My Motorcycle Diaries
Notes on the different bikes I’ve rented starting with my trip to Ladakh in October 2021
Bitten by The Motorcycling Bug
Ever since we did the Leh circuit in Ladakh on a Royal Enfield Himalayan in October 2021, I’ve been (re)bitten by the motorcycling bug.
I owned a Royal Enfield Bullet (Electra 5s) between 2006 and 2019. I did not do any tours/ long rides on it and I used it mainly for office and local commute. Since my office commute during the initial years of the bike was long and I was able to dodge the traffic by leaving home early, I had a wonderful experience riding the Bullet.
After a few years, I shifted to driving a car and then started to ride in a Tempo Traveller for office commute. The utility of the Bullet came down drastically due to this. My brother used to ride it more than me and even went on a tour to Ladakh with it.
Towards the end, the Bullet was demanding a lot of attention for maintenance and repairs and I did not have that kind of time to spend on it. I had lost the patience to drive it in the start-stop Bangalore traffic and it was a struggle with it’s weight. I eventually sold the Bullet and bought a Honda Dio as I believed a Dio would be enough for the local commute and visits for grocery.
The Change
The Ladakh trip changed everything. I rode the Royal Enfield Himalayan in Ladakh and it made me fall in love with bikes again. I realised no scooter would give the kind of elation and joy I felt when driving a bike and a good powerful bike multiplied this exhilaration multifold.
I then wanted to ride a bike again. I found different bike rental companies in Bangalore and have rented multiple bikes since my trip to Ladakh. I’ve rented these bikes mostly from Royal Brothers in Bangalore and from Twist Throttle as well. I used to rent these bikes for a day and ride them for about 200 kms in the outskirts of Bangalore in the vicinity of Bangalore Airport.
This is a write up of the bikes I’ve rented and my experiences driving them around.
Suzuki V-Strom SX (250cc)
I rented the Suzuki V-Strom SX (250cc) from Royal Brothers, Indiranagar, Bangalore on the 1st October 2022.
The bike I rented was a brand new, in fact it reached 1000 Kms a few minutes after I rented it.
What I liked
- The V-Strom came with a default tall windshield and knuckle guards.
- The V-Strom is a six speed engine — the same tried and tested, successful engine on the 250 cc Suzuki Gixxer.
- The V-Strom is tall — the seat height is at 835 mm. It gives you a different view from ‘up there’.
- The ground clearance is also excellent at 205mm.
- Though the V-Strom (at 167 kgs) is 11 kgs more than the Gixxer, it is 10 kgs lighter than the KTM Duke Adventure 250 which is at 177 kgs.
- The V-Strom comes into it’s own on the highway in the 6th gear. It can cruise between 90 and 100 kmph all day. More than that, you will start feeling vibrations.
- A special note on the rear view mirrors — they can be adjusted well and give you a clear view of what’s behind you.
- It gives a big bike feel and is a head turner.
What I disliked
- The V-Strom was uncomfortable to ride in city traffic — especially with it’s height and kerb weight. It’s best in the 6th gear and in city traffic, you are usually stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear. It felt a lot like the KTM Duke series which have similar gear ratios.
- The suspension was stiff and the city potholes and bad roads were unforgiving.
- The clutch was heavy and my hands ached in city traffic — no such issues while cruising in the 6th gear.
- The size of the buttons (start, horn, etc) are small. With a lower touch surface area, it felt uncomfortable to use.
- The horn is a squeak — doesn’t match the big bike feel.
- The pillion had a difficult time just getting on to the bike. And in city traffic, it’s not easy at all with a pillion.
- At Rs. 2.74L (on-road) in Bangalore, V-Strom is 40K higher than the Gixxer 250 — the bike it shares it engine with. Gixxer was a fun ride and did feel premium compared to the other 250 cc bikes in this segment — the V-Strom doesn’t.
- Since the bike I rented was almost brand new and it was still in running-in the condition, it was not tuned to have that kind of power that I expected.
- Among all the bikes I’ve ridden, I felt most disappointed with this bike — especially with what it promised.
Yamaha FZ25
I rented the Yamaha FZ25 from Five Speed Bike Rental, Basaveshwarnagar, Bangalore on the 30th of July 2022.
