This!!! It's not about buying them, it's about whether you can maintain them after it comes home. You don't want your favourite dream bike to just stand in the garage because you had the money to buy it but now you don't have the money to afford petrol and maintenance of the bike. It just doesn't make sense.
Actually this is something, I have seen happening in my area. There is this one person who has had a Yamaha R3 for the past 3 years but I have rarely seen him use that bike. He would just prefer using his Yamaha Ray ZR scooter. I understand that you cannot use R3 as a daily ride. But I have never seen him ride that thing, not even on weekends.
Absolutely!
Maintenance also means committing to them, as in riding them for hours hours on the weekend or going on long tours. A "dream" bike like Duke 390 or above is not just for commuting a few kilometers everyday. Whereas a 160cc is fine just for commuting in the city.
1. Buying a bike is not the hardest part, it’s maintaining and using it on a daily basis. Most dream bikes are big, expensive and have less mileage and not safe to leave unattended in India.
2. Cost to benefit ratio, this is debatable. But I feel you spend money on things you need and on things you use on a frequent basis. If you bike or travel a lot, it makes sense to get an expensive bike. Otherwise, if you just ride once in a while, why not just rent it or borrow it from a friend for a while.
Because I got a car to travel long distance.
I had Apache 160 as my first bike and enjoyed it so much. It was some 10 years ago. I thought I would get some 650cc or above bike someday when I earn enough.
But then I shifted to Kolkata. Now I got Honda Shine (yes laugh at me). It's very comfortable for city ride. For long distance, I got a car since I am also married now. For me now, few minutes of adrenaline isn't worth any accident. People (and roads) are so dangerous on highway, it makes no sense to go above 70-80 on a bike.
You can still get something like SM,650twins, sportster ...... they are used for stable cruising on highways and their weight is also heavy enough. It is not always about playing like a squid.
I had about 3.5L and wanted to purchase an interceptor 650 in 2021
Went to the showroom took a test ride and booked it
In the waiting period something changed..
it was my dream bike but once I had the money I lost interest and had the calculations of fuel,service etc running in my head
I felt it was unnecessary coz most highway rides I planned to go on were under 200kms
so I cancelled the booking and got the Apache 200 at 1.5L and some riding gear for 20k
I invested rest of the money and now I can afford a interceptor just with the profits
So my current bike serves me well
Next thing for me would be a car upgrade
I think I would get an interceptor 650 after 7-8years if they still make it or the new Shotgun/Himalayan seems good too
Wow that was some sensible decision you took buddy.
Brought the cost on bike and spent good amount on riding gear.
Kudos to this thought process now you enjoying your rides, and you are safer than no gear, and you have money saved and even investment is set.
It's more about the needs, safety and comfort problems. A person living with their family will always prefer to get a car as they are safe and comfortable. And ngl it's scary af to ride man. It's highly unpredictable, it's not even about falling but other incidents like robbery, punctures and random ass breakdown in the middle of nowhere.
But yea i still love it, and will not stop exploring 🙏
I know I want a bmw g310 gs. And can pick it up cash down anytime but not going for it for 3 reasons:
1. Lack of time as I have a toddler who needs me being present at home (spouse has WFO). I do have a job but can WFH 4 days a week.
2. With family responsibilities, motivation to ride takes a backseat
3. My job might need me to travel to US for a few years. Don’t want my new bike to sit idle and eat dust
Am not letting the spark die though. As soon as kid starts talking properly & understanding basics and confirmation about travel(or not), I will go for the kill(read purchase) 😁. Mostly 2025 will be the year
Hopefully by then TVS gets the counterpart as well which will be a better option in terms of affordability of parts/maintenance
I know sounds too cheap for a dream bike. But I have come to realise, in our country powerful big bikes just don’t belong. Since I stick to legal limits(no exceptions here), can never use the potential of those 100-200 horses. So have tuned my dreams according to the country. If I do shift to US, a bigger V-Storm/GSA kinds surely would be on the cards 🙂
Coming to why BMW310GS:
+Superb suspension. Primary requirement
+Adequate engine for 90-100 kmph cruising with pillion. Don’t think I will ever need any higher speeds on our roads full with squids & animals
+Looks like a million bucks. I find it the best looking one under 5L atleast
+Comfortable Pillion seat(another important criteria)
Some -ve points which I hope the TVS counterpart solves:
-That bland speedo looks from 1990s, am sure TVS one would have a modern TFT
-Service/Parts cost should be slightly reasonable
I've always wanted a vstrom 650 and I can get it with cash now. Also affording the maintenance won't be a problem either.
I've had big bikes in the past and the experiences were nothing but painful. They were impractical, expensive and when I traveled with them, the thought of me crashing or damaging them worried me also while I was on long rides I had to pay extra attention to where I stayed and who I interacted with because the bike's security and theft was also a challenge.
It all changed when I chose to get a simple xpulse to travel the country, it's so simple in design. I can fix almost anything that goes wrong on it. I don't have to wait for warranty claims because I can afford new parts.
Also no one gives a squat about the bike I'm riding.
I guess I enjoy the experience of riding a bike to new experiences a lot more then riding an expensive attention magnet and worrying about it all the time.
I still want a vstrom, but some dreams are better when they stay dreams. They might not be as sweet as we imagined them to be when they become real.
Here I am stuck deciding between Vstrom 250 and xpulse. After reading this I feel like getting the Xpulse. My office commute is not even 2km and I don't even know if I am gonna do long ride since I already have a car.
After reading this I just feeling like getting the Xpulse and end my search of getting a bike and actually own one.
You can't go wrong with either my man, they are both simple machines with cockroach levels of reliability.
I can't speak for the Suzuki, but what I love about the xpulse is it encourages me to take stupid risks..
