Guys Pulleeaassee forgive me. Yes, bikes are my passion which explains the 3rd review on this topic. I undertake that my next write up would be on something that does not allow people taking them for a drive. Forgive me till then.
I have driven the following bikes for quite sometime(thanks to my generous friends and cousins). These are my personal experiences. I am not infallible. So, please dont flame me if you dont agree. I just hope my experience would be of some help to someone.
Enticer:
Pros:
1. Good looks
2. Great Comfort
3. Quite stable at low speeds less than 65 Kmph
4. Best bike of 2002 by Wheels of BBC
5. Cost(around 48K) great value for money.
Cons:
1. Engine - Same as Crux - Good but not very performant
2. Mileage - 45 Kmpl less for the capacity
3. Features - No Tachometer, Disc Brakes, Electric Start, Leather What do you expect of less than 50K bike
4. Uncomfortable at speeds more than 80 Kmph(unlikely on chennai roads)
Note: My friends tell me it is indeed stable at high speeds if you correct the air pressure at rear tyre. Seems wrongly specified.
Eliminator:
Pros:
1. Top Class Engineering and Build Quality
2. Great Comfort - Slightly better than Enticer
3. Superb Stability
4. Quite stable even at 100 Kmph
5. Best Built Bike by Wheels of BBC
6. Features - Disc Brakes, Tachos, Electric Start
7. Good Cruiser
Cons:
1. Too costly(Bike for 90K? What the )
2. Engine some 170 and odd cc and 15 BHP
- I would have preferred a bigger engine for the price.
Pulsar:
Pros:
1. Best bike as told to me by my trusted mechanic
2. All parts Indian - Mera Bharat Mahan
3. Superb Features - Disc Brakes, Tachos, Electric Start
4. Great Looks
5. Superb Pick up
6. Fantastic 60 ish Kmpl mileage on 150 cc
7. Pretty stable and Ideal for cities
8. ~50K for fully loaded 150 cc - Gr8 value for money
9. Great Build quality and affordable Spares
Cons:
1. Gear box slips many a times - false neutrals
2. Engine not smooth at first Gear
3. Backaches on riding for more than 30 min(Coming to office?)
4. Pillion rider comfort is a cause of concern. As sanjeev points out, You ride in the basement and pillion sits on 2nd floor:-)
Ambition:
Pros:
1. From Hero Honda - Reliability, Build Quality etc.
2. Mileage of 60 Kmpl(Probably a new bike)
3. Sane bike, decently priced
Cons:
1. Looks need more attitude for this segment
2. Nothing special is offered from Splendour. Pickup is still lousy as in splendour
Splendour:
Pros:
1. Low cost of maintenance – standard service is OK
2. Consistently 60 ish Mileage for more than 4 years
3. Easily serviceable
4. Low pollution
Cons:
1. Low pick up irritating us sometimes(when overtaking)
2. No great features
3. Not worth the initial cost some 46K
Caliber:
Identical to Splendour a shade of couple of thousand bucks cheaper
Great Bikes:
Boxer for City and Bullet 500 for Highways
Boxer:
I love this bike - Why? Read on:
This bike(AR) comes at 32K, 7.75 BHP and 70+ Kmpl is the best bike for city as it offers tremendous value for money. The Maintainability is fine and the bike is easily serviceable and nothing to flaunt but great to own.
It maintains a very good pollution standards and is completely - read completely - indigeneous. Guys test drive this, evaluate the features and then go for any other bike. A very sensible Buy you will never regret.
Pros:
1. Low initial investment
2. Great Mileage
3. Acceptable maintenance(On the lower side)
4. Easily serviceable
5. Definitely Dependable
6. Ease of handling
7. Low Pollution in emissions
Cons:
1. Very light – Not suitable for long drives
2. Nothing to make others sat wow when you pass
Bullet 500:
This is a great bike. Full stop. Read my review on this product for details. Great for highways and cruise. Need some extra fittings but fits like a hand in glove to disc brakes, raised bars etc etc. Though this cannot be compared to legendary Harley Davidson but this has some character of its own. This Bike is a legend and Biking becomes your Passion
Pros:
1. Superb Stability
2. Great riding comfort for long distance
3. Upgradeable – We can plan for investments step by step
4. Solid even after 20 years
5. Smooth handling
6. Pillion Rider comfort
7. The beat
Cons:
1. Lack of innovation on part of Royal Enfield
2. No jigna features like tachos, electric start(in India), discs as built in
3. Maintenance effort and costs
4. Not very comfortable in crowded city roads
Cheers,
Ram
E & OE
