Best touring bike in India?

[hogslayer 0]

A friend of mine just bought the R15, and its a really great bike, good enough to be like the best bike in India with small capacity and fast with best handling, etc also. But we know R15 is not a good bike for long distance touring. So which Indian bike is best for this sort of long distance highway riding conditions? We do not like the Enfield bikes as these are too old fashion in all respects. So which bike is best for touring? Will the new Yamaha FZ be good enough and better than the rest of Indian  models for this purpose?

[krace 0]

Hi dear,

            While looking for Long rides, better consider the cruiser bikes. As far as I know, The only cruiser bike available in India is bajaj Avenger 200.. If u have an idea on used bikes, u can go for bajaj Eliminator which haves a 350 cc engine or a kinetic Aquila . RE Thunderbird is also a good choice.

[krace 0]

Hi dear' date='

            While looking for Long rides, better consider the cruiser bikes. As far as I know, The only cruiser bike available in India is bajaj Avenger 200.. If u have an idea on used bikes, u can go for bajaj Eliminator which haves a 350 cc engine or a kinetic Aquila . RE Thunderbird is also a good choice.

[/quote']

Ergo of Yam FZ will not suit for long distance trips.

[nbmotosport 0]

I think the Karizma is an excellent bike for long rides. Its seat position is nice and its engine is not tuned for out and out performance, so would be good to cruise on. But Ive read its lights are quite weak.

[sharash 0]

None of these bikes can come close to the RE dudes... the stability and the grip it has while cruising on long highways is unmatchable.. I dont know why hogs does not like RE.. because its the best cruiser we have in the market right now.. You should really test ride the new RE twinspark machine guyz.. IT sure will blow your minds off. I believe Bajaj Eliminator could come close to what RE has to offer for cruisers..

[hsb_sx4 0]

if you like cruisers, then either go for the avenger200 or opt for the new thunderbird. thunderbird is a better choice as a lot has been changed in the engine and gearbox by the company but it is EXPENSIVE to buy and maintain.

else you can opt for pulsar220 or karizma if you like sporty kind of bikes. go and take a test ride of these bikes and then make your decesion.

in my opinion-

thunderbird is best among cruisers, &

pulsar220 among sporty bikes for your requirements.

[sarabjeet 3]

thunderbird , maybe u can consider that , i think RE has plans to upgrade all its engines to FI right ?

[sharash 0]

Yes.. RE is getting the twinspark engine on all its models which are being sold in India. Sad part is that the thump you get from the older Bullet will be very subtle from these new engines...

I agree with sx4 that the bikes are expensive but so are the Pulsar 220s, I think Pulsar is around a Lakh on road, so is the RE thunderbird. But you cant compare these 2 since Pulsar is completely a sports model, whereas RE is a cruiser.. Class apart.

I believe if you opt for thunderbird, the maintainance maybe on the higher side,

but it will still be there when your great grandchildren are ready for a date !!

[krace 0]

Friends,

            Please dont include the pulsar things while coming to long rides and cruising. I personally own a P180 and there are few P220s in my friends circle. They are cheap to buy and maintain, but will not suit for long rides. Basically pulsars are meant for poor build quality. The secret of its success is the low pricing and mileage. Pulsar engine sound is enjoyable only for a shorter distance. while in a long trip, It ll really irritate you. My P180 is one year old and it makes a lot ok vibs if i cross 100kph mark.... For a cruiser bike meant for long rides, 100kph must be a comfort zone. RE really rocks with its new engine and other stuffs. But avenger has the optimal styling, mileage and cruising abilities.

[hogslayer 0]

I find the Bullet too heavy to ride, even on the highway, no handling or brakes to speak of and have seen that friends bikes spend more time in the neighborhood bike repair shop than on the road. Thats why I stay far from them.

[sharash 0]

Hogs, gone are those days when REs had issues with brakes and were seen in service centers more often than on roads, It maybe a heavy bike but it sure is a winner on highways when a huge truck tries to blow you off!

Talking of heavyness, Cruisers are meant to be heavy dude.. and easy to ride on a constant speed without much vibrations and wind lags.. the quality of RE will satisfy all conditions for the cruisers. They have come up with better engines and disc breaks to have the bike more on road rather in the garage..

 

[krace 0]

I think sharash is correct. usually Cruising doesn't means racing at high speeds, but riding in a relaxed manner at constant speeds and long distance. REs are always meant for this purpose only. Well, take Thunderbird alone into consideration while coming to RE. Its a legendary thing. If your budget is above 1 lakh and if u think u can afford the fuel costs, No second thoughts, go for RE Thunderbird. If your budget is below 1 lakh, Then Avenger is the only choice left. If you prefer sports model, Go for a karizma, but it'll surely burn your pocket like anything else. Dont think of pulsars for Cruising... It ll look like a tiger while buying and soon will reveal its true identity (goat or sheep whatever it is) 

[yamahaR15 0]

thunder bird twinspark...is real cruiser ............avenger....with its poor handling cannot be considered as cruiser........

[sharash 0]

As i said earlier, there is one bike in India (which is not Indian) which can be said to be a true cruiser and that is RE!! the closest was the Eliminator(which was not Indian either since Kawasaki got the techno from its other bestseller in China)

[sharash 0]

As i said earlier, there is one bike in India (which is not Indian) which can be said to be a true cruiser and that is RE!! the closest was the Eliminator(which was not Indian either since Kawasaki got the techno from its other bestseller in China)

[archit 2]

i think RE is the best cruiser

i went once on a long ride on the RE

and it was so smooth

this one REAL cruiser