Questions & Answers – Round 6 (General)

1) I am considering a 150cc bike between Unicorn, Pulsar 150 & CBZ Extreme. Mileage is one of my bigger criteria as my daily running is upto 45 kms.- Pravin

BIKEADVICE- Hi Pravin, Unicorn : The most fuel efficient engine in this segment but lacks the power and feels staid and outdated; Pulsar 150 : Recently revamped with new goodies from bigger siblings, is punchier and has one of the best combo of power and fuel efficiency. CBZ Extreme : One of the best 150ccs in the market and probably the faster among the other two. Since mileage is one of your major criterias along with good rideablility, we would advice you to pick one among the Pulsar 150 and CBZ Extreme. Our pick: Pulsar 150, because of a better mileage and the lovely riding experience (full of adrenalin) the bike provides.

2) Hi there,I m from Mumbai & recently shifted to Kerala due to some reasons, I already have 2001 Suzuki Fiero in Kerala which is still running great.Im planning to buy another bike but it is a bit difficult for me to decide whether to get in a Karizma or Unicorn coz i m looking for a long run bike with affordable maintanence & adequate performance, keeping in mind the road conditions there & also the service centre availability. I still have some more set of questions to ask u but once I get a response for this only then i can proceed further, as i have found all your articles & answers very useful.

BIKEADVICE: Buddy, there is no direct (or indirect) competition between these two bikes. Karizma is way ahead in terms of performance and Unicorn on the mileage front but Karizma’s spares cost a bomb and since you already owned a 150cc Fiero, another 150cc (Unicorn) would hardly impress you talking in terms of power. Hero Honda has recently launched an upgraded version of Karizma ZMR which seems to be a very nice machine so far.

3) I am planning to buy a Bullet Thunderbird twinspark. This has always been my dream. But one question still troubles me. I am not very tall and am just 5 ft 6 in with an average build. Would a bullet be a wrong choice for some one like me with a small build? Please let me know what you think.- HARISH

Hi Harish, Bullets are heavy, no two ways about it! But a love for a Bullet and the feel it gives can never be measured on any scale. With a lower saddle height and your passion towards the bike, we really don’t think Thunderbird should be a problem. What we would advice you is take a thorough test drive and measure your own comfort level with the bike. If everything suits, go ahead book the bull, they are one of a kind!

4) Hi, I’m planning to buy a bike in 125cc – 135cc category. I have to commute in the city traffic. I’m looking for a combination of comfort and fuel economy. My height is 5’3 and weight is 60Kg.

BIKEADVICE: After reading your query, only one bike comes to our mind, the Bajaj XCD 135 DTS-Si. With an ultra refined engine, optimum power and a good fuel efficiency along with digital gizmos and gadgets and an affordable price tag this bike sure is one of the most value for money in the market. It comes in 3 models with the base model (without self and disc) costing close to 45-46k and the top end (with Self start and Front disc) costing close to 51-52k on road.

5) I’ll get ready to own a 150 CC bike. I have a choice of Pulsar, Appache RTR 160, Suzuki GSR150. I drive 15 to 20 kms/day. My budget is about 67000/-. Which 150cc bike is best for me, talking in terms of cost, mileage,looks, performance, spares & service?

BIKEADVICE: Apache RTR 160: Go for this bike if you are out and out performance enthusiast. Obviously, mileage takes a back seat. Pulsar 150: A lovely package, millions on the road and still has enough to capture an eye. GS150R: The bike is one of the most potent ones in the market currently but marred by the conservative looks and not so widespread service network. Our choice would be the Pulsar, majorly because of a lovely engine optimized for power and mileage, fiery looks and a better service center network than Suzuki.

6) Which bike is better between CBZ Xtreme, Achiever & Yamaha FZ S?

BIKEADVICE: You can safely discard the Achiever because there are more potent bikes available in the market. CBZ Extreme is one lovely bike you can look at and than FZ-S is an out and out looker with some drop dead gorgeous looks. There is a big cost difference between these two bikes and our advice would be to go for the FZ if your budget permits you. Lovely torque spread all through the band, refined engine, all digital stuff and other super sexy bodily stuff (and be ready for fuel efficiency figures of 35-40kmpl from this 150cc monster). Else CBZ Extreme remains one of the best bikes in the market with everything in almost right quantities.

7) I’m 26 yrs old and almost 6 feet tall with lean frame. I’m looking forward to buy the Yamaha fz-16.I wanna know whether it would suit my height coz’ I don’t wanna look as if I’m riding a toy bike. Actually dats how i felt when i tried Yamaha R-15.Also I have some general queries like: a)The Yamaha Fz-16 is not good for pillion riders as the footrest ( i dunno if there is one) to the right is uncomfortable and the foot keeps rubbing on the silencer. b)The rear brakes are not enough to bring it to a sudden stop c)I heard dat the bike gives an average of about 35 kmph on normal roads which is quite less. d)How is FZ-16 different from Fz-S. I really don’t wanna buy Fz-S coz i want a bike in full black color and the yellow stripes in the black Fz-S are not cool.-NIRAJ

BIKEADVICE: Hi Niraj, FZ is quite an apt bike for you and would suit a person of your height perfectly. Moreover with some muscular looks and huge tyre it ensures that you do not feel that you are riding a “toy bike”. Yes, pillion riders do not find it very convenient and comfortable of FZ majorly because of the puny and pointed rear seat. There is nothing wrong with the footrests and there is a heat shield to protect your shoes/foot even if you rest them on the silencer. Braking is one of the best in the market, no qualms about the rear brakes. But definitely do not expect a disc type of feeling a drum set up. Yes mileage of the bike is a let down but considering the heavenly torque the bike produces and the massive Indias fattest rear tyre mileage can be justified. Difference between an FZ 16 and FZ S is purely cosmetic and nothing engine related. Only the coloring theme is changed apart from the front fairing and an addition of a visor. Since you are looking for an all black theme FZ 16 fits your bill perfectly. All in all, this is a bike which is more concentrated towards the looks seeking youth and we must accept that it remains the bike with one of the best road presence.