The bike I rented was a 2019 model, and had been driven around a lot — it had done 62K kms and it wasn’t maintained all that well either.
What I liked
- The Yamaha FZ25 looks great. It has a wonderful presence and looks premium.
- It’s a 250 cc bike and has enough power — both for the highways and the city.
- The overall ride experience is similar to the other 250 cc bikes in the segment which I rode — the Suzuki Gixxer 250 and the Bajaj Pulsar N250. Between the three, I liked the FZ25 the most.
- The FZ25 has the least weight among the three and offers the best fuel efficiency. The Gixxer 250 has an additional 6th gear — which is great for the highways, but I did not miss the 6th gear on the FZ25 all that much.
- The seating was comfortable
What I disliked
- The FZ25 which I rented had been driven around a lot and had plenty of wear and tear.
- The riding stance was sporty — not upright like the CB200x or the Hero xPulse 200. But it was the most comfortable of the sporty stance bikes which I’ve ridden.
Hero xPulse 200 (BS6)
I rented the Hero xPulse 200 from Royal Brothers, Indiranagar, Bangalore on the 23rd of July 2022.
The bike I rented was a 2022 model and had done 17K kms. It was listed as ‘new’ on Royal Brothers, but 17K kms is a lot and I did not feel that I was driving a new bike.
What I liked
- The Hero xPulse 200 has an amazing suspension — it simply ‘glides’ over most potholes in and around Bengaluru. This is the highlight of this bike. I’ve been riding a Dio and when I see a pothole on the road, I have to start preparing for the impact — I was pleasantly surprised that the Xpulse went over these potholes so smoothly.
- With its 21 inch tyres and smooth suspension, the Xpulse is one of the best off road bikes in India with good touring capabilities.
- The xPulse is a peppy bike. The throttle is responsive and pretty good. The bike I rode was the BS6 version — and not the newly introduced 4v version which is supposed to be even better in terms of comfort and engine peppiness.
- The bike is priced very competitively — the BS6 is available for 1.65 L on road and the 4v version is at 1.74 L.
- The upright seating position.
What I disliked
- The Hero xPulse 200 did not feel ‘premium’ to me in terms of engine refinement — like I had felt with the Honda CB200X.
- Though there was a gear position indicator present, it was malfunctioning and did not work most of the time I rode the bike.
- I could feel the vibrations whenever I tried to push it beyond the 80- 90 kmph mark. It’s sweet spot seems to be around 80 kmph.
- I never quite got used to the seating position. The handle bar seemed a little far away.
Honda CB200X
I rented the Honda CB200X from Royal Brothers, Indiranagar, Bangalore on the 26th of June 2022.
The bike I rented was a 2022 model, had a little wear and tear and had done 12K kms.
What I liked
- The Honda CB200X is a fun bike to ride, like the Suzuki Gixxer 250 which I rented before this. The main difference is — Honda CB200X’s seating position is upright and more comfortable (to me) than the Gixxer’s which has a sporty stance.
- The CB200X is just 184 cc, but the engine is definitely peppy. It weighs around 150 kgs, so the power to weight ratio isn’t all that bad.
- Honda’s Engine refinement is second to none. The CB200X engine was smooth and there was never a hint of overheating during my long ride.
- City riding was great as well — can navigate through the traffic and the engine has enough to pull away with ease.
- Pricing — which is close to 1.9L on-road — isn’t too bad. It costs as much as a Pulsar N250. Knocking 10K off the CB200X’s price would make it more appealing.
- The CB200X comes with a windshield and knuckle guards by default.
What I disliked
- The bike felt a little too big.
- The CB200X definitely missed a sixth gear on the highway.
- The pillion seat seemed small and looked uncomfortable — which is what bikes in this range get.
Suzuki Gixxer 250
I rented the Suzuki Gixxer 250 from Twist Throttle, Shanthinagar, Bangalore on the 15th of May 2022.
The bike I rented was a 2022 model, was almost brand new and had done 1123 kms.
What I liked
- The Suzuki Gixxer 250 is a fun bike to ride. The bike is pretty light — the kerb weight is just 156 Kgs — and you feel in control of the bike.
- In the city, the bike has enough power to zip through traffic and keeps you far ahead of all the others whenever you take off from a traffic light.