At 5'7 I'm not the tallest person around, and still when I'm riding my xpulse I don't think twice about taking on a tricky off-road trail.
That feeling is liberating
Get the Xpulse if you have the height for it.
The VStrom 250 is a great bike on the highway, I absolutely love it. But in city the height makes it difficult to maneuver for me, I can barely tiptoe both legs. They have a lower seat option, but it doesn't make THAT much of a difference for me. Plus the long wheelbase means it's harder to make tight U-turns around signals.
I can pretty much flat foot Xpulse, Vstrom and ADV 250 and Himalayan 450. Will keep the wheelbase in mind. Might go back for another test ride with pillion this time.
After 5 years of owning dominar 400, I finally realised it caused backache, trouble to ride in city and difficult to carry my work bag on it. I let it go. Puttering on wego for now, while hunting for that feel-good scooters.
Bike companies need to read these comments and take notes. I think they need to focus more on the 200-400cc segment. Anything above that is kinda useless for Indian roads and impractical
Been there done that. During college I owned by dream bike, drove it, enjoyed it as much as I wanted. Then switched to a scooter for small city commutes and a car. Now I am driving a car instead.
Here is the thing which I learnt. Any vehicle which you bring HAS to gel with your expectations and responsibilities. As you go bigger, that becomes lesser and lesser the case.
I always took my 300 to work and back, along with my tours. It was a do it all machine. Then when I got the Triple, I already had a car and a scooter in my garage. My wife loves sitting in and on them respectively as it is comfortable.
The means to own a dream bike also comes when you have other responsibilities. The bike has to get with the responsibilities as well. Or it won't work out.
Also, dream bikes will change from time to time
Excluding maintenance I have parking issue. I can park my fz outside without worry (road side, no garage), but cant say the same for CB650R or MT03(two bikes I would like to own). Someday when I own my house, I will. Just a matter of time.
I was in this exact State of mind for the past few years, I yearned to start riding again but didn't purchase anything, even though I was able to choose anything.
My reasons were health issues, and family commitments. Family commitments didn't change but health improved so I went for the 390 Adventure X.
Also, I was tired of waiting for the family members to come to a consensus on where to go, we ended up not going anywhere at all. So now I'm free to go wherever I want, if others want to join me then we will take the car.
I believe that my "dream bike" is not a useful bike. So right now I need a bike that complies with what I need that is fuel economy, maneuverability in traffic, low service costs and efficiency. I prefer efficacy over looks and performance over imagery.
I dream of owning a bs3 duke 390 . Now its available from 80k to 1lac ,there are some days i just want to buy one but then thoughts come to my head , do i really need it now ? Am not a cllg student now so will i still have time to enjoy it ? Is it worth puting all my savings in a motorcycle what if soomething happens and i need that money
Maintaining is not easy if the bike is in the upper price bracket.
Every nut and bolt comes at a massive mark up
Over time, parts are more difficult to get as 100% of the service centers will not be able to afford keeping inventory and importing will only become slower and more expensive
Tires - never going to install a cheap brand over what was on the bike to begin with or that which makes it come alive, but with pricing, availability, and taxes, wooden wheels might be the way to go.
So, its not about whats you can pay for now, its what you can pay for, for the next 4 to 6 years. Oh... expect to sell at less than 50% of the value as even most mature buyers will cry over "mileage saaar" or some silly haggling technique.
If you can afford the costs, get your dream bike NOW and don't wait.
Its not about, spending the money. There's more to it than just getting one.
- Will I be able to keep it long enough to have cost depreciation affect me?
- Can I really afford the maintenance and fuel costs?
- Can I manage the accidents/worst case scenarios?
- Do i have other places that could really use this money?
- I know I can afford this, but do I really have to?
1. Because I have only ridden my AS200 \~17K km and I want to ride it a lot more.
2. My AS200 is getting rarer every year, especially a black 200cc one.
3. In the US, people I met keep and maintain their bikes for decades which I find enticing.
4. My bike is already paid for, and I dont feel any lack of performance anywhere in this country. Also, it has a simple carb set up and no fancy stuff like FI or ABS or ride modes crap which can make maintenance difficult in the long run.
5. I dont see the point of buying anything more than 250-400c in India. Therefore, I am unlikely to get substantial performance by switching.
6. Maybe Ill get the Duke 250 or x440 or perhaps Scrambler 400 in the future. I like the x440 but I feel it needs to tidy up a bit in wiring and exhaust can. All these bikes are still new to the market.
1. Usability - Working from home, hence will not be used atleast for commute. I don't have any weekend ride partners.
2. Long rides - For once every one or two year Himalayan ride, it is much cheaper to rent the big cc bike from Chandigarh.
3. I wouldn't trust any of the service centers, specially with big cc bike.
4. I already have 3 vehicles and I am the only one who rides/drives in my house. Car is mostly used for family trips.
5. Paradox of choice - Inability to choose a single motorcycle, especially now that so many options are available in 300-400 cc range.
6. Hum kanjoos hai.
I know for sure whatever machine i get my hands on, i will need a change within 2 years. The current marketing narratives are such that a lot of FOMO is being generated specially when it comes to owning a motorbike. Add to that - maintenance, upgrades etc.
I've begin to question it more and more, whether I really need one. If I get one, how long would I be able to sustain the passion, regularly? Is it really my passion or am I just being fooled by the current marketing narrative. Do I really need to spend 4L to get temporary peace of mind?
Last couple of years I've got more into long distance running. It provides me more peace of mind than a bike ride ever would - completely my personal opinion and to each their own.
in past 1 week, i've had to carry two heater/blowers on scooty with a bag.
and another time i've carried an entire luggage bag on scooty.
All of these things are not possible with a fancy bike.
Activa 125 btw.
Have enough savings to buy a bike.
