Almost all Indians want to own a bike, or if we already have a bike, we want a new one. Even though there are many cars available at cheap prices, bikes make a better choice for travel considering the Indian population and road conditions.
Bike is a great asset, it is a thing of beauty and a symbol of status. When you bike a bike you will own it atleast for 3 years and upto a maximum of 10 years. So you have to make your decision very carefully before choosing to buy a bike. The following are some of the points which may be useful for you in making a decision to buy a bike.
- Choose your budget: After deciding to buy a bike, you should first choose your budget limit. The amount of money that you can spend on your bike greatly determines the choice of bike. Say for example your budget is minimum Rs.30,000 and a maximum of Rs.40,000. First list out all the bikes which fits your budget. Say there are 10 bikes which fits your spending limit.
- Eliminate what you don’t want: Now instead of choosing the one you like, first eliminate the bikes that you don’t like. For example, out of the 10 bikes that you have listed, you may not want to buy bikes of some company, strike that out. You may not like the looks of some bikes, again eliminate them. Bring down the list to some 3 – 5 bike models which you think you will most probably buy.
- Go and test drive the bikes: Find the nearest bike showroom and test drive the bikes. A bike is something of value and emotional attachment so it important that you feel the bikes before buying it. Tell the dealer that you are serious about buying the bike within 1 week and you will not have any problem in getting a test drive. Out of the 3 – 5 bikes which you did a test drive, choose 2 most probable bikes which you are most likely to buy.
- Ask your friends and relatives: Call your friends and relatives that you are going to buy this bike and ask their opinion about it. Even if they don’t own that particular bike, their friends may have it and hence they will be able to guide you with some valuable info.
- Don’t consider about mileage: I see that many of us give too much importance to mileage. Say for example, you are buying a bike worth Rs.50,000 and it gives a mileage of 40 kmpl, and assume you are traveling 1000 kms per month. Thats 25 litres per month that you have to fill your bike. Considering the present rate of Rs.43 / litre… it will cost your Rs.1075 per month in petrol expenses right? Now if there is a choice for another bike in the same price range which gives 50 kmpl, then it will cost Rs.860 per month. So the difference is just Rs.215 per month. Now look at this fact… a bike worth Rs.50,000 after 2 years may sell only for Rs.25000 (It would have travelled 24000 Kms). In 2 years the total value of the bike lost in depreciation is Rs.2083 every month! Now image the difference between the cost of petrol and cost of depreciation in value of the bike. If you are having a bike for entire life (50+) years, you can give high importance to mileage… but usually we will sell the bikes after 5 – 10 years. And within 2 years half its value is lost.
- Choose the market leader: The company which sells the maximum number of bikes will obviously deliver the bikes of highest quality. Because the more they sell, the more profit they will get and hence they can build better bikes.
- Buy what you like: Don’t buy a bike just because it is a few thousands cheaper or gives a few kms of extra mileage. Get the one which feels good to you. The better you feel, you will get more self confidence and you will perform better in your life. Bike is just like clothing, people recognise you with what you wear AND what you drive.
I hope this article was useful to you. If you want more suggestions or clarifications about bikes, please ask it in the forum, or send me an email and I will be happy to help you!
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{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
i m a college going guy 6.2 feet tall wanted to buy a bike that suits me and gives me comparable mileage.i have sorted these bikes .kindly help me to choose the best.thanks in advance
@ Azhar Ali Khan, I would recommend you to go for Stunner because Honda manufactures bikes of very high quality!
Honda stunner gives a milage of just 40-45 he has to spend a lot f money for Petrol itself.
Yamaha SS125 is a lot better than Stunner.
The creator of this website is breaking new grounds in the Indian bike review industry. Applause for that. It could be better if he posted on road reviews, like what we see in top gear programme on the Tele. Someday i think every bike company would come to his home and offer him a free test ride on their bikes. Good work & Good luck!
Hi this is Sathis
I have a plan to buy a new 125CC bike……….
