry level sports option. While overshadowed by faster rivals like the KTM Duke, the baby R is perhaps the best beginners motorcycle in the premium segment (I own one!) At more than 1.3 lakh it carries a premium but its bulletproof engine and built to last quality makes up for the price. It’s a very forgiving bike – combines sublime handling with adequate power delivered in a linear manner – encouraging new riders to get deeper into motorcycling by expanding their skills in relative safety. Take a test ride before plonking your money though as the supersport riding stance stresses the wrists and lower back; initial discomfort is experienced by many riders and some do not get used to it.

Pros – Sublime handling, Jap reliability, linear power delivery

Cons – Riding comfort, relative lack of power, premium pricing for a 150cc bike

CRUISERS

The Bajaj Avenger Cruise/Street 150/220cc

The only affordable option (read ex showroom of less than 1 lakh) among cruisers and one which has proven its mettle both in the city as well as in the unforgiving terrain of Ladakh. The latest iteration features both an 150cc option apart from the grunty 220cc one with the ‘street’ variant looking like an outright copy of the much bigger (and pricier) Harley Davidson Street 750. Nevertheless, they do the job and are particularly suitable for shorter riders (given its low slung setup) Despite being a cruiser, its relatively light at 154 kgs and that makes for easy weaving through city traffic (the street version) The longer wheelbase also makes for highway cruising at decent speeds even though the engine is at its happiest at 80/90 kmph and can return an impressive mileage of >40 kmpl. The technology however, hasn’t kept pace and the Avenger still sports tubed tyres in regular spoked wheels (tubeless ones do not go flat right away if there is a puncture and is better for touring) and lacks liquid cooling for its engine. It is also not as niggle free as is the case with Bajaj bikes.

The Royal Enfield Bullet/Classic/Thunderbird 350

Entire chapters may fall short in doing justice to the Royal enfield stable, hence I will not delve much in the lone paragraph that I am dedicating to this legendary brand. This is the motorcycle most budding bikers flock to, given pull of the brand. All I would say is that if you are hooked to the ‘Bullet’ legend and your rides will be restricted to short weekend breakfast jaunts, stop reading this and head to the nearest RE dealership and choose which shade of chrome catches your fancy. While this is not to say that the models can’t do heavy duty highway trips – an RE is perhaps the ideal option in Ladakh, I am more inclined to evaluate the RE models as what kind of bikes they are and not the spell they have cast on their followers. For starters, they are heavy and bulky at 180+ kgs and the 350cc ones are downright underpowered. Throw in the reliability issues (niggles though are far fewer in the new age UCE models) and lack of modern technology (liquid cooling? Whats that?) and all of a sudden, the price (the cheapest one – Electra - with at least a front disc brake and electric start retails for 1.3 l) does not make any sense. There is little handling to speak of (with a single downtube frame chassis), brakes are wooden (ensure you have decent riding gear and a valid medical insurance if you ride north of 70 kmph) and the vibrations will make your teeth chatter with the engine protesting if you take it beyond 80 (hence my point about long highway rides being a mixed bag) Touring is lot better on the Thunderbird (TB) 350 which is more of an American style cruiser and not an authentic Bullet with better handling and a bigger fuel tank. It still has the same vibey engine and at 1.6+ lakhs on road, you have far better options out there. The 500cc options provide more power and they are fuel injected (except for the carbed Bullet 500) but fare worse in the reliability department than their carbureted siblings. At 2+ lakhs, I do not recommend the 500 lineup unless you have experienced RE bikes before and of course, with cash to burn.

As I had said, a para can hardly put to rest the Royal Enfield debate and here I am, launching a second paragraph and spilling more ink than I have on the others. A brand cult is more powerful than any feature or piece of technology and if you are hooked, you will care two hoots about the metal bulk and ancient drum brakes on RE bikes. If that is the case, please take the plunge as motorcycling is all about connecting with your ride. However, if the purchase decision is also about the head as much as the heart, ignore all generic statements about the great ‘Bullet’ you are likely to hear and weigh the pros and cons and how they fit with your needs.

Honda CBR 250/150

I will not delve deep into the baby ceeber - a smaller replica of the legendary VFR 1000 – for the simple reason that the 250 retails for almost 2 lakhs – out of scope of this article and the supersport like 150 variant is not a viable option when you have the R15 around, a reality reflected in sales figures. However, if touring is the objective and you can spare the additional cash, the CBR 250 comes out on top: comfortable seating, plush suspension, adequate power and the bomb proof Honda engine, all come together in this bike on which many highway touring records have been broken. If you can, pay the additional premium and get the one with the ABS option; it really does not make sense to pay almost 2 big ones anyways and not have this lifesaving option.

Eventually, specs and opinions remain on paper and test rides is what should clinch the deal for you. Some models (the Yamaha R15 for eg) are not made available for test rides by the dealers while the guys at RE would be only too happy to let you test ride as many models as you want. Be ready to walk away if you don’t get to sample at least a few kms, at least by borrowing from a friend, its you who would have to live with the bike after all. Finally, purchasing is a one time event, getting your ride serviced is not - find out the service intervals and what it costs as its not just the one time purchase price but the overall cost of ownership which will pinch your pocket. The R15 has a 70 day service interval, most of the others every 6 months, find out how much a typical service costs for each model.

Research from other sources too and sites like these will give you more information, but as I said, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!

Next up, a guide on formalities at the dealership and a pre-delivery inspection.