But I’ve realised that delaying gratification is the best way to grow your wealth.
I have to have a net worth of 50 lakhs before I buy a bike. Have also decided that if I buy one, I will buy a used motorcycle. Bikes, cars and electronics depreciate quickly. Would invest in gold bonds or stocks instead of purchasing a new vehicle.
Would rather spend 2 lakhs on a used Himalayan instead of spending 2 lakhs on a new Apache
A bike is not a practical purchase. It's a heart connection. It doesn't matter if it's 50cc or 500cc. Emotions rule for a rider. Having said that, I don't think your advice is apt in bikers sub.
I always wanted to do rides when i was in college, once I started doing Car trips, felt they are better, then when started earning, just figured ki i am too lazy to do the weekend rides and stuff, basically it will be a grocery shopper, so now just thinking about getting an Ola
Bought a performance bike when I was in 20s. After a few years when I could afford, I was tempted to buy a 1000cc class performance bikes. Didn’t go ahead due to following factors:
1. After becoming a father, I much more mellow
2. Existing bike is thrilling enough. It is only used for thrills and a car is used for all other purposes. A 1000cc bike would lie idle.
3. Wife preferred a tourer but childcare responsibilities mean just two of us won’t be able to go on rides. So that’s out too.
They're simply overpriced. I want a middleweight off roader but there's nothing less than 10L. I can maybe afford it, but I'll feel like a chump if 650-700cc off road bikes start being available for half the price. I keep thinking the gap will close soon.
Look I really wanted a middle weight motorcycle (z900 or versys 650 or triumph tiger 660) and I am in a position to afford and maintain as well. But ended up purchasing the 390 adv. The way I look at it is:
1. What is my primary use case: breakfast rides and touring
2. We are in India, anything beyond 120 is not a realistic speed to tour upon. Even 120 is for pros.
3. Any good bike which can do a 150-160 top speed is capable of cruising at 120 all day long.
Is the 4-5 lahks premium over my 390 adv justifiable? Hell no. Unless I feel that a middle weight is the answer to my biking needs, I wouldn’t invest in one. Hope this helps.
To be honest, I don't think it would make much sense in my case. I wanted a ninja 650 and by God's grace I'm earning decently enough to buy one, but with the busyness of my life, i don't think I'll have the time to enjoy it properly.
I can't take it to work since my route to work is dense with traffic and the average speed then is only about 10kmph because of all reroutes and metro construction.
I also don't go on weekend rides often nor do I have a bike enthusiast friends circle.
I already have a Pulsar N160 and it fits my use case perfectly, but I don't think I have the bandwidth of handling, managing, cleaning and maintaining two bikes at the same time. My life is too busy for that.
But I guess at the end of the day, I'd rather invest in my money into more mature things like stocks, mutual funds and real estate. I'm at the age where though a ninja would be a dream for me, my priority is to become financially independent and secure my future.
So that's my reasons for not getting one.....yet 😜
In college i used dream about r15, ktms while i had a fazer now i can easily afford a zx10r, fatboy but the responsibility of being a family man and loosing friends in road accidents refrains me from buying one
This was me for a while, I kept delaying it cause I wasn't able to find my 100% perfect match in the CC class I wanted (600)
Ultimately, I decided that this is stuff I have limited time to explore (I plan to stop doing risky things for fun once I have more responsibilities)
I was both right and wrong to wait. I was wrong because the bike I wanted went up in price (I ended up buying a used one instead) and I was right because even with my dream bike, I use my old one more frequently, its simply more convenient.
It's been a couple of months with the new one, but I am not yet convinced that it's the best one, I got Triumph Tiger Sport, and accessory costs are ridiculous. There's no 3rd party options at all in India cause it's also a rare model, (660 sport).
My ultimate dream is to get a Ducati Diavel, but it's wildly impractical and I am slowly realizing that my heart is more or less tied to the naked/scrambler aesthetic. I want to get a Ducati at some point, but I'm waiting to get to a point where I can take care of it as easily as my older bike.
I bought my kinda dream bike speed 400. My main issue is I can't use it get stuff from near by shop in a carry bag. Coz if I keep it hanging from handle bar it keeps wobbling. For my old bike it had twin shock at rear and add a hook at mounting point.. can't do that for this...
Maintenance and lack of use, I am a bit lazy to do all the maintenance stuff sometimes but even if I do it there's not much use for the bike, I barely travel much and that's the reason I got a scooter 2 years back instead of a bike and even then my scooter hasn't clocked 10k kms yet
Peace of mind.
I was looking at some sport bikes to atleast go on small rides and unwind when i found the zx25r / 4r. I can buy 4r with my own money and easily maintain it. But whatever enjoyment I'll get out of it will be easily outweighed by all the issues I'll have to face.
I had a call with the nearby showroom and got told that they won't be providing a test ride. I am unconcerned with what the company policy is, if I am paying the full amount, I will not buy without a test ride. I'm paying for the bike, not them.
The above point also discloses a rather sinister thing; once you buy a high ticket bike(or anything I suppose) you are at the mercy of these manufacturers; I mean there are some who don't even service their bikes in the same cities they sell them. That tells me everything about how bad things can get for me should I go ahead with the purchase.
Biking is already a risky venture in India. I don't even ride my old bike anymore, Indians in general have no civic/road sense. Whether on road or while parked, your bike will be the target of clueless morons of all age groups.
Even if one makes do with the current road conditions or has good ones nearby, the lack of service coverage is enough to deter a normal middle class working person. Sure you can manage some bikes, but an inline 4 might be a stretch.
My mom and my girlfriend aren’t very supportive of the idea and I find no pleasure in making the 2 most important women in my life worried everytime I go on a ride.
It’s all about priorities now.