1) Honda Shine
2) Yamaha Gladiator
3) Bajaj XCD-125
4) Hero Honda Glamour
5) Suzuki Zeus
6) TVS Flame
I’m still confusing which one to select. My requirement & specifications as in order, so as per these which one is suit for me, please help me…
1) Better fuel efficiency in city roads (Chennai traffic).
2) Self start
3) Low Maintenance and availability of spare parts
4) Good looking
5) Lower vibration at higher speeds.
Hello sir,i am gonna get a bike soon in the month of march…and i am confused between Pulsar 200 and Apache rtr fi…i want looks,power and comfort…please help me out…Thanks
u can try Honda unicorn 1ce
i want to buy a non gear bike i m more concerned about mileage and perfomance so i want u to tell me some these types of non gear bikes -example(activa honda etc)
Hi
Hi i am owing a Pulsur 150cc DTSi, which is about 5 years old but still its in little good condition with pick up and all. Now i am planning to buy the new Yamaha FZ16, which i feel is a good looking street bike. I love driving a lot and also fond of bikes. i am working so could you suggest me about the Yamaha FZ16, how it would be on the long run, power and also is it advicesable to sell my Pulsur and go for the Yamaha? please suggest me i also like to have a decent miliege.
Very well written article. Let me think out my train of thoughts aloud going according to your guidelines
1. My budget is 1 lakh, but I’ll be more than happy to save and not spend all of it
2. I just don’t want TVS or Suzuki Bikes
3. I’ve test driven Stunner, Pulsar 150, FZ 16, Karizma, R 15, HH Hunk. I loved the looks of FZ and Hunk. R15 and Karizma blew my mind away! Stunner and Pulsar have been rejected at this stage
4. Friends say FZ 16 is the best buy now. R15 is an overkill for its price I feel but 1 of my friends swears that it’s worth every but of penny that it costs. Karizma too is praised a lot by friends and colleagues – it has a “Honda engine” and “HH brand” associated. It’s now narrowed down to FZ 16 and the Karizma.
5. Nothing khaas, FZ and Karizma mileage is similar
6. HH is the market leader, though Yamaha has ambitions and plans for a good future in 09 and 2010
7. I like the FZ fat tire and naked styling a bit more than the Karizma’s.
So it’s still 50 50 between the Karizma and FZ
dude u just spelt out what i had in my mind … exactly the same … Im also in the dilemma of choosing between the two …
price here of
1. Karizma – 76257 on road
2. FZ – 69897 on road
Still confused. pls help me out. I’m a little inclined towards FZ, but I feel Karizma is more Value for my money
Hi Rags
finally which bike did you bought ????????
Rags,
Hero Honda 223 cc is a good bike ususal Honda quality. My friend here in Australia has been a GM of a group that serviced Honda. He is a serious expert on this subject. Customers went to him with problems and he has resolved them exceptionally. He claims Karizma DOES have some engine/tech problems and is not of the quality that I’ve known here with entry level 250cc Hondas.
Yamaha has a good Gladiator for all all round quality and Honda’s Unicorn is a quality top drawer. Then again TVS has pulled out a Stunner called Apache FI. If they sold a 250cc with something like 24HP for say even 1.5 lacs overseas, IT WOULD be a hit becuase even Hyosung twin engines 250cc does not offer the features TVS does. Indians are spolit in all m-cycle ranges in India.
Even 250ccs have only 70% of the features as seen on the new stunning Indian m-cycles.
Competition sure does wonders. IF only political parties had SUCH compeition; India would be a developed country.
- Stunner CBF from Honda is no 150cc. You’ll gorw out of it soon since it has less power 11HP at high RPMs and then ure tall.
- Karizma and Yamaha R15 are equally good; Yam is the style king and perf good too. Karizma looks 90s internations looks while Yam is say close to new models; not 2008/09; the international market changes quick
- Take a look at Honda 250VTR if u want styling and perf with Honda quality.
