Welcome to BikeAdvice again. Here I come back with the 16th round of Question and Answers. Hope you have a good time reading through and I wish our comments come handy when you finally zero in on the bike of your choice.
I would also like to thank everyone who has written to us. I apologize to everyone whose questions have not been included in this round and urge them to write back to us again. For any further queries and questions you can revert back to me at saad {at} BikeAdvice.in. Keep writing and happy reading!
1) Can u pls tell me that is there any upgraded version of hero honda cbz xtreme launching within 2-3 month. I am interested in purchasing cbz and I thought if I can get the new version within few months then I will wait. – ROHIT
BikeAdvice: Hi Rohit, Yes, we do hear that an upgraded version of CBZ Extreme is around the corner…But when..? We don’t know! You can wait or you can also consider the Hunk which has been recently upgraded and sports the same engine as Extreme.
2) a)Which is the best bike among.. P150,rtr 160 and fz s. And whats the actual mileage of FZ-S? – TANUJ
b) I am college student. Which bike is good pulsar 150 or honda unicorn. – JAYESH SAWANT
BikeAdvice: Hi Tanuj, Jayesh. Pulsar 150: Has been the best seller for almost a decade now. Provides everything in almost correct quantities. Very good power delivery, smooth and fuel efficient. Negatives: Has become quite common.
RTR 160: Has been the performance king of this segment. Better performance than any bike in this segment. Sporty than others with rear set footpegs and lower clip ons which provide a sporty riding posture. Fuel Efficiency lies in the range of 45kmpl+. Negatives: Presence of vibrations at mid and higher range.
FZ: Probably the best looking bike in the market. Naked raw looks ensures a second gaze even today. Possess grand road presence and has a fantastic ride quality. Mileage is on the lower side at 40 kmpl+
CB Unicorn: A sedate performer and sports one of the most refined and durable mills. One of the most fuel efficient in this segment as well (Mileage 55 kmpl+). Negatives: Lacks the youth attraction factor and the grunt along with the digital gizmos. It is also the least powerful bike in its segment. Tanuj, since you have not mentioned your priorities and preferences we would ask you to test drive all and shortlist one based on what comforts you more. Jayesh, if you want a more hooligan bike with digital gizmos and great power, Pulsar 150 should be your bike. And if you prefer a calm and quite bike which does its duty without creating any fuss and can live with slightly less power (that the competition) and that traditional look of the bike, head straight to a HMSI showroom to book aUnicorn.
3) I want pulzar220 in white color. Can you plz give information where it is available. – BALA
BikeAdvice: Hi Bala, Bajaj has not launched the Pulsar 220 in white color. So officially, you can not get a brand new white colored 220 from Bajajs showrooms. But yes, Bajaj has introduced a sporty orange color in the Pulsar series which makes the bike available in 5 colors now: Blue, Black, Red, Grey and Orange. Otherwise, you can get any bike custom colored based on desired patterns.
4) a) I want to know release date of CBR250R? – BARUN
b) Is CBR 250Rs launch in India confirmed and at what price? Please let me know. – MIQDAD QASU
BikeAdvice: Hi Miqdad & Barun, We earnestly expect HMSI to launch the CBR 250 in India positively. It is expected around April 2011. Honda has not confirmed anything on price but according to what we expect it should be priced competitively. CBR 250 might come at a sticker price of 1.5-1.75 lakh ex showroom.
5) Hello, Sir, my budget is around Rs-68,000, I am from kolkata. I am student and looking for a bike which is stylish as well as has good mileage and build quality. Please suggest me a bike in that range. I am confused. — Sukanjan Karmakar
BikeAdvice: Hi Sukanjan, At your budget you would get most of the 150cc bikes which have an optimum balance of power and fuel efficiency. As a reference point for you we would list them to enable you to zero in on one.
Pulsar 150 from Bajaj: This one is the best seller in this segment for almost a decade now. You get the best of all the worlds, be it the fuel efficiency (50kmpl+), power (2nd most powerful among commuter 150ccs), digital gizmos, pretty good load pulling capability, cheaper spare parts and a good widespread service base. Negatives: Needs a little more care than the rest.