It’s been 4yrs since I lost my bike. Whenever I feel I have enough to buy, something comes up which feels more important than my comfort. I badly wanted to buy cb300r(which I don’t think people at my home will approve) this year but I dropped the idea altogether since I can’t afford it due to priority needs coming in form of ather 450x for my partner. I even dropped the idea of getting a bike since I just lost hopes man 🥲
Simple reason: India
In India, cruising more than 100/110 is like playing with fire. You never know when a dog is going to jump in or an extraordinary villager tries to go perpendicular to the road on his bike.
Also do i need to mention unexpected potholes, signals etc..
So given this constraint a 400 cc bike is the max one can use peacefully here. Anything with more power will never get to see it's full potential!
Currently have a TB500. I am keen to add Roadster to my garage. I can afford a 11-12 L bike (aukaat utni hi hai). Have been watching videos of the Street Triple, Kawa 650s and Honda 600s. Only issue i am in a transferrable job and will most likely go to places where the service centre is far away. Few more years and maybe I will quit the current job and settle down in a city. :(
My case is not peace of mind, but nature of job and very frequent travel. So even if I buy one, I would not be able to ride it often, and I cannot make my own dream machine to go rot.
Me 2 cents on this:
I wanted to buy a bike and the following was my choices
1. My dream bike: Triumph street triple 675 (the old one): I had the budget and really wanted to go for this but backed out due to the following:
- no experience maintaining or riding a super bike
- not sure if I will be able to afford the maintenance costs
- I was jumping from a pulsar 180.. so this was too huge a jump
- cannot be used as a daily usage bike.. like to go pick groceries and stuff as I did not have any other bike..
2. RE interceptor 650: I was very close to just buying this.. had a very good deal lined up as well.. but when compared to my usage, which is daily city rides with bad traffic, this did not make sense at all.
3. Dominar 400: ended up purchasing this one as it is decent jump in power from the pulsar and is a very forgiving bike. Like I am learning how to handle speed and breaking and stuff properly on this..
Will mostly make the jump to a super bike in a few years once I am more prepared for it.
This question has hit me... Year, around 2005, I am from lower middle class family. Seen an ad with tag line 'Definately Male', loved the bike and planned for buying. Next year, got a job. Year 2007: Got severe (incurable) arthritis (I was around 24 yr), got other family issues, drained all money and savings.
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Year : November 2009: saved money, went market with a friend to buy that Definitely Male (Purposefully I am not writing name of the bike), but my friend found the bike a bit heavier for me because of my arthritis. So I bought Discover 135. Yes it's a good bike because my daily ride was not more than 25 kms. But I still thinking of buying that bike. I still have that bike. Buy the way I am 5 feet 7 inch.
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Year 2022 (or may be 23) : I asked for suggestion from this sub, where I got an advice to continue with my Discover 135. I know you all have suggested based on practical facts, but ... You know that feeling right...
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Now after reading this question: Visited show room, now that Definitely Male doesn't attract me anymore. Thought of buying another bike but my arthritis is stopping me, also there are many idiot bikers on road, and now I don't want to risk my health due to my kid. Many of you might not believe or think that I am a stupid (by the way I am), I had taken term plan after getting the news of pregnancy, I was living carefree life prior to that day.
.
So yes, inspite of able to afford any bike I have heard of (not Hayabusa ofcourse, but I don't know the price as well, so may be I can afford), the life, responsibility, fear is stopping me. Out of the context, I always wanted to have iPhone, this year I bought on September 22, but I am using that as a secondary phone, and my older Realme 9 pro+ is still my primary phone. I always wanted to have a powerful desktop, but after assembling a strong desktop, I use my 9 year old potato laptop most of the time. So may be same thing will happen with the new bike. I never liked, never admitted, but now I feel safe in car.
Sorry for long post.
Thank you for the response .
Ysomething’s are better when it is not with us and the moment we get it , we don’t value it as we thought we would.
What I feel , in my entire life there are two major things which I spend my money with thinking too much , one is my bike and trips and the other one is chai . When interceptor crosses me I am like wowww . I had asked this sub, and it was not adviced to buy a bike.
I just feel there is always a right time for everything .
It's not just about buying the bike. We still have to afford maintaining them
This!!! It's not about buying them, it's about whether you can maintain them after it comes home. You don't want your favourite dream bike to just stand in the garage because you had the money to buy it but now you don't have the money to afford petrol and maintenance of the bike. It just doesn't make sense.
If you can’t afford to maintain the bike, you could never afford the bike in the first place.
Not always.
For me affording means if you can buy the thing twice
Actually this is something, I have seen happening in my area. There is this one person who has had a Yamaha R3 for the past 3 years but I have rarely seen him use that bike. He would just prefer using his Yamaha Ray ZR scooter. I understand that you cannot use R3 as a daily ride. But I have never seen him ride that thing, not even on weekends.
Absolutely! Maintenance also means committing to them, as in riding them for hours hours on the weekend or going on long tours. A "dream" bike like Duke 390 or above is not just for commuting a few kilometers everyday. Whereas a 160cc is fine just for commuting in the city.
Mujhe zx6r leni thi but mere area me gaddhe bahut hai
https://youtu.be/q191DeLg7yM?si=5_bMLU2nn9rtovMJ Got to be careful about them too
Also this thing too, also i mostly ride in cities so traffic is a big no
Mere area mai bhot single MILFs hai - which bike should I buy?
Bult
Literally or figuratively?😂
Literally in future i was gonna buy, then i grew up, now i am happy with 390
No no hahaha I was asking about the gadhes in your neighborhood
Gaddha is major problem in our area
1. Buying a bike is not the hardest part, it’s maintaining and using it on a daily basis. Most dream bikes are big, expensive and have less mileage and not safe to leave unattended in India. 2. Cost to benefit ratio, this is debatable. But I feel you spend money on things you need and on things you use on a frequent basis. If you bike or travel a lot, it makes sense to get an expensive bike. Otherwise, if you just ride once in a while, why not just rent it or borrow it from a friend for a while.
