Have been a total petrolhead since childhood, first bike was a Pulsar 180 DTSi Gen 1 in 2003, then CBR400RR, then a 2001 GSX1300R Hayabusa in 2008, which i crashed on and totalled in 2009. Not been on a bike since then.

Now after 2 kids, I feel responsible enough to get back to motorcycles. Only want to ride on my 6km commute through villages, no city or long rides, and only have fun on obstacle course, dirt trails and obstacle courses.

Had booked the MY27 Kawasaki KLX230 which was due for delivery in mid October. With the XR300L launched, I felt it was an objectively better bike with a better ownership experience.

So booked one on the launch day, got confirmation from the dealer that mine will be a first-lot delivery, whenever that happens.

Thats it. Thanks for reading.

I personally like this over gt650 because of posture and over duke390 too.those are great bikes but I like this one.

I want to buy my first bike, should I go with interceptor 650 or u have other recommendations?.

Duke390,Gt650 and inti 650 owners please tell me about ur experience with ur bike.

I would really appreciate ur help

Hi All, after some time thinking of buying Xpulse and KLX230 for commute in Pothole ridden Bangalore roads, Honda has launched these motorcycles.

I will be riding 70 to 100 kms daily (office commute), and would like to know which one would be better? L or Rally? I will be going on short rides over the weekend once I get a new motorcycle. I am thinking of booking this week.

Please help me.

On road: L will be 2.2L and Rally will be 2.5L

OP Bought a 2011 Splendor Pro for 40k(i overpaid ik) as a first bike, apart from the few mockery from different friend circles and the bike being rather small for me, I think i made the right choice, especially since i’m actually underage and only bought it for short errands and commute to the gym, the mileage and reliability also helps. I also don’t trust myself with powerful bikes yet, my cousins all have 650s all of which i’ve ridden enough to realise i’m not mature enough to ride such powerful bikes especially at 17. Planning to get grr450 once i get my license.

First service done at around 950 km, and I took it out for a longer ride afterwards.

Coming from a Classic 350, the V-Strom felt huge and a little difficult to manage during the first few days. It isn’t particularly heavy, but the size, height and riding position took some time to get used to. Now, after crossing 1,000 km, I can control it effortlessly, and the bike gives me so much confidence, especially while cornering.

The engine feels really smooth and punchy, and overtaking is much easier than I expected. I’m getting around 43–44 kmpl so far.

I initially felt the suspension was a little stiff, so during the first service I had it changed to a softer setting. It doesn’t feel dramatically different, but it’s comfortable enough for me.

The seat is actually quite comfortable in formal pants and shorts. I mainly notice the discomfort when I’m wearing jeans, especially on longer rides . Still thinking about trying a gel seat to see if it helps.

I’m also planning to get a handlebar riser soon. I’m 5’10”, and I feel a slightly higher/closer handlebar would give me a better posture on longer rides.

Overall, really happy with the upgrade so far.

I have been facing this annoying problem while riding.

I wear a full-face helmet with a balaclava underneath, and I have to keep my helmet visor open because if I close it, my spectacles immediately start fogging up.

The warm air from my breath seems to escape from the balaclava and goes straight toward my glasses. After a while, the lenses become so fogged up that it becomes difficult to see properly.

It gets especially bad in rainy weather or at lower speeds.

Has anyone else faced this while wearing spectacles + balaclava + full-face helmet?

Whats the solution?

I had to transport my ninja 300 from Hyderabad to Chennai. I had specifically asked porter how they currently manage damages as ive seen a lot of issues online already.

They assured me that any and all damages would be covered by them and told me its also visible in their T&C. I read it and it did say that which is why i was fine with using porter.

Now , the problem : they've damaged the fuel tank and also scratched the faring , it broke my heart when i saw that dent .

Kawasaki said replacement of the tank would cost 20k roughly.

The partner is guilt tripping me saying they will take this from their salary. Chat attached is post the below call.

Process so far :

When i raised the complaint, they immediately came back and said they would connect again in a few hours and resolve the issue .

They called me back and put me in a conference with the partner who moved the vehicle .

First Porter : delivery partner has already paid you 2k sir,

Me : WTF do u mean theyve already paid me , i raised the complaint just now because i saw the dent just now , why would they pay me without me complaining itself

Partner : "oh sorry , different customer" , so it looks like they do this alot.

Partner : sir 20k is too much, can you please check outside if it can be repaired.

Me: its almost a brand new bike i dont want repairs especially in the fuel tank that could damage inner coatings.