CBZ Extreme/Hunk from Hero Honda: Both these bikes look flashy and have been youngsters choice. Recently Hunk has been updated with digital gizmos and tubeless tires along with a few other cosmetic dashes to add to the luring prospect. FE: ~ 50kmpl.
Apache RTR 160 TVS: This has been the performance king in this segment of commuter 150ccs. With its designing inclined more towards college going and sporty-features seeking youngsters it is more of a road scorcher and has been recently upgraded. Negatives: Because of greater power it is slightly lesser on fuel efficiency figures (Expect 45kmpl+), vibrations are also slight dampeners at mid and higher ranges.
Unicorn from Honda: Unicorn has always been an epitome of reliability and smoothness. Though little simple and not so catchy in looks, Unicorn is one of the most frugal engines in this segment. Negatives: Low on power compared to others, slower in performance.
We would recommend you to test drive all the bikes we have listed above. Base your comfort levels on the basis of your priorities and zero in on the bike which suits you the most. Hunk might suit your criteria a little more. Happy searching.
6) Hi, I am planning to buy a bike in 200+ cc segment. I thought about pulsar 220 dtsi streetfighter. However i am a bit confused after hearing the launch of honda cbr 250 and also about the news of pulsar 250 that is to be launched early next year. Is bajaj launching any new bike in this segment? Should wait for these bikes to be launched or can i go for pulsar 220 S. – HARISH
BikeAdvice: Hi Harish, Though launch of CBR250 from Honda is somewhat confirmed, Pulsar 250 is more of a wild speculation as of now. Anyways Pulsar 220S is priced at 78k on road whereas CBR would be priced at over 1.5 lakhs. It should not be a problem to decide between these two. Simple, if you have the money, wait for CBR. It would be a better bike and would cost twice as much as well. It is expected around April 2011.
7) Please tell me the mileage of Karizma. – SWAMI
BikeAdvice: Hi Swami, Expect Karizma to return Fuel Efficiency figures of 28-34kmpl on typical Indian city driving conditions where, on the same conditions ZMR would be 2-4kmpl more frugal.
8.) I’m having a splendor plus. I’m not satisfied with the brakes, so i would like to convert to disc brake for both wheels. Is it useful, how much it will cost? Prefer me a best brand. -BALAMURUGAN
BikeAdvice: Hi balamurugan, Considering the power and engine size of Splendor fitting disc brakes to both the tires is not required. Just add discs to the front tire and you would notice the difference. The same setup from Passion (with Disc brakes) should work on the Splendor as well. However, the complete job would cost you a lot (6-7k) and might also void your warranty. A better alternate might be to consider a bike with disc brakes standard.
9) Hi, I am looking to buy a bike that has good power and fuel average at the speeds of 40-50 kms. I only commute in the city and ride for only about 20-25 kms per day. I am to decide between TVS Flame and the Bajaj Pulsar 150. Please let me have your expert opinion. – VIJAY SINGH
BikeAdvice: Hello Vijay, Both the bikes belong to different segments here. Though your commute is not much but we would recommend the Bajaj Pulsar 150 over the Flame, simply because it outweighs the latter in power and ride quality. Fuel efficiency is also pretty good @ 55kmpl. Bajaj also has more widespread service base. Since the bike has been in the market for many years altogether in somewhat a similar form, spares are also easily available. Our choice: Pulsar 150
10) I’ m big fan of yours. I use to read all your stuff, it’s great. My query is: I weigh 58kg, 5’8″ height, planning to buy 150cc family bike. I’ m passionate about Extreme, but well experienced in driving unicorn[abt 4yr]. I just can’t decide to which I should opt for. Whether to listen to my heart or driving experience?
BikeAdvice: Hi Ravi, Both the bikes are great in their own respects. It must be noted that both of them share the same engine (albeit under a different tune) but are way different in character. CBZ Extreme is more powerful and sportier in nature whereas Unicorn is more of a sedate and refined bike with least hassles and a better average (in fact it is the most frugal bike in this segment). Regarding experience in driving a Unicorn it would not be hard for you to switch to CBZ Extreme. Since you like the CBZ more, you can safely go ahead and buy that bike. It is slightly lower in FE but compensates in the performance, ride quality and looks departments. Saddle heights are also in the similar range (~790mm) so that would also not be a major issue of consideration. Our Pick: CBZ Extreme.
– Answers by Saad Khan