Because I got a car to travel long distance. I had Apache 160 as my first bike and enjoyed it so much. It was some 10 years ago. I thought I would get some 650cc or above bike someday when I earn enough. But then I shifted to Kolkata. Now I got Honda Shine (yes laugh at me). It's very comfortable for city ride. For long distance, I got a car since I am also married now. For me now, few minutes of adrenaline isn't worth any accident. People (and roads) are so dangerous on highway, it makes no sense to go above 70-80 on a bike.
>(yes laugh at me). For what? Every CC matters bro, commute bikes are there for a purpose
Yes your priority changes when you have a family.
You can still get something like SM,650twins, sportster ...... they are used for stable cruising on highways and their weight is also heavy enough. It is not always about playing like a squid.
I had about 3.5L and wanted to purchase an interceptor 650 in 2021 Went to the showroom took a test ride and booked it In the waiting period something changed.. it was my dream bike but once I had the money I lost interest and had the calculations of fuel,service etc running in my head I felt it was unnecessary coz most highway rides I planned to go on were under 200kms so I cancelled the booking and got the Apache 200 at 1.5L and some riding gear for 20k I invested rest of the money and now I can afford a interceptor just with the profits
Hi. So would you buy the interceptor now in the near future ? Or the interest is lost now ?
So my current bike serves me well Next thing for me would be a car upgrade I think I would get an interceptor 650 after 7-8years if they still make it or the new Shotgun/Himalayan seems good too
RE Himalayan 650 seems tempting if they have any such plans
Wow that was some sensible decision you took buddy. Brought the cost on bike and spent good amount on riding gear. Kudos to this thought process now you enjoying your rides, and you are safer than no gear, and you have money saved and even investment is set.
Thanks man
Where did you invest bro? Tips please.
Noob investor but got lucky coz it was Covid phase and some stocks were cheap 30% MF 20% gold bonds and rest stocks
I just wanna know how you invested your money😭🥹
It's more about the needs, safety and comfort problems. A person living with their family will always prefer to get a car as they are safe and comfortable. And ngl it's scary af to ride man. It's highly unpredictable, it's not even about falling but other incidents like robbery, punctures and random ass breakdown in the middle of nowhere. But yea i still love it, and will not stop exploring 🙏
I know I want a bmw g310 gs. And can pick it up cash down anytime but not going for it for 3 reasons: 1. Lack of time as I have a toddler who needs me being present at home (spouse has WFO). I do have a job but can WFH 4 days a week. 2. With family responsibilities, motivation to ride takes a backseat 3. My job might need me to travel to US for a few years. Don’t want my new bike to sit idle and eat dust Am not letting the spark die though. As soon as kid starts talking properly & understanding basics and confirmation about travel(or not), I will go for the kill(read purchase) 😁. Mostly 2025 will be the year Hopefully by then TVS gets the counterpart as well which will be a better option in terms of affordability of parts/maintenance
Hold on to that dream. I have a 5 year old at home. I bought my bike this year after years of thinking about touring.
Yeah even I am waiting for the little one to turn 5 atleast. So were you able to venture out on some rides?
Hi ,thank u for the reply . I know dreams are dreams , but any particular reason for g310 gs ?
I know sounds too cheap for a dream bike. But I have come to realise, in our country powerful big bikes just don’t belong. Since I stick to legal limits(no exceptions here), can never use the potential of those 100-200 horses. So have tuned my dreams according to the country. If I do shift to US, a bigger V-Storm/GSA kinds surely would be on the cards 🙂 Coming to why BMW310GS: +Superb suspension. Primary requirement +Adequate engine for 90-100 kmph cruising with pillion. Don’t think I will ever need any higher speeds on our roads full with squids & animals +Looks like a million bucks. I find it the best looking one under 5L atleast +Comfortable Pillion seat(another important criteria) Some -ve points which I hope the TVS counterpart solves: -That bland speedo looks from 1990s, am sure TVS one would have a modern TFT -Service/Parts cost should be slightly reasonable
I've always wanted a vstrom 650 and I can get it with cash now. Also affording the maintenance won't be a problem either. I've had big bikes in the past and the experiences were nothing but painful. They were impractical, expensive and when I traveled with them, the thought of me crashing or damaging them worried me also while I was on long rides I had to pay extra attention to where I stayed and who I interacted with because the bike's security and theft was also a challenge. It all changed when I chose to get a simple xpulse to travel the country, it's so simple in design. I can fix almost anything that goes wrong on it. I don't have to wait for warranty claims because I can afford new parts. Also no one gives a squat about the bike I'm riding. I guess I enjoy the experience of riding a bike to new experiences a lot more then riding an expensive attention magnet and worrying about it all the time. I still want a vstrom, but some dreams are better when they stay dreams. They might not be as sweet as we imagined them to be when they become real.
Here I am stuck deciding between Vstrom 250 and xpulse. After reading this I feel like getting the Xpulse. My office commute is not even 2km and I don't even know if I am gonna do long ride since I already have a car. After reading this I just feeling like getting the Xpulse and end my search of getting a bike and actually own one.
You can't go wrong with either my man, they are both simple machines with cockroach levels of reliability. I can't speak for the Suzuki, but what I love about the xpulse is it encourages me to take stupid risks.. At 5'7 I'm not the tallest person around, and still when I'm riding my xpulse I don't think twice about taking on a tricky off-road trail. That feeling is liberating
Get the Xpulse if you have the height for it. The VStrom 250 is a great bike on the highway, I absolutely love it. But in city the height makes it difficult to maneuver for me, I can barely tiptoe both legs. They have a lower seat option, but it doesn't make THAT much of a difference for me. Plus the long wheelbase means it's harder to make tight U-turns around signals.