- If $ is not concern Hyosung 250 V-Twin 27HP with low end torque and lightning quick take off upto 100 is what u want; then go for it. Hyosung 250cc beats all expectations in that range Honda 250cc/Yam 250 Viragos are no match bcoz they do not give much in that 250cc range Hyosung 250cc Comet V-Twin is sure thumbs up!
-Alternately wait for TVS codename menace
_ I would remove Karizma fairing, reduce weight to 140kilos If I can and see the pickup go up like it had 20HP on tap with an aftermarket exhaust!
Hi,
I am looking for 125cc and 150cc bikes, and i am very new bike riding.
Can u advice me some good bike for my height (5.4 feet)..
I like only Manual Gear Bikes
regards
Shashi
i m confused about buying a P200 or unicorn….plz help
Regards,
Jitesh
Hi,
i used splendor and Victor GL now i want to buy a 125 cc bike suggest options which give performance, i am aged 30 yrs. Heard shine has reliablity problems. suggest a good bike. budget around 50k.
what analysis man… Superb… Great..
Thanks..
I got your query , I am 25 years old , running bike since last 10 years, I used splendor, boxer CT, passion , CBZ , Karizma, pulser.
As far as your budget and requirement concern go for HH passion pro, a good 125 cc bike in INDIA, resell value of HH always good, HH bikes low in maintainance and gives you average around 55-65 on road and 60-70 highway. good luck and congrates for any bike you select.
passion pro is 100cc bro.y suggested such blunder of things
HI shashi ,
your height suggest me that you are perfectly suited to HH stunner, milage of that bike 55-60 in city ride, and 60-65 highway.
less vibrating on high speed, good to experience the ride,
only problem in this bike is that console ( speedometer, switch buttons , rider look to the dash board is comparitabily less good)
market price around 55k-60k
Unicorn the single suspension bike having the problem that the suspension doesnt work after 10,000 km to 12,000 km and you hve to replace it for comfort ride, spare parts not actually manufactured by HONDA and this will cause problem in bike in many situation.
if you feel karizma and FZ
my brother HH karizma put you in different bike, different level of bike riding experience , actually give you everything you need in INDIAN bike (superb bike)
Sorry i mentioned that passion pro is 125cc bike but passion pro is only 100cc
I M CONFUSED WITH NEW GLADIATOR & UNICORN, WHICH ONE IS BEST BUY?
good thoughts!!!
unicorn gives good look n its give around 50kmpl….
i don’t know abt gladiator.
Guys,
I work in bangalore and have a Victor , in my native i have suzuki max , i have rode all bikes like pulsar , bullet , unicorn , yezdi , yamaha RX , 135 , Shogun , splendor. Till now i have been owing pre owned bikes and thinking to get a new bike for my b’day , i want to know about the Karizma , i ‘ve seen lot of Karizmas in bangalore roads , but i never tried riding it. how’s is the seating posture ? will it be like the Unicorn and whether its suitable for long drives which i like to go often. I also like the bullet but its very expensive and cant afford it. Please give me your suggestions.
Thanks
Benny
Hai
I am regular reader of bikeadvice.I am 24years old currently i am having Bajaj Boxer that is 2004 model i love this bike due to milage.. In my school/college days i used yamaha RXZ that is my favourite also my first bike.. I sold that bike due to milage problem.. After that i bought boxer.. Now i am taking that bike to my office i have to travel around 65km daily..Now i want a change so keeping my budget and usage in my mind i have selected 125cc segment
In that i have searched all the major bikes Glamour,Shine,Zesus and yamaha gladi..
Atlast i have selected yamaha gladi.. What i want is wheather my selection is correct.. i asked the dealer gladi giving more than 60kmpl..i did not know about the resale value of gladi..
So please help me wheather i can go for gladi or any other bike
Thanks Waiting for ur reply
well u cant comapre 125cc with 150cc bike. i have purchased gladi ss type. bike is excellent in riding, comfort, & mileage is about 65 in city i am getting. but honda veh has good resale market.