- The engine is oil cooled (the only one in this cc segment — from what I know) and felt extremely refined.
- Suzuki Gixxer has six gears (again — the only bike in this cc segment with a 6th gear) and riding the bike in the sixth gear is a delight on the highway. The gear ratios are well done, the gear changes are smooth and the neutral is easy to get to.
- The Gixxer 250 also has the widest front (110 mm) and rear tyres (150mm) in this segment which leads to a smoother ride, a better road grip and handling.
- Gixxer is the only one to come with factory fitted radial tyres.
What I disliked
- The Suzuki Gixxer has a sporty stance — the sporty stance has given me a back ache no matter what bike I’ve ridden. Else, there wasn’t much to complain about this bike.
- The bike is pricier than it’s competition in this cc range — it costs 2.31L on-road, where as the Bajaj Pulsar 250 costs around 1.87L and the Yamaha FZ25 costs 1.88L. The question you have to grapple with is — if you want to buy the Gixxer 250, is it worth the extra 50K?
Royal Enfield Classic 350 (Reborn)
I rented the Royal Enfield Classic 350 Reborn on the 29th of January 2022 from Royal Brothers Indiranagar, Bangalore. I rented this after multiple folks at Royal Brothers recommended this bike.
The Classic 350 was fairly new — had done about 8K kms when I rented it and ran smoothly.
What I liked
- The RE Classic 350 is a solid bike. You get the feeling you are in control and the bike won’t do anything unexpected.
- The Classic is well planted — especially on the highway, no matter how strong the crosswinds are, the Classic won’t sway or give the impression that you need to put an additional effort to keep it in control.
- The seating stance is upright, comes with a well cushioned split seat.
- The parts felt premium and the paint is done well.
- There are several Classic 350 options/ versions/ colours to choose from and you can pick one you like.
What I disliked
- The Classic 350 is a heavy bike — the kerb weight is 195 kilos and I felt the weight. The higher weight is probably why you get the feeling that the bike is solid and well planted, but the weight could have been lesser.
- The Classic 350 weighs as much as the Meteor 350, but the Meteor 350 doesn’t feel as heavy — perhaps because of the riding and seating ergonomics.
- Though the RE 350 has come a long way from where it was in this ‘reborn’ version, the bike definitely needs a powerful LED light and tubeless tires even for the base versions.
- The Meteor 350 and the Classic 350 share the same J-Series engine. The Meteor 350 feels a lot more responsive on a throttle twist, where as the Classic 350 responds slower. It would have been wonderful if the throttle response of the Classic 350 would have been a couple of notches better.
Bajaj Pulsar 250N (Racing Red)
I rented the Bajaj Pulsar 250N on the 22nd of January 2022 from Royal Brothers Indiranagar, Bangalore. (I rented this as soon as the state government announced the lifting of the weekend curfew — it was indeed frustrating stuck at home after working the rest of the week).
The Pulsar 250N I got on rent was brand new and had done just about 290 kms. I had a lot of fun riding this brand new bike.
What I liked
1. The Pulsar 250N has oodles of Torque. Within the city traffic and even for most highway stretches, the bike had enough power to pull through with ease. The engine was responsive and the gear ratios were done well.
2. I loved the exhaust sound. The exhaust grunt was great feedback as soon as I started the bike and the sound persisted while riding.
3. A special note on the mirrors — they were large enough, well positioned and gave a clear un-interrupted view of what’s behind me.
4. The looks of the Pulsar 250N were awesome and I could see plenty of people staring at the bike in traffic stops or while I was riding. The performance, the grunt and the stance did live up to the looks.
5. The best thing — the ex-showroom price of the Pulsar 250N is Rs. 1,38,000/- (on road price comes up to around 1,68,000/-). This is a steal. No other bike (at least in India) offers these features and power at this price.
6. The kerb weight of the bike is around 162 kgs. It did not feel too heavy, though a lesser weight would have made the manoeuvring easier.
What I disliked
- The riding position of the Pulsar 250N is sporty and forces you to commit forward. I am not a fan of the sporty riding stance (I like the upright stance more) and I never got comfortable with it. I had to stretch my back often to keep it from hurting.
