Looking for a No-Nonsense Bike - Got Bajaj Avenger!

[TSIVipul]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Well,first of all you have a just 3 kms long biking experience.Firstly tell me if you have even learnt how to work with clutch/accelerator combo of the bike?
Rest since you need a BIKE.

So try your hands on the following:-
Yamaha FZ-S
Yamaha Fazer.
Hero Honda Karizma ZMR.
Hero Honda Karizma R.
Bajaj Avenger 220.
And if you are ready to stretch a lot then HONDA CBR 250 ABS is a definite buy.

 

[madaneeraj]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Well on papers there is not much difference between bikes but on roads there behavior could differ to extremes, below are my picks with reasons-

Unicorn- No-nonsense bike, refined engine, decent road grip and handling, immaculate reliability. Solid built with minimum ratlles. Practical for both daily commuting and long runs. Hindsight is- It's a practical bike- not sure if it will make you smile but any of it's attributes but rest assured you will never cry also (reliable). Waiting period from 2-4 months could be unbearable.

Apapche 160 (Old Fiero)- For a newbie it feels like a "Makhan". Great throttle response and easy to handle. You will find it very nimble to drive. Gives a decent fuel economy of 45-50 and a good power.

Apache 180- Better than 160 in all aspects except fuel economy (might need to compromise with 4-5 kmpl economy) but never feel underpowered. I should say Apache 160 only feel underpowered after riding 180. Only problem that you might face is rattles (in worst case vibrations, specially on bad gravel). Upgrade to better set of rubbers if performance is a concern (TVS tyres in short are below par). Again reliable and good to ride. Long distances are not great as Unicorn as bike is sports mod inspired, might lead to some pain in long runs, especially in arms.

Yamaha Fazer- Great grip, best in class handling but severely underpowered to it's size. Minor niggles reported to service hs been reported. Could safely be turned as cruzer and a performer (exaggerating?) in city.

R15- Great bike which can give you everything an entusiast would like, but again severely underpowered to it's price. But keep in mind that it can give you a feel of a professional rider. Not very much comfortable for long distances.

Honda CBR- Only downside is a single cylinder, leads to poor refinement in it's class (i am comparing to Ninja). Feel pretty much like Karizma at low speeds but can easily climb upto 140+. Could best be termed as a Sports Tourer. City driving especially in back to back traffic can generated a lot of heat between your legs. Also turning radius could be compared to a car (Maruti 800).

Karizma R & ZMR- Good stability at high speed, decent handling and OK FE (35+). Good road presence also with broad looks.


My pick would be i decending order

Daily commuter, with pillion- Unicorn, FZ
Fun to ride + daily commuting + with pillion- RTR 180-
Fun to ride- R15
Fun to ride+ occasiona long distances- Karizma- Apache RTR180
If I can afford- Ninja

- Rest would advise you to take a test drive and decide as per your size and weight (I mean it). If you are kind of huge built Apache would like kind of Puny and stuff like that. It's most important that bike tweaks a cord in your heart. When I used to drive Fiero, CBZ was the best seller. But - I loved my Fiero only.

Regards,
Maddy

 

[jayadev]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Well,first of all you have a just 3 kms long biking experience.Firstly tell me if you have even learnt how to work with clutch/accelerator combo of the bike?
Rest since you need a BIKE.

Not much of it but I think I can...Wat say?

So try your hands on the following:-
Yamaha FZ-S
Yamaha Fazer.
Hero Honda Karizma ZMR.
Hero Honda Karizma R.

No to these sporty lookin non sporty things

Bajaj Avenger 220.

Had a chance to TD it yesterday.Very sound "fik fik fik" reminded me HH Splendour. (hathi ke daant dikhane ke alag ,Khane ke alag) I think Avenger is not of my taste.

And if you are ready to stretch a lot then HONDA CBR 250 ABS is a definite buy.

Not interested in too much of Fancy.
I prefer something COOL , easy to drool comfy and Orgasmic !!
Still eyeing on Bullet 500 .. any tweaks to make it fuss free

Unicorn

madaneeraj, I have driven Unicorn and it is a nice ride.

Honda CBR- Only downside is a single cylinder, leads to poor refinement in it's class (i am comparing to Ninja). Feel pretty much like Karizma at low speeds but can easily climb upto 140+. Could best be termed as a Sports Tourer. City driving especially in back to back traffic can generated a lot of heat between your legs. Also turning radius could be compared to a car (Maruti 800).

I Dont think I would ever be crossing 80kmph,rather I prefer quick acceleration without any fuss.
what I need is great ride quality ,soothing exhaust note ,refinement and Balance. especially for long tours.

 

[TSIVipul]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Then Jayadev dear,you yourself have answered your query and the answer is a royal ENFIELD..none else.
Rest if you can consider then how about a Bajaj Pulsar 220 S,this bike does not have fairing,it has an oil cooled engine,it rides quite well,accelerates like a brute and the exhaust note is also quite good and frightening too for the other road users when you accelerate her hard or rev her hard.For long journeys this is a great bike as the liquid cooled engine is always ready to perform when you twist your right hand.

