The Indian motorcycle market has come a long way and has a long way to go. From a time where we could count the number of motorcycles on our finger tips to a time where we are inundated with options, the Indian motorcyclist’s patience has been tested time and again. Today, there are a slew of options in almost every price bracket and we list down the 5 bikes we feel everyone should ride, at least once.
1) KTM Duke 390 – On the top spot is of course KTM’s hot new Duke 390, a bike which re-writes not only the price funda but also juggles up the very definition of value for money performance. Forget numbers, the Duke 390 is a bike which can make you scream with fear, it’s so fast and that too in a raw way. Hit the mid-range and the bike is all ready to take off. In fact the Duke 390 is so fast, it can reach 130 km/hr on almost every road and there is no hint of bogging down till 150 km/hr.
2) Kawasaki Ninja 300 – How many bikes can you name which can take you across the country in utmost comfort, take you to office without make a tandori of you while at the same time also be used to attack corners on the track? I bet none, at least none cheaper than Kawasaki’s Ninja 300 which can do it all. Comfortable ergonomics, space for touring bags and razor sharp handling all help this green machine become an all-rounder.
3) Honda CBR150R – Not the bike to amble around town, the CBR150R might lack low-end torque but the way it redlines can make you want to do just that, all day long. The CBR150R comes into its own past 8000 RPM, which also happens to be the centre position on the tachometer. The redline comes in at 11,800 RPM and it’s between these RPMs that the CBR150R is a complete hoot. If you haven’t tasted first blood yet, it’s time you do so.
4) Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS – If you have inhibitions that Pulsars aren’t the best handling bikes out there, then you need to ride the second generation Pulsar. The 200 NS is a gigantic leap for the Pulsar franchise and it’s everything that you would expect from a world-class product. The 200 NS handles like a charm and in spite of it being priced very attractively, the performance is simply not matched by bikes costing much more.
5) Royal Enfield Continental GT – What? A bike from the makers of the Bullet in the list? The Continental GT is by far the best Royal Enfield we have ridden but that’s not all. This bike is one of the most fun to ride bikes in the market today. The handling can pleasantly surprise you while performance in the mid-range is terrific. What’s the icing on the cake? You look super cool when on the saddle.