- I started to feel vibrations around the 85 kms/hr speed mark. It wasn’t able to push the bike beyond 95 kms/hr speed.
- The Pulsar 250N pulls well even in the 5th gear and while on the highway, I wished multiple times for a 6th gear to help let me cruise the bike beyond the 90 kms/hr mark.
KTM Duke 390 (Silver Metallic)
I rented the KTM Duke 390 from Twist Throttle, Shanthinagar, Bangalore on the 6th of January 2022.
The bike I rented was a 2021 model and had done about 11k kms. The bike was not well maintained and I might be negatively biased due to this in my impression of it.
What I liked
- The KTM seating stance was upright and comfortable. Though it was a 375 cc bike, it did not force the rider to get into a committed sporty position.
- The KTM 390 is a monster on the highway. It really opened up in the 6th gear and relentlessly devoured those highway kilometres without a strain.
- The kerb weight of KTM 390 is about 167 kgs. For a bike with that kind of power, the bike felt light, easy to control and manoeuvre.
- The looks of the KTM series are amazing and the KTM 390 stands out in a crowd.
What I disliked
- The Duke 390 (at least the bike I got) isn’t meant for the city start stop traffic. The gear ratios are meant to get to and ride in the cruising gear — the 6th. Riding in the lower gears hardly gave me any pleasure.
- The exhaust sound — for a bike that powerful — did not feel like it was coming from such a machine.
- A lot of reviews have mentioned heating issues in dense city traffic — I was facing other issues on the bike because it was badly maintained and did not pay too much attention to the heating issue.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 — Supernova
I rented the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (Supernova) twice — once from Royal Brothers, Bangalore Airport (December 26th, 2021) and the first time from Royal Brothers, Indiranagar (November 4th, 2021).
I got a fairly new bike on rent (a bike which had done 2600 kms) from Royal Brothers Airport and a bike which had done about 21K kms from Royal Brothers, Indiranagar.
Though the first bike I rented had done about 21K kms and had a fair amount of wear and tear, I enjoyed riding both of them.
What I liked
- Among all the bikes I’ve rented (including the Royal Enfield Himalayan which we rented in Ladakh), I have had the most fun and the best highway riding experience on the Royal Enfield Meteor 350.
- None of the other bikes had this cruising riding stance and this stance was very comfortable — especially while driving long distances. The seat cushioning supports the tailbone which makes the ride even more comfortable.
- The Meteor 350 comes with a back rest for the pillion — my family found this as a great support while riding behind me and it made the ride very comfortable for them.
- The exhaust sound and the thump of the Meteor 350 is awesome. There is a constant seat-of-the-pants feedback from the thump as you ride the bike over these long distances on the highway which keeps you connected to the machine in a way none of the other bikes do.
- The throttle response was immediate and linear.
- The Meteor 350 looks awesome — the colour palette of the Meteor range of bikes stand out. No other series of bikes have the colour palette which the Meteor 350 range has.
What I disliked
- The cruiser riding position takes a while to get used to. City riding in start — stop traffic, especially getting back to the cruiser position after a traffic stop wasn’t a good experience.
- A LED headlight and a 6th gear for cruising were missing.
- At the time of writing this (23/Jan/2022) there is a 6 month waiting period if you want to buy the Meteor 350.
- The mirrors constantly needed correction. They did not remain in place after I had set them. It is definitely a distraction while riding.
- The kerb weight of the Meteor is about 191 kilos — which is on the heavier side.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 (Baker Express)
I rented the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 on the 12th of December 2021 from Royal Brothers Indiranagar, Bangalore.
The bike I rented had done about 41K kms. The bike had a lot of wear and tear after putting on all those miles and I might be negatively biased due to this in my impression of it.
What I liked
- Like the KTM Duke 390, the Interceptor 650 is a beast on the highway. It really opened up in the 6th gear and relentlessly devoured those highway kilometres without a strain.
What I disliked
- The kerb weight of Interceptor 650 is more than 200 kilos (202 to be precise). The Interceptor 650 doesn’t actually look that heavy but it is actually difficult to handle — in-fact, I fell when I initially rented the bike and wanted to get the bike off the footpath at the Royal Brother’s branch to ride it away.
- The Interceptor 650 has heating issues. This was the only bike I felt the heat seep through my thick riding pants and burn my skin.