Thks for your suggustion…
I liked the new pulser, again i don’t know riding properly..
can it be driven by my height 5.4 feet
hi…i am confused b/w buying a fazer, apache 180 cc nd pulsar 220…my height is 5.7 nd i am very slim..please help me out…i m not in favour of pulsar 180 at all
Hi,
Can You please suggest me a good bike in all means, which has all the goods(look, resell, maintainance, easily available spares,) in it, my budget is maximum of 55000 rs. Please help me this is my first bike.
Let me know the resalve values of the following bikes.
1) Yamaha Gladiator
2) Unicorn
3) GS150R
Assuming that all are some 3-4 years old. I know GS150R has recently ccame into the market.
Im taking a byk in a week.i ve shortlisted apache rtr 180,p220,karzima r.i lykd the apache among all in style,features,n its value as its pickup is lyk p220 n karzima.but i heard dat it has lot of vibrations n cheap plastics n unstable in speeds of above 80.plz advice what to take.its my first byk.plz reply me soon as possible.thank you.
Im taking a byk in a week.i ve shortlisted apache rtr 180,p220,karzima r.i lyked the apache among all in style,features,n its value as its pickup is lyk p220 n karzima.but i heard dat it has lots of vibrations n cheap plastics n unstable in speeds of above 80.plz advice what to take.its my first byk.plz reply me soon as possible.thank you.
I want to know that which is the coolest bike in the segment of 150cc.
M thnking of HONDA UNICORN..
Friends,
myself aged 30, call center worker in bangalore, Till now in my life time i never driven a gear bike as i didn’t used to, now i plan to buy a second hand bike, and easy handling bike in a high traffic conditions. Suggest a good one for a lazy and weak guy like me,
best regards
VJ.
hi dude i want to buy a bike in range of 50k to 60k short listed honda shine n newly released bajaj pulsar 135 can u please suggest me which is the best choice or is there any other choice for me plesase kindly help me out
hi im 30 n wana buy a bike my height is 5’9 n weight is 78 n i have good looks n avg build…n my usage will be very limited coz most of the time i run in my car…so its just for pleasure i want a good bike which will last with me..my choice is
1)pulsar220
2)zmr
3)avenger
please adv me im in need of it plz
i’m a college going student… height. 5’11.& age 23
i’m a mechanical engineer.. very fond of cars and bikes..
i had a pulsar 150 dts-i.. pissed up like anything, planning to buy a new bike.. may be karizma zmr. but is thr any other bike above 200cc (racing type) ..
is pgm-fi technology good? i hav heard it decreses bhp. but wht can i do to increase bhp of the bike..???
Dear Sourav Das,
This message is specially 4 u and for those who is fond of Indian bikes…
I own a Karizma ZMR, which is giving me a mileage of 50 km..
Showing A nice performance on this crap Indian roads (Iam in kerala and roads are in extreme bad conditions..)
If u hav a budget with 1 lakh to 1.10 lakh u can choose either zmr or r15..
If u look 4 mileage factor among these pls take zmr…
And pls care ur bike… ie, dont drive @ overspeed 4 first 2 service…
good advice
m Naveen m planning to buy a bike i like Honda unicorn bot the thing is m very slim n unicorn is a powerful bike . anybody pls suggest me which bike suits me
i’ve just learnt riding bikes.. n planning to get one very soon may b widin a wk or 2 for myself.. i dnt understand the technical jargons abt bikes n all.. so plz explain in layman terms.. plz help me decide which bike i shud buy.. i wnt mileage(50kmpl is gud), looks and performance.. its silly to ask all 3.. my basic purpose wud b commuting frm home to offc n vice versa.. n sumtimes on a pleasure ride widin the city… no intentions of racing n all or on a long trip…so which bike shud i buy?? i thought of getin a honda stunner or a cb unicorn dazzler.. or do u suggest sum other bike?? my budget is Rs60-65k.. i wud really appreciate if u respond to this message n help me out.. any recommendations or advice wud of great help to me.. also my email id is
mainak.sxccal@gmail.com
“Bike is just like clothing, people recognise you with what you wear AND what you drive.” well said.. good article.