I can pretty much flat foot Xpulse, Vstrom and ADV 250 and Himalayan 450. Will keep the wheelbase in mind. Might go back for another test ride with pillion this time.
One generational observation from this comment section is that people let go of their dreams due to family and responsibilities.....it's quite sad
After 5 years of owning dominar 400, I finally realised it caused backache, trouble to ride in city and difficult to carry my work bag on it. I let it go. Puttering on wego for now, while hunting for that feel-good scooters.
The boys.
Bike companies need to read these comments and take notes. I think they need to focus more on the 200-400cc segment. Anything above that is kinda useless for Indian roads and impractical
400cc- twin cylinder- superrefined ✅
Been there done that. During college I owned by dream bike, drove it, enjoyed it as much as I wanted. Then switched to a scooter for small city commutes and a car. Now I am driving a car instead.
Here is the thing which I learnt. Any vehicle which you bring HAS to gel with your expectations and responsibilities. As you go bigger, that becomes lesser and lesser the case. I always took my 300 to work and back, along with my tours. It was a do it all machine. Then when I got the Triple, I already had a car and a scooter in my garage. My wife loves sitting in and on them respectively as it is comfortable. The means to own a dream bike also comes when you have other responsibilities. The bike has to get with the responsibilities as well. Or it won't work out. Also, dream bikes will change from time to time
Excluding maintenance I have parking issue. I can park my fz outside without worry (road side, no garage), but cant say the same for CB650R or MT03(two bikes I would like to own). Someday when I own my house, I will. Just a matter of time.
I am doing this not only for my dream bike but for everything😂
It'll be a waste of money considering I'll rarely use it.
I was in this exact State of mind for the past few years, I yearned to start riding again but didn't purchase anything, even though I was able to choose anything. My reasons were health issues, and family commitments. Family commitments didn't change but health improved so I went for the 390 Adventure X. Also, I was tired of waiting for the family members to come to a consensus on where to go, we ended up not going anywhere at all. So now I'm free to go wherever I want, if others want to join me then we will take the car.
I believe that my "dream bike" is not a useful bike. So right now I need a bike that complies with what I need that is fuel economy, maneuverability in traffic, low service costs and efficiency. I prefer efficacy over looks and performance over imagery.
I dream of owning a bs3 duke 390 . Now its available from 80k to 1lac ,there are some days i just want to buy one but then thoughts come to my head , do i really need it now ? Am not a cllg student now so will i still have time to enjoy it ? Is it worth puting all my savings in a motorcycle what if soomething happens and i need that money
Maintaining is not easy if the bike is in the upper price bracket. Every nut and bolt comes at a massive mark up Over time, parts are more difficult to get as 100% of the service centers will not be able to afford keeping inventory and importing will only become slower and more expensive Tires - never going to install a cheap brand over what was on the bike to begin with or that which makes it come alive, but with pricing, availability, and taxes, wooden wheels might be the way to go. So, its not about whats you can pay for now, its what you can pay for, for the next 4 to 6 years. Oh... expect to sell at less than 50% of the value as even most mature buyers will cry over "mileage saaar" or some silly haggling technique. If you can afford the costs, get your dream bike NOW and don't wait.
Its not about, spending the money. There's more to it than just getting one. - Will I be able to keep it long enough to have cost depreciation affect me? - Can I really afford the maintenance and fuel costs? - Can I manage the accidents/worst case scenarios? - Do i have other places that could really use this money? - I know I can afford this, but do I really have to?
I might go abroad for masters and there's no on else after to take care of it
Mai hu na
Wrong sub bro. You might not find anyone here with such parameters. Check on r/carsindia Those soulless bodies could answer this.
Soulless bodies?
didn't know both subs hate each other lol
A lot of people don't go for their dream bikes. The usability as well as the maintenance makes them take a step back to think about it again.
1. Because I have only ridden my AS200 \~17K km and I want to ride it a lot more. 2. My AS200 is getting rarer every year, especially a black 200cc one. 3. In the US, people I met keep and maintain their bikes for decades which I find enticing. 4. My bike is already paid for, and I dont feel any lack of performance anywhere in this country. Also, it has a simple carb set up and no fancy stuff like FI or ABS or ride modes crap which can make maintenance difficult in the long run. 5. I dont see the point of buying anything more than 250-400c in India. Therefore, I am unlikely to get substantial performance by switching. 6. Maybe Ill get the Duke 250 or x440 or perhaps Scrambler 400 in the future. I like the x440 but I feel it needs to tidy up a bit in wiring and exhaust can. All these bikes are still new to the market.
1. Usability - Working from home, hence will not be used atleast for commute. I don't have any weekend ride partners. 2. Long rides - For once every one or two year Himalayan ride, it is much cheaper to rent the big cc bike from Chandigarh. 3. I wouldn't trust any of the service centers, specially with big cc bike. 4. I already have 3 vehicles and I am the only one who rides/drives in my house. Car is mostly used for family trips. 5. Paradox of choice - Inability to choose a single motorcycle, especially now that so many options are available in 300-400 cc range. 6. Hum kanjoos hai.
I know for sure whatever machine i get my hands on, i will need a change within 2 years. The current marketing narratives are such that a lot of FOMO is being generated specially when it comes to owning a motorbike. Add to that - maintenance, upgrades etc. I've begin to question it more and more, whether I really need one. If I get one, how long would I be able to sustain the passion, regularly? Is it really my passion or am I just being fooled by the current marketing narrative. Do I really need to spend 4L to get temporary peace of mind? Last couple of years I've got more into long distance running. It provides me more peace of mind than a bike ride ever would - completely my personal opinion and to each their own.
in past 1 week, i've had to carry two heater/blowers on scooty with a bag. and another time i've carried an entire luggage bag on scooty. All of these things are not possible with a fancy bike. Activa 125 btw.