 

[Sam Dinkar]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Royal Enfield is certainly not a trouble free bike. The C500 (still) has lot of electrical/fuelling issues. But take a test ride of the C500/Thunderbird nevertheless. You might like these bikes. The UCE, though still using pushrods, is much more reliable than the CI/AVL units of yore. Give these bikes a try before you punch your next post and let us know how it felt.

 

[avengerrider]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

some quotes i found on the net which can be attributed to the current topic...




"Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars to the saddle "

"Never under-estimate the power of forgiveness - your bike will forgive all sorts of poor riding actions if they are isolated incidents. "

 

[jayadev]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Then Jayadev dear,you yourself have answered your query and the answer is a royal ENFIELD..none else.
Rest if you can consider then how about a Bajaj Pulsar 220 S,this bike does not have fairing,it has an oil cooled engine,it rides quite well,accelerates like a brute and the exhaust note is also quite good and frightening too for the other road users when you accelerate her hard or rev her hard.For long journeys this is a great bike as the liquid cooled engine is always ready to perform when you twist your right hand.

How is that one ,can you elaborate?

Royal Enfield is certainly not a trouble free bike. The C500 (still) has lot of electrical/fuelling issues. But take a test ride of the C500/Thunderbird nevertheless. You might like these bikes. The UCE, though still using pushrods, is much more reliable than the CI/AVL units of yore. Give these bikes a try before you punch your next post and let us know how it felt.

hmmm..

well,some of you might have thought I have started this thread and Vanished. but honestly since last 2 days I was searching for this thread. in Autotalk section ..lol. I thought Mods deleted it.

2 times i visted enfield showroom should i mention my experience???..BRRRR..

one of my friend owns a modified enfield, but for ride quality and looks..he has only woes to share .He have two Batteries one stays in home which is needed to start in the morning.recently clutch burned or burnt his pocket rs.4000 smoked.

 

[Sam Dinkar]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

How is that one ,can you elaborate?


hmmm..

well,some of you might have thought I have started this thread and Vanished. but honestly since last 2 days I was searching for this thread. in Autotalk section ..lol. I thought Mods deleted it.

2 times i visted enfield showroom should i mention my experience???..BRRRR..

one of my friend owns a modified enfield, but for ride quality and looks..he has only woes to share .He have two Batteries one stays in home which is needed to start in the morning.recently clutch burned or burnt his pocket rs.4000 smoked.

So what are you thinking of next? Going by your previous posts you seem to be averse to all bikes that suit your preferences. Better go for that old Harley, then !

 

[jayadev]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

So what are you thinking of next? Going by your previous posts you seem to be averse to all bikes that suit your preferences. Better go for that old Harley, then !

@Sam,Errm sarcasm.. :-)


Today afternoon I made myself play with these chicks.

First one was CBR 250. man that s awesome power and lot of things (which i Have yet to discover).

1.56 lakh for standard and 1.86 for ABS..can be delivered tomorow

dislikes: sitting position is not for long drive,I had trouble reaching for Pedals ..it is sports sports sports ...but for that 25 bhp I was almost sold for standard version.Tomorrow SE will call me with details of EMI but i will give some excuse


Bajaj pulsar 220s :- awesome sound Gud Gud...(bit exaggerating) can be delivered within a week.

Then I remembered heavenly Advice of our member "TSVIPUL" -Avenger 220!!!
SE said he don't have it in stock... no issues!.

I was checking specs of Pulsar, sitting position and everything else.

It didnt inspire me much as it felt like a regular Indian bike other than good Specs.

Suddenly an Avenger came !!!- time 18.30 pm.

SE Yelled ,Sir,here it is, Avenger ..you can have a look and TD..

and I just loved the sitting position pedal position Headlight and everything.
only dislike was -NO REAR DISBRAKE

I made an agreement that if you can make it delivered to me within a week then here is the money. for them they need 2 weeks or more..now tomorrow they will ask other branches ..

Conclusion:-I am sold for Avenger 220.(I dont mind sound this time )

Now I need your Advice............!
PS:My Punto and CBR250 nice pair huh..both can go 150kmph on road and both have difficulty in uturn or terrible turning radius..!!

 

[Sam Dinkar]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Yup. Avenger 220 is a good bike but again, it's a twin spark engine - be warned that twin spark engines, though very good at performance during the initial stages of their life, do not have as long a life as single spark engines. But if you like the Avenger, go for it. It is sufficiently powerful for a long highway cruise and is a pleasure to ride on open roads.

Bajaj is also launching the KTM 200 on 24th Jan. 200cc, 25 bhp, single cylinder, dohc, fuel injected. Maybe you would like to have a look at it before you go for the Avenger. Horses for courses !

 

[jayadev]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Yup. Avenger 220 is a good bike but again, it's a twin spark engine - be warned that twin spark engines, though very good at performance during the initial stages of their life, do not have as long a life as single spark engines.

@ Sam,please elaborate the issues.I am a total nerd in this field?

I asked couple of guys around here and some said avenger and enticer both are flop model due to problematic ownership.

now your comment has given me serious reason to worry.
no matter what, I buy it to keep it for 100 year, so expect them to be faithful and reliable.