- The Interceptor 650’s riding stance was sporty — though it is meant to be a cruiser bike. Handling the weight of the Interceptor with the sporty riding position— especially in start-stop traffic — gave no joy. With a pillion, it was a nightmare.
Honda CB 350 H’Ness (Pearl Night Star Black)
I rented the Honda CB 350 H’Ness on October 30th 2021 from Royal Brothers Indiranagar, Bangalore.
The bike I rented had done about 29K kms. Like the Interceptor 650, the bike had a lot of wear and tear and I might be negatively biased in my impression of it.
There was also a gap between the time I rented the CB 350 and when I wrote this report — I seem to have forgotten most of my ride impressions. I need to rent the bike again to get clarity on how the bike is.
What I liked
- The refinement of the Honda engine.
- The CB 350 seating stance was upright and comfortable — it did not force the rider to get into a committed sporty position.
- The CB 350 looks great — Honda has done a wonderful job with the looks with all the chrome on it.
- The bike is modern and gets a full set of LED lights.
- The bike easily achieves cruising speeds of 90+ kms/hr.
- The kerb weight of the CB 350 is about 180 kilos — which is about 10 kilos less than the Meteor 350.
What I disliked
- The position of the horn and the indicator have been shifted from the usual position in other bikes — it takes time getting used to.
- The single seat option on the CB 350 wasn’t comfortable for the pillion. Most riders are getting rid of the single seat and going for the split seats which are comfortable for the pillion as well (from what I’ve read). The CB 350 Anniversary edition comes with split seats by default.
- I particularly don’t like the dual tone options — especially the blue and white option. If I want to buy the DLX version, I am forced to choose the dual tone option and the colour options are limited.
- At low revs, you have to upshift to lower gears. So in city traffic, you have to constantly shift to the 2nd or the 1st gear because the bike just doesn’t pull like some other bikes which pull at low speeds in ease even in the 3rd gear — which probably is the Honda CB350’s biggest drawback. There is a thread in Quora which has suggestions on how this can be addressed — will have to see if it works for the CB350.
Royal Enfield Himalayan (Gravel Grey)
Finally, the bike which started it all.
We rented the Royal Enfield Himalayan between October 11th and 17th 2021 from Ladakh Bike Rentals, Leh. The RE Himalayan had done about 3000 kms when we rented it and it rode like a dream.
What I liked
- Personally, the Royal Enfield Himalayan has set the bar for a tour which could be as difficult as the Ladakh circuit — and it has been set really high in terms of an immersive and fulfilling lifetime experience.
- The sitting position is upright and the seat is pretty comfortable for long rights. The windshield helps in reducing the wind impact.
- The throttle response is wonderful, the bike is sleek and handles well.
- The pillion seat comes with a backrest and it was a comfortable ride for those riding along.
What I disliked
- The kerb weight of the Himalayan is about 200 kilos. A lesser weight could have helped to maneuver better.
- A powerful LED light on the Himalayan would have been great.
- Tubeless tires would make the life easy for a lot of touring folks.
In Conclusion
Among all the bikes I’ve rented, I have had the most fun and the best touring experience on the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 . As I mentioned, the exhaust sound and the thump of the Meteor 350 are awesome. There is a constant seat-of-the-pants feedback from the thump as you ride the bike over these long distances.
I got a chance to drive the Honda CB350 H’Ness again — this time on a test bike from the Honda Bigwing Showroom near my house on Sept 10th 2022. This time, I got a better chance to evaluate the bike in more detail. The levels of engine refinement of the H’Ness is unparalleled and it was a different experience altogether riding a decently maintained bike.
On this date (10 September 2022), if someone asks me which bike I would want to buy, the Honda H’Ness CB350 emerges a clear winner. The Meteor comes second.
Update
I went ahead and bought the Honda CB350 H’Ness Anniversary Green edition. I took the delivery of the bike on 29th of October 2022. This is almost exactly a year after I first rented the Honda CB350 from Royal Brothers (I rented the CB350 on 30th of October 2021).
I bought the bike from Honda BigWing Bangalore North. Tony from Bangalore helped me during the entire process. The on-road price of the Honda H’Ness CB350 Anniversary edition came up to 2.62L.
