Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi
Reports of poor reliability, persistent rumours of problems with the fuel injection system and reports of poor quality components being used on Bajaj bikes. Plus, the whole Pulsar thing has become something of a cliche - just about everyone has a Pulsar.
Yamaha YZF R15
I'm a big, fat bloke who's in his mid-30s, and the slim, svelte R15 looks like it's built for slim, trim teenagers. Or people who've been really careful about their waistline. My sheer mass would look out of place on the R15, sob! Also, when I test rode the bike, I found the gearshift to be notchy and the ergonomics didn't really work for me. Yamaha could have also worked harder on the styling of the bike's tailpiece, which looks out of place on what's otherwise a very stylish machine. How I wish this was a bigger, more substantial 250, with at least 30-35bhp on tap. I would have bought the bike immediately...
Kinetic Blaze
Oh yes, I did consider the Blaze also, primarily because my wife wanted me to buy something that she could also ride. With its Hyosung-derived engine, the Blaze offers a reasonable amount of performance and looks good too. However, the Blaze's build quality has always been suspect and with Mahindra & Mahindra having taken over Kinetic, I was not sure whether they would even continue making the Blaze. If production stops in the next 2 - 4 months, there'll soon be issues with getting spares etc. Also, I didn't really want a scooter, did I...? ;-)
Kawasaki Ninja 250R
Bajaj is expected to launch the Kawasaki Ninja 250R in India within the next 4 - 5 months, but then they've been showing the Ninja 250 at the Auto Expo in Delhi for the last 12 years. Yup, they've been talking about getting the small Kaw to India since 1996. God alone knows when (or if ever) the Ninja 250 will be launched in India, so there's no point in waiting for this one.
Hero Honda Karizma
Too old, too dull. The Karizma simply hasn't kept pace with the competition. Where's the fuel-injection and the extra 5bhp? Why haven't Hero Honda given the bike a major styling revamp? Where's the rear monoshock? Where's the better tyres, better suspension and rear disc brake? Nope, the Karizma simply isn't for me.
Enfield Bullet 500
A 500cc engine would have been nice to have, but I associate the Enfield Bullet with 'old' and 'heavy' and 'clunky.' Perhaps the bike isn't really that way and maybe it's just my pre-conceived notions. Whatever, I don't think I can live with the Bullet, period.
TVS Apache RTR 160 Fi
I once had the opportunity to keep the original Apache 150 for a few weeks, and somehow we never got along very well. The idea of a revvy, fuel-injected, reasonably powerful engine is cool, but I don't like the way the Apache handles and I think the gearshift quality is poor. At least it was, on the old Apache I had. Umm... I don't know... getting a TVS didn't seem right, somehow.
Author of http://motorcyclistforlife.blogspot.com/
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1 comments:
March 7, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Fz16 is da real lord of de streets...karizma doesnt have comfort in city rides..fz rokz..
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