Points to consider while buying a new bike – here are six of them; very basic but if you follow them they may turn out to be really helpful…
Almost everyone wants to own a new bike at some point of time! If you already own one, you fall for that adventure model that has just been launched! So, this is an ever-itching problem for us bikers 😀
Let us list down few basic pointers which may be useful for you in making a decision to buy a bike.
- Choose your budget: After firming up your decision to buy a new bike, you should first choose your budget and set a limit. The amount of money that you can spend on your bike will help you narrow down on your options. Say for example your budget is set at Rs 70,000 and the maximum you can stretch it is uptil Rs 85,000. Once this this done, list out all the bikes that fit your budget. Say there are 10 bikes which are available within your set limits.
- 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 them out. You may not like the looks of some bikes, again scratch them out of the list. Bring the list down to some 3 – 5 bike models which you like.
- Read Reviews – The next step is to hop on the internet and read reviews of these motorcycles or scooters. By reviews we mean go through stories from automotive portals to understand the intricate details. But more importantly, try and find actual user reviews which are a true testament of the pros and cons of motorcycles. At BikeAdvice we have a big inventory of user reviews, you can read them here.
- Go and test ride the bikes: Find the nearest bike showrooms and test ride these bikes. A bike is something of value and emotional attachment so it important that you feel it before buying. Understand that a positive highlighted by someone can be a con for you – because everybody’s body structure, fit, feel and expectation is different. Out of the 3 – 5 bikes which you tested, trim that list to 2 most probable bikes that you are most likely to buy.
- Fuel Efficiency is Important but it should not be your only criteria – 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 travelling 1000 kms per month. That’s 25 litres per month that you will have to fill. Considering the present rate of nearly Rs. 80 per litre… it will cost your Rs. 2000 per month in petrol expenses. Now if there is a choice for another bike in the same price range which gives 50 kmpl, then it will cost Rs. 1600 per month in petrol. So the difference is just Rs. 400 per month which generally gets compensated by the ‘feel’ or ‘power’ the lesser fuel efficient motorcycle provides.
- Finally 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 makes you feel good and fits in most of your requirements! The better you feel while riding your motorcycle, the more convinced you will be about your investment.
Hope this article was somewhat useful, specially for beginners in biking. If you are out in the market and still confused between two or more bikes, you can post your queries with us at our Facebook page and we will try to help you out. Happy motoring!