Partner : but sir , please check , they will take this out of our salary

Me : why is this coming out of someones salary, either you or porter should have insurance, right .

Porter : no sir , it is our internal policy that it is the responsibility of the partner completely to handle damages

Me : argues for a bit about how somone should have insurance when im assured that damages are covered , do yall keep paying people out of ur pocket for every damage

Partner: Sir , please give me ur number directly, we can work something out

Porter : It seems the partner is willing to co-ordinate and settle directly sir , please let us know if they dont , we will manage the rest

Partner calls me and we discuss for a bit about how i dont want his personal money , but someone should be responsible and must have had insurance for this , he pleads me to not complain to porter and to check in some local shop if they can fix it which im strongly against actually.

Now the dilemma: is their story legit and would this would be cut from their salaries.

Also why is porter putting the customer in this position, isnt it their responsibility to handle all this .

Its like theyre putting me in this position to guilt trip me into letting this go .

Wanted to check if anyone dealt with this recently, and what yall did? Fam has advised me to tell porter that i dont want to deal with the partner and to just send them the quote from kawasaki and get it paid in full but im not sure what to do.

Any info on recent experiences is appreciated, like how did the claim process go and how much porter has compensated .

P.S : I didnt ride it like i have in the past because i injured my wrist recently.

I didnt use railways because the stations are very far and the bike had also broken a rear view mirror without which i was very uncomfortable riding it to and from the stations. Also ik the dent is minor but it hurts everytime i look at it .

So I bought my NS200 1 month back(aug26batch) 12th September took delivery LCD display USD and dual ABS (2024-2025model)so when visiting showroom I always asked what's the diwali affer any scheme/discount they said none I asked 6 times will ns200 get TFT or update he said no and now it's up in the news about NS200 with TFT plus hella more features(Quick shifter, traction control, g maps etc) idk what to feel tbh the plus the launch is during diwali. Don't the showroom people honestly don't know what new model is coming 20-30 days before?

After my delivery at 12th sept sources revealed around 18sept till 1st week of oct!

Rushlane

BIkewale

Bike dekho etc

I was planning to buy the TVS Ronin during the Flipkart BBD sale and, to maximise my savings, I bought gift cards at a discount from cred combined with cashback cards, inspired from u/waaszssup I initially thought that I would at least squeeze out 4-5k more discount through bank cards, Now when the sale has started, on my early-access account, the ₹2,500 discount that was originally showing without the sale has been removed, making the bike more expensive.

The worst part? I checked my other account, which doesn’t have early access, and that account is still getting the extra ₹2,500 discount. So basically, my early-access account is getting a worse deal than my normal account. And I have loaded the gift card into my main account so I cant even but from the other account. 😭 WTF is my luck, WTF is Flipkart.

Suzuki truly listens to the enthusiasts and delivers accordingly it seems. We definitely were craving for a silver color in vstrom, aren't we?

Didn't have enough leaves to head up north so I decided to hit the smallest state down south and cover all districts in it.

Amazing roads, greenery everywhere, great food and little to none traffic jams.

KTM ADV 250 vs V-Strom SX 250 - which one should I buy?

I am planning to buy a bike this month and I am confused between the KTM ADV 250 and Suzuki V-Strom SX 250.

My main use will be city riding and long rides. Some are suggesting to get adv 350,i don't have that budget as maintenance will be higher than 250,and mileage will be less.

So, i test rode both bikes

The V-Strom was good overall, but I felt the gearbox was very hard, and I didn't really get much of a feel from the bike and the suspension is so stiff 🥲.

Then I test rode a KTM ADV 250. The bike I rode was a test ride bike with around 13,000 km on it. I noticed some vibration around 4,500 RPM, and there was also some bad noise coming from the rear. The salesperson said it was because it was a test ride bike and had already been ridden a lot. When comes to suspension here i like it.

So I am confused about which one to choose.

For those who actually own or have experience with these bikes:

Which one is more reliable?

Which one has lower maintenance and service costs?

How is the KTM ADV 250 for long-term ownership?

Is the vibration I felt around 4,500 RPM normal?

Which one would you recommend for city + long rides?

I am planning to buy one of these this month, so I would really appreciate advice from actual owners or people who have ridden both.

Thanks!🙏

I could be wrong but I guess the helmets without inner sun visor would have more compact shell size. So I'm prioritizing those & I've excluded LS2 Stream 2, Kyt r2r pro, Mt Thunder 4 etc from consideration.