8) Which is a better buy in the 125cc segment among Honda Shine, Hero Honda Glamour and Yamaha Gladiator talking in terms of comfort, fuel efficiecny and vibrations at higer speeds. My height is 5’4.- ARJUN

BIKEADVICE: Hi Arjun, Considering your requirements we would advice the Hero Honda Glamour majorly because of your height. The bike is comfortable, very fuel efficient and the engine is smooth as well. Cons of the bike are the lack of power and higher price tag. Why don’t you consider Bajaj XCD 135 DTSi! It’s a better bike considering as an overall package.

9) I want to purchase a new good bike. Which is best between New Bajaj Discover 100 CC self start, Hero Honda Passion Pro 100 CC Self start and Bajaj XCD 135 CC. Pls advice me the best as early as possibe.- BUNTY

BIKEADVICE: Hi Bunty, 1)Discover 100 DTS-Si – Easily the most Value for money bike in this segment. Provides ample amount of power, has very good mileage figures (expect 70+ Kmpl on busy city roads) and comes loaded with all the typical Bajaj gizmos. Along with these features we found the bike to be the most comfortable 100cc in the market.
2)Hero Honda Passion Pro – We would not encourage you to pay such a heavy price for a 97cc engine. No doubts that it is one of the most durable ones in India but still we fail to justify the heavenly price tag the bike sports. Not the most fuel efficient bike as well! 3)Bajaj XCD 135 – Now understand we are talking about a different segment all together. This bike has an optimum mix of mileage and power and is easily Bajaj’s smoothest engine till date. We would recommend the Bajaj XCD 135 among these because of the great value for money the bike offers. It is better than the Discover 100 DTS-Si because it has more power and is more composed on long ways. On the flip side of it, expect mileage to be lesser by 5-8 kilometers for every liter. Weigh your priorities and go for a bike which comforts you the most.

10) Hey Saad this my 3rd question to you but if you reply,it will be ur first! I know my question is common for you but ive never really got a concrete answer for my question my question is wat is the mileage of the new pulsar 180? im planning to buy it on this dassera. ive read the post “pulsar180 vs apache 180” but im still confused with the mileage part! plz reply man itll be of gr8 help please

BIKEADVICE: Hi Asho, We apologise for not being able to answer your earlier questions but please understand the quantum of questions we receive every week, it becomes an unwarranted task for us to answer each and every question but we try our level best to answer as many questions as we can and we specifically take such questions which might be helpful to other readers as well.

Coming to your query, we have explicitly mentioned the fuel efficiency figures for the Pulsar 180 DTSi 2009 Edition in our article. Expect the bike to return fuel efficiency figures of 45-50 on sane riding and reduce these figures as you go hard on the throttle.

11) Im a college student and my coll is about 18 Kms from my house so im buying a bike.If initial cost is not a factor then among r15, yamaha fazer and Pulsar 220 which would be the best option?? Considering looks, mileage and technology.

BIKEADVICE: Yamaha YZF R15- A bike which would easily be the first choice for every youth, comes loaded with some breath taking and advanced technologies and is a gem of a bike. Cons include a not so good torque and power spread towards the lower and mid range ensuring you a lazy ride below 6-7k rpm after which the bike becomes a rocket. Yamaha Fazer – One bike which we would recommend you to discard from the list as it is essentially the same FZ with a fairing with an increased price Pulsar 220 DTSi – Bajaj’s war horse for speed, performance and adrenalin.

Among the mentioned bikes definitely the Pulsar 220 DTSi majorly because your ride is close to 40 kms per day and you might not want to get your spine cry for mercy when you reach back home on an R15. Moreover, the torque and power delivery is much better sorted in P220 and gives you the much important surge as and when needed. Mileage figures also hover around the similar 40 kmpls range for both the bikes. And summing up the whole question, the bike comes at an on road price of 80k which is around 30k lesser than the Yamaha’s mini sportsbike which you can save and invest in a good riding gear and get both the worlds saving a lot at the same time.

12) hiii I’m Megha. i was decided to buy a new bike. i want 45-50km mileage and the cost shoulb around 85000Rs. i already used cbz xtreme. can u suggest me any gud byk. nd also pz tel me about d mileage nd cost of coming model of karizma.

BIKEADVICE: Hi Megha, It gives us immense pleasure to read questions of the fairer sex and understand the developing biking culture among them. Talking about your query than the new version of Karizma has been launched by Hero Honda which is named Karizma ZMR and comes at a price tag of close to 1 lakh 5k. If mileage is a bigger criteria for you and you want an “upgrade” at the same time than probably the best options for you would remain the Apache RTR 180 and Pulsar 180 2009 Edition. Both the bikes are neck to neck in competition and scores above each other only on personal criterias.

13) i have recently bought a new pulsar 220 d-tsi(2009). its been only a week since i bought and i want to take it for a 1000+ kms long trip. is it advisable before its first service? will it harm the engine if i go full throttle?

BIKEADVICE: NO, we would discourage you to take your bike above 5-6k rpm before the running in period of your bike.Sane riding during the runnin in period ensures that all the vital parts of your engine settle down and maximises your engine life, its performance and efficiency.

– Answers by Saad Khan