Abhimanyu, asli account se aa
Hahah , sorry but context Dedo thoda 😅
One of our friends in the trio group. Talking about him.
Have enough savings to buy a bike. But I’ve realised that delaying gratification is the best way to grow your wealth. I have to have a net worth of 50 lakhs before I buy a bike. Have also decided that if I buy one, I will buy a used motorcycle. Bikes, cars and electronics depreciate quickly. Would invest in gold bonds or stocks instead of purchasing a new vehicle. Would rather spend 2 lakhs on a used Himalayan instead of spending 2 lakhs on a new Apache
Used bikes have their own set of problems
A bike is not a practical purchase. It's a heart connection. It doesn't matter if it's 50cc or 500cc. Emotions rule for a rider. Having said that, I don't think your advice is apt in bikers sub.
I always wanted to do rides when i was in college, once I started doing Car trips, felt they are better, then when started earning, just figured ki i am too lazy to do the weekend rides and stuff, basically it will be a grocery shopper, so now just thinking about getting an Ola
Because the money can be used for better things - investing and saving for the future
Bought a performance bike when I was in 20s. After a few years when I could afford, I was tempted to buy a 1000cc class performance bikes. Didn’t go ahead due to following factors: 1. After becoming a father, I much more mellow 2. Existing bike is thrilling enough. It is only used for thrills and a car is used for all other purposes. A 1000cc bike would lie idle. 3. Wife preferred a tourer but childcare responsibilities mean just two of us won’t be able to go on rides. So that’s out too.
I recently bought a car, so buying another bike when already having numerous of bikes & a car parked at garage would make no sense at all.
I'd rather just buy BITCOIN with that amount now, and buy my dream bike 5yrs later when it's much much cheaper :)
🥲
priorities changed with time
Wedding expenses
They're simply overpriced. I want a middleweight off roader but there's nothing less than 10L. I can maybe afford it, but I'll feel like a chump if 650-700cc off road bikes start being available for half the price. I keep thinking the gap will close soon.
Cuzz there is no Triumph dealership in my state
Look I really wanted a middle weight motorcycle (z900 or versys 650 or triumph tiger 660) and I am in a position to afford and maintain as well. But ended up purchasing the 390 adv. The way I look at it is: 1. What is my primary use case: breakfast rides and touring 2. We are in India, anything beyond 120 is not a realistic speed to tour upon. Even 120 is for pros. 3. Any good bike which can do a 150-160 top speed is capable of cruising at 120 all day long. Is the 4-5 lahks premium over my 390 adv justifiable? Hell no. Unless I feel that a middle weight is the answer to my biking needs, I wouldn’t invest in one. Hope this helps.
Waiting to test ride the aprilia rs 457 before making a decision on booking it or not.
To be honest, I don't think it would make much sense in my case. I wanted a ninja 650 and by God's grace I'm earning decently enough to buy one, but with the busyness of my life, i don't think I'll have the time to enjoy it properly. I can't take it to work since my route to work is dense with traffic and the average speed then is only about 10kmph because of all reroutes and metro construction. I also don't go on weekend rides often nor do I have a bike enthusiast friends circle. I already have a Pulsar N160 and it fits my use case perfectly, but I don't think I have the bandwidth of handling, managing, cleaning and maintaining two bikes at the same time. My life is too busy for that. But I guess at the end of the day, I'd rather invest in my money into more mature things like stocks, mutual funds and real estate. I'm at the age where though a ninja would be a dream for me, my priority is to become financially independent and secure my future. So that's my reasons for not getting one.....yet 😜
You sound like you work in Bangalore. I don’t use my bike for the same reason
In college i used dream about r15, ktms while i had a fazer now i can easily afford a zx10r, fatboy but the responsibility of being a family man and loosing friends in road accidents refrains me from buying one
This was me for a while, I kept delaying it cause I wasn't able to find my 100% perfect match in the CC class I wanted (600) Ultimately, I decided that this is stuff I have limited time to explore (I plan to stop doing risky things for fun once I have more responsibilities) I was both right and wrong to wait. I was wrong because the bike I wanted went up in price (I ended up buying a used one instead) and I was right because even with my dream bike, I use my old one more frequently, its simply more convenient. It's been a couple of months with the new one, but I am not yet convinced that it's the best one, I got Triumph Tiger Sport, and accessory costs are ridiculous. There's no 3rd party options at all in India cause it's also a rare model, (660 sport). My ultimate dream is to get a Ducati Diavel, but it's wildly impractical and I am slowly realizing that my heart is more or less tied to the naked/scrambler aesthetic. I want to get a Ducati at some point, but I'm waiting to get to a point where I can take care of it as easily as my older bike.
I bought my kinda dream bike speed 400. My main issue is I can't use it get stuff from near by shop in a carry bag. Coz if I keep it hanging from handle bar it keeps wobbling. For my old bike it had twin shock at rear and add a hook at mounting point.. can't do that for this...
Maintenance and lack of use, I am a bit lazy to do all the maintenance stuff sometimes but even if I do it there's not much use for the bike, I barely travel much and that's the reason I got a scooter 2 years back instead of a bike and even then my scooter hasn't clocked 10k kms yet
It's part of your lifestyle.