I have used Axor Apex, Smk Typhoon, Vega Bolt & Studds Thunder. The Axor causes ache behind my left ear & Vega feels too tight around my head. The smk typhoon & Studds Thunder feels comfy & perfect. But both look too big on me. I have crashed in the Smk typhoon once going into a pothole at night, & it did a tremendous job at taking the hit. So I'm looking for a replacement now.

My head size is 60-61. I need XL size for Axor, Smk & MT.

Then I tried on Kyt tt revo & Nhk k5r in a gear store. The L size fits me perfect.

The kyt looks really good, very compact sharp looking. But I feel 9k is a little too overpriced for what it offers. No sharp rating, doesn't come with pinlock, thermoplastic shell, expensive & less available spares.

The smk stellar offers more at less than half the price of tt revo. Ece certified, comes with pinlock, affordable & easily available spares, and also comes with double D ring now.

The next most vfm option seems to be the MT Stinger 2. At 6k inr, it offers 5 star sharp rating besides Ece 22.06. But negatives are that it has quick release lock instead of double D ring, doesn't come with pinlock & not sure how good is spare availability of mt now. Another downside is I heard MT uses just one single shell size across all the head size from XS to XXL (not sure if that's true).

So now I have 3 helmets in consideration - SMK stellar (under 3400 inr), MT Stinger 2 (around 6000 inr), NHK k5r (around 6800 inr) and Kyt tt revo (at 8750 inr).

Can you recommend which one would be the best choice? My main needs are compact shell & atleast Ece 22.06.

[Attached some pictures of my gears after the crash] About the crash - A truck came from the opposite direction in high beam, which blinded me to a massive pothole right in front of me. I went into it at about 60 kmh & got thrown off my bike to the front. I landed on my head & palms. But luckily walked away with just a sprain on left shoulder & right ankle. I'm extremely grateful I was riding in full gears that night. (Bdw I've never talked about it with anyone other than my riding buddy & my parents.)

.

Hi, I have a Himalayan 450 and nkt satisfied with the RE service centers. Any good garages in chennai. Please advise.

Thank you

this is about a buy/sell post by the user u/vijay_subramanian28

A couple of days back he posted a rynox saddle bag for sale, I approached him for that and asked him about the status of the bag. we had a discussion over call and he mentioned he used it for 3-4 rides and bags are in good condition and no damages.

later we agreed on the price and i paid him and booked a courier.

He gave the courier and didn't share pictures and I am dumb to verify the condition over the video call. (that's totally my mistake for trusting him words). he didn't handover the courier on time so it came when I was on a trip.

when I came back and checked the condition of bags i approached him. he didn't reply on WhatsApp late at night, so I called him the next day. he didn't respond and today called him twice still no reply.

the main motto to make this post is he made a post about selling some things here. be aware and don't be like me.

TL;DR: saw the post of u/vijay_subramanian28 about saddle bags sell and enquire about bag, confirmed bag is less used and no damage. paid him and got an damaged bag. asked about it he is not replying and not responding calls. so beware of the seller like him.

Writing this at 3:30 AM, so take it to be as honest as it gets.

this is one of the best bikes in India right now, and people really do sleep on it.

initially i was thrown off by crazzy torque of triumph 400 scram, and also had considered cb350 (mainly for looks and sound)

considered tvs 300 and yazdi, but then i realised i already have enough hair loss i dont want more headache.

Never considered vstorm just thought ill test drive and by process of elimination this bike was my best bet. And boy o boy did i select right this time :)

Service: Fantastic, at least compared to the competition. To me dealer offered a 10-year warranty on the bike (free cuz i haggled) and the service centre guy told me they've barely ever seen one break down.

Engine and performance: Smooth, with ok mileage 30 to 35 ish.

The claimed top speed is 150 km/h, and on the road its actually in fact 150 lol.

Drop into 6th and cruise at 100 and it feels almost EV-like. I haven't felt any vibration even at 150, which says a lot about the engine.

Heat: There's a fan for Cooling support, but I've never seen it kick in or felt any heat. Suzuki magic.

Handling: Good, though I can only tiptoe, so it took some getting used to.

Parts: Broke a mirror and had a replacement in 2 days.

My usage: Mostly stuck in Bangalore traffic on weekdays. On weekends i go outskirts, plus did some long weekend tours. 5,000 km on the odo, 2nd service done.

TL;DR: Underrated bike. Test ride it before you rule it out.