New avenger will take 20 days for delivery where I cannot wait that long .

Have a second hand 2011 model for 75k now this guy is waiting for my call.

 

[jayadev]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Alright I am fixing it on Brand new Avenger 220 dtsi ..Rs.83600/-
delivery shall be on monday ..

very very..Excited!!!!

 

[P3T3R]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

I need a Bike.

Alright I am fixing it on Brand new Avenger 220 dtsi ..Rs.83600/-
delivery shall be on monday ..

very very..Excited!!!!

Congrats!

dont go for the 500 cc ones so early. i'd suggest that you get used to the 350cc before going for the 500 (trust me. 500 classic is way tooo much power to start with. u can start with 350 and upgrade to 500 after some years if u want.

If you think the 500 has way too much power, you've not ridden bikes. The 350 UCE is really bad. The 500 is OK. Both these bikes lack the classic bullet feel. They are however more refined and reliable than the old Cast Iron engines or the later AVL's.

The UCE engines are unrefined and noisy but for a Bullet enthusiast the noice and vibration is a part of their charm

Actually the thump minus the vibrations of the old CI was the charm. The vibrations and lack of thump in the new bullets is the reason for the massive jump in the resale value of the old bullets.

Yes. These are modern engines but they run on old pushrod technology. They are certainly no match for the refinement provided by Japanese motorcycles.

Actually the 350 UCE is exactly like a Hero Honda to ride.

Yes. Power to weight ratio of the Enfields is nothing to write home about. Almost every 150cc bike in India has better acceleration and top speed than the 350cc Enfields. The 350cc UCE would score on roll-ons at some rpm ranges but that's about it.

My +1

You dont seem to be an Enfield guy. Forget it. An Enfield buyer would not reason out his purchase, he would just go out and buy the Enfield. Even the mere thought of stepping inside any other motorcycle showroom is a sacrilege for him/her.

That would be the old CI purist Enfield buyer, not the new UCE buyer.

The Classic 500 is a good motorcycle to ride and Enfield is constantly ironing out niggles with it's EFI system but they still have a long way to go before they achieve Japanese levels of quality and reliability. But the good thing about riding an Enfield is that you do not mind that long way. Take a test ride, you might like one.

The only Enfield wort buying today is the 500.

Generally, Enfields require their owner to be mechanically inclined and patient with their various idiosyncrasies and hence these motorcycles are not recommended for greenhorns who would get exasperated if their new motorcycle wouldn't start after one or two kicks/pushes of the electric starter every day.

Not any more. Things have changed with the UCE.

I own an immaculate '98 model CI Machismo (and yes, I just love it - it will be burned with me when I die) so I speak from experience.

I too own an old 350.

Jayadev as avengerrider has suggested, it wouldn't be wise for you to look at 500CC RE (its no longer a bullet) jumping from a Scooter with 100 or 150cc engine to 500cc wouldn't be a good idea. Unfortunately bikes in our country can never match up to the pace of the cars so don't even dream about that lol.

Kinetic Comet was also sold with mono-suspension.

The first monoshock bike in India was the BSA Falcon/Bond.

Royal Enfield is certainly not a trouble free bike. The C500 (still) has lot of electrical/fuelling issues. But take a test ride of the C500/Thunderbird nevertheless. You might like these bikes. The UCE, though still using pushrods, is much more reliable than the CI/AVL units of yore. Give these bikes a try before you punch your next post and let us know how it felt.

Yes please ride the Enfields before making a decision.

 

[Sam Dinkar]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

@ Sam,please elaborate the issues.I am a total nerd in this field?

I asked couple of guys around here and some said avenger and enticer both are flop model due to problematic ownership.

now your comment has given me serious reason to worry.
no matter what, I buy it to keep it for 100 year, so expect them to be faithful and reliable.

New avenger will take 20 days for delivery where I cannot wait that long .

Have a second hand 2011 model for 75k now this guy is waiting for my call.

Laws of physics. Without going into too many technical details, just understand that a twin spark engine, as the name suggests, has two spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture. Since the air-fuel mixture gets iginted more efficiently, the performance of such engines is better. However, this also generates more heat as compared to the heat generated inside the cylinder of a single plug engine and therefore the bore/piston/rings/valves, etc get worn out faster in a twin plug engine. A twin spark engine is like burning a candle at both ends - though it would generate more light as compared to a candle that is burning at one end only, it would also extinguish sooner, no?

Avenger is by no means a flop model. It's a premium bike and so you cannot expect it to sell like a econo-commuter bike. No need to worry on you purchase, the Avenger performs very well and if you take proper care of it, it will give you very good service and would prove reliable and faithful for at least 50000 kms (I know people who have done Ladakh trip on their Avengers and their bikes performed brilliantly), before it demands a bore/piston job or an engine rebuild. You need to diligently follow the servicing schedule as mentioned in the owner's manual.

All the best. Waiting to see your Avenger on this forum on Monday ! By the way, which colour are you getting?

 

[jayadev]

re: Looking for a Trouble Free No-Nonsense Bike: Now bought Royal Enfield!

Thanks to all especially Peter and Sam for last two posts.