Dear friends i am a bike lover i live in nagaland i bought 2 yamaha Rx 100 and yamah Rx 135 from second hand ive mofidied it like a new one so i really wanna know is that i want to add self start without kicking in my yamaha Rx 135 is it possible to add a selfstart but my yamaha Rx 100 is better with only one kick it starts and give me a great long ride in bad roads and hilly areas …. plis help me Dosto
ok plis let me know if yamaha company from india will launch a new bike just for rough guys like me i want a bike with 5 gears only for hill areas which can climb mountains and go through dirts etc cozx i dont want style i want a bike like a a horse haha saach dost coz my frient from bihar bought a modified bike his bike can go through any roads its a yamaha rx 100 with one sitter and he dont wanna sell it i offer him Rs.60,000 but he say no so i want a mountain dirt bike plis let me know plis Agni
i buying a new bike pls compare the splendorplus & discover 150cc updated which one is best bike
FZ or Karizma R ?? i want an overall view … not just about looks , mileage , power etc …
i am looking to buy a bike….
i own yamaha Rx100…
now i look to buy a new bike which will be good for 30kms travel on highway continuously daily…
i am in a dilemma whether to buy unicorn or unicorn dazzler?
can u suggest which bike is good for daily long travel…..
i think u should go for pulsar 180 ug4 it has got bigger suspensions n it would be comfortable or u can choose dazzler
Sir,
I want to buy a bike and my requirements are as under:
Budget around 45000
Self start
daily Kilo Meters coverage: 80-85 KMs
Fuel effecient
Kindly advise what are the options available.
–
Regards
Tarun
TVS STAR CITY 110cc could b a best opyion 4 u!!!
i m planning to buy a new bike….honda unicorn…..but confused…….regarding the after sales service, which is very important for me…if there servicing is not nice then i dont have any choice other than pulsar180 or else fz-s…
hi deepak i want to buy a new bike i choose 2 bikes that are
1 kawasaki ninza 250 r
2 hyosung gt 250 r
Please tell me about which bike i choose
hi deepak my budget is near 250000-270000 iwant to buy a sports bike i had choosen 2 bikes
1 kawasaki ninza 250 r
2 hyosung gt 250 r
please give me right advice about these bikes coz i have to buy a sports model bikes
I want to buy my frst byke with the budget of 50,000-55,000 not more.
Daily running is 90-100k.m. ( to and fo .. road is mix of highway and rural).
Plz suggest me.. which byke is best for me.
hi guys!
im abou the height of 6.2 and need a bike!!
i have choosen some bikes but need some advice on it! mileage and price doest matter for me! but it must have a good performance and looks
the bikes are
1.yamaha R-15 2012(model)
2.yamaha FZ-S
3.CBR250RR
4.bajaj PULSAR 220
5.Karizma ZMR
Hi Krishna…
This is Krishna.. You can go for Karizma ZMR. You have not told that whether you did a test drive the bikes you listed.
But Yamaha FZ-S is not that powerful when compared to the other bikes in your list.
You can try Yamaha Fazer too
But suggest you to go for test drives for all these bikes.Then you decide.
ride safe
Krishna
please help me
i am looking for TVS apache 160cc bike is it good to buy?
I want to buy my first bike in budget of 55000- 60000.
every day running of 25-30km.
please suggest me
Sir , i m so much confused to buy fazer or pulser. some people are telling that fazer is not good bike go for pulser , can u help me
Tell me saomething about fazer
Guys, I got my dream bike Yamaha R15 V2, just 2 days back. Its awesome and like said “I feel my bike every time I think of it”. That’s the feel every one should get when they buy any bike of your own.
When I take my new bike for a ride, every one eyes is on my bike and on me. These simple things makes me great and proud to be a owner of R15.
Thanks Yamaha, for a beautiful and stylish bike.