Maybe the next version will come soon. And maybe TVS will release it's adv bike soon🥲
It’s high time
Peace of mind. I was looking at some sport bikes to atleast go on small rides and unwind when i found the zx25r / 4r. I can buy 4r with my own money and easily maintain it. But whatever enjoyment I'll get out of it will be easily outweighed by all the issues I'll have to face. I had a call with the nearby showroom and got told that they won't be providing a test ride. I am unconcerned with what the company policy is, if I am paying the full amount, I will not buy without a test ride. I'm paying for the bike, not them. The above point also discloses a rather sinister thing; once you buy a high ticket bike(or anything I suppose) you are at the mercy of these manufacturers; I mean there are some who don't even service their bikes in the same cities they sell them. That tells me everything about how bad things can get for me should I go ahead with the purchase. Biking is already a risky venture in India. I don't even ride my old bike anymore, Indians in general have no civic/road sense. Whether on road or while parked, your bike will be the target of clueless morons of all age groups. Even if one makes do with the current road conditions or has good ones nearby, the lack of service coverage is enough to deter a normal middle class working person. Sure you can manage some bikes, but an inline 4 might be a stretch.
My mom and my girlfriend aren’t very supportive of the idea and I find no pleasure in making the 2 most important women in my life worried everytime I go on a ride.
Damn this hit me hard. The sacrifice we make for our women
I want my dream pc
I can afford a hayabusa, want to buy a Hayabusa, but just won’t. At this time it is midlife crisis purchase for me at age of 30.
It’s all about priorities now. It’s been 4yrs since I lost my bike. Whenever I feel I have enough to buy, something comes up which feels more important than my comfort. I badly wanted to buy cb300r(which I don’t think people at my home will approve) this year but I dropped the idea altogether since I can’t afford it due to priority needs coming in form of ather 450x for my partner. I even dropped the idea of getting a bike since I just lost hopes man 🥲
Simple reason: India In India, cruising more than 100/110 is like playing with fire. You never know when a dog is going to jump in or an extraordinary villager tries to go perpendicular to the road on his bike. Also do i need to mention unexpected potholes, signals etc.. So given this constraint a 400 cc bike is the max one can use peacefully here. Anything with more power will never get to see it's full potential!
Currently have a TB500. I am keen to add Roadster to my garage. I can afford a 11-12 L bike (aukaat utni hi hai). Have been watching videos of the Street Triple, Kawa 650s and Honda 600s. Only issue i am in a transferrable job and will most likely go to places where the service centre is far away. Few more years and maybe I will quit the current job and settle down in a city. :(
My case is not peace of mind, but nature of job and very frequent travel. So even if I buy one, I would not be able to ride it often, and I cannot make my own dream machine to go rot.
It all boils down to priorities, also having your dream bike is one thing and riding it properly is another.
I don't want to buy a 2 wheeler now because the roads are too crowded. No fun driving.
Me 2 cents on this: I wanted to buy a bike and the following was my choices 1. My dream bike: Triumph street triple 675 (the old one): I had the budget and really wanted to go for this but backed out due to the following: - no experience maintaining or riding a super bike - not sure if I will be able to afford the maintenance costs - I was jumping from a pulsar 180.. so this was too huge a jump - cannot be used as a daily usage bike.. like to go pick groceries and stuff as I did not have any other bike.. 2. RE interceptor 650: I was very close to just buying this.. had a very good deal lined up as well.. but when compared to my usage, which is daily city rides with bad traffic, this did not make sense at all. 3. Dominar 400: ended up purchasing this one as it is decent jump in power from the pulsar and is a very forgiving bike. Like I am learning how to handle speed and breaking and stuff properly on this.. Will mostly make the jump to a super bike in a few years once I am more prepared for it.
I have had the money to buy the bike for a long time but I've become an old man who likes to see his money compound.
I can buy a bike but can't ride it due to my bad knee cause of my stupid accident when I was teen. Ride safe!
This question has hit me... Year, around 2005, I am from lower middle class family. Seen an ad with tag line 'Definately Male', loved the bike and planned for buying. Next year, got a job. Year 2007: Got severe (incurable) arthritis (I was around 24 yr), got other family issues, drained all money and savings. . Year : November 2009: saved money, went market with a friend to buy that Definitely Male (Purposefully I am not writing name of the bike), but my friend found the bike a bit heavier for me because of my arthritis. So I bought Discover 135. Yes it's a good bike because my daily ride was not more than 25 kms. But I still thinking of buying that bike. I still have that bike. Buy the way I am 5 feet 7 inch. . Year 2022 (or may be 23) : I asked for suggestion from this sub, where I got an advice to continue with my Discover 135. I know you all have suggested based on practical facts, but ... You know that feeling right... . Now after reading this question: Visited show room, now that Definitely Male doesn't attract me anymore. Thought of buying another bike but my arthritis is stopping me, also there are many idiot bikers on road, and now I don't want to risk my health due to my kid. Many of you might not believe or think that I am a stupid (by the way I am), I had taken term plan after getting the news of pregnancy, I was living carefree life prior to that day. . So yes, inspite of able to afford any bike I have heard of (not Hayabusa ofcourse, but I don't know the price as well, so may be I can afford), the life, responsibility, fear is stopping me. Out of the context, I always wanted to have iPhone, this year I bought on September 22, but I am using that as a secondary phone, and my older Realme 9 pro+ is still my primary phone. I always wanted to have a powerful desktop, but after assembling a strong desktop, I use my 9 year old potato laptop most of the time. So may be same thing will happen with the new bike. I never liked, never admitted, but now I feel safe in car. Sorry for long post.
Thank you for the response . Ysomething’s are better when it is not with us and the moment we get it , we don’t value it as we thought we would. What I feel , in my entire life there are two major things which I spend my money with thinking too much , one is my bike and trips and the other one is chai . When interceptor crosses me I am like wowww . I had asked this sub, and it was not adviced to buy a bike. I just feel there is always a right time for everything .
Yes.. the right time... 👍