Never choose a sports bike for long tours or else be prepared for a severe back ache. Learn basics of the bike before planning for a road trip as you might be required to fix basic problems yourself. Some of the primary aspects of the bike you need to consider before choosing a bike –
- Vibration
- Seating posture
- Road clearance
- Overheating
- Tyres
- Headlights
- ABS
- Disc Brakes
- Responsive Gears
- Availability of service centers
- Stands
Below are Top 5 cruiser Bikes in India under Rs. 200,000 (2 lakh)
Thunderbird 500cc
Engine: 500cc
Fuel: 20ltr
Mileage(overall): 34kmpl
0 to 60 kmph: 5.5s
Price: Rs. 182,000 Ex-Showroom (Mumbai)
The saddle height of the bike is low which is very comfortable on long rides. Front and rear both have disc brakes so you get all the safety you require. The 20L petrol tank ensures that you do not require refueling often. Torque in the lower gears are great and bike rides very well at the speed of 40-50kmph in fourth gear, one you might be using often for long distance rides. Though you would be riding a 200kg machine however, the handling is so easy that you might not feel it and it would feel like riding a 125/150 cc bike. Other features that make it a perfect motorcycle for touring enthusiasts are projector lamps, fuel injection, LED tail lamps and rich digital meter console.
Honda CBR 250R ABS
Engine: 249.1cc
Fuel: 13ltr
Mileage(overall): 30kmpl
0 to 60 kmph: 3.8s
Price: Rs. 199,240 Ex-Showroom (Mumbai)
CBR 250R is one of the few available bikes in India which is good for city rides and great for touring. The seating posture for the bike is not very suitable for long rides but with slight change in riding style it would not be any problem. The bike has a very high ground clearance and with no center stand, it becomes even better. It could take big Indian road breakers with ease without abrading the bottom. The headlights are strong and ABS could be life saver while riding in night or through tunnels. Disc brakes give you confidence while you are riding even at high speed. The gears are smooth and tubeless tyres will ensure that you do not have to stop often for puncher tyre. The bike has excellent cooling system so, not problem of heated engine too.
Bajaj Avenger 220 DTS-i
Engine: 219.8cc
Fuel: 14ltr
Mileage(overall): 46kmpl
0 to 60 kmph: 4.5s
Price: Rs. 77,480 Ex-Showroom (Mumbai)
Bajaj Avenger 220 is not a 100% cruiser bike technically but due to its affordable prices it is one of the popular bikes used in India for long rides. The bike is fitted with air cooled single cylinder 4-stroke engine that gives out peak power of 19PS with 17.5NM or torque. The bike could ride smoothly at 100kmph but beyond that the engine would feel stressed. The bike has front disc brakes but rear is fitted with drum brakes which could make braking tough at high speeds. The tube type tyres are another drawback for the bike which could pose real problem when driving for long stretches. Be prepared for long stops in case you get a puncture which could not be ruled out. With a mileage of 30-35kmpl and a fuel tank of 14l capacity you could only go up to 400km before requiring a refill. Upright posture for rider and comfortable seats are a big plus.
Royal Enfield Classic 500cc
Engine: 499cc
Fuel: 13.5ltr
Mileage(overall): 33kmpl
0 to 60 kmph: 3s
Price: Rs. 160,339 Ex-Showroom (Mumbai)
This bike once again might not be completely considered as cruiser bike but people in India love it due to its brand and comfortable ride. The first thing in touring motorcycle is the fuel it could take and Classic 500cc could only take 13.5 ltrs. With an average of 30-35 kmpl, it could go only up to 400+ kms which might pose some problems as petrol bunks are rare in remote areas. One might be required to carry 5-10 ltrs of extra petrol while going on long rides. Lack of tubeless tyres is another negative which might need to be considered seriously you you want tension free rides. Punctures while touring could take away the joy which might be frustrating at times. Lack of ABS could be another dampner for its choice. The bike has disc brake in front and drum brake in rear which might not be very safe when cruising at high speeds taking the weight of the bike into account. The tourer gives out 27.2BHP of peak power with 41.3NM of torque.
Bajaj Pulsar AS 200
Engine: 199.5cc
Fuel: 12 ltr
Mileage(overall): 34 kmpl
0 to 60 kmph: 4.98s
Price: Rs. 93,610 Ex-Showroom (Mumbai)
One of the requirement of a tourer is that it should go fast. In Indian conditions and the type of roads we have on highways, speed up to 120kmph might be enough. True top speed of AS 200 is 138kmph which is more then enough for a perfect highway bike. More than the speed there is enough torque at even speeds above 100kmph which is very much required for overtaking without shifting down the gears. On a tank full of gas AS 200 could go up to 504kms with an average of 42kmpl. One of the very important aspect of a highway machine is its ability to go calmly even at high speed. The Bajaj bike does it efficiently as there is negligible vibration in it and at the end of journey your hands would not feel numb. Despite being stiff it takes on the bad roads with ease and minimum road imperfections are transferred to the rider. 280mm disc in front and 230mm disc brakes in back gives good stopping power to the bike and grippy tubeless tyres further adds to the stability.
Bajaj Pulsar 220F
Engine: 220cc
Fuel: 15 ltr
Mileage(overall): 38 kmpl
0 to 60 kmph: 3.9s
Price: Rs. 88,382 Ex-Showroom (Mumbai)
One of the bikes you should consider for long tours is Bajaj Pulsar 220F. The bike gives overall mileage of 38kmpl and has a fuel tank of 15ltr which could go up to 550+ kms. Tubeless tyres are another great added advantage when going for long tours. Disc brakes gives stability to the bike much required for long drives. Nitrox shock absorber in the rear and telescopic, with anti-friction bush front suspension ensures that you do not feel the bad roads.
6 Comments
I think Honda unicorn 150cc is also best for long drive.
RS 200 (ABS) is also one of good bike for long touring, even i also took my bike RS 200 (ABS) from Delhi to Reshikesh, Mussoorie and it is really comfortable bike
I have a fazer bike version 1 it gives a mileage 30kmpl…bt I reached the speed upto 140kmph…it is so favour for me…fazer is also good for long riding and traffic race…
Yes karizma is a gud choice, especially its a 223 cc bike with average hp, suitable for ling rides also !! Me and my friends used a set of ktm bike like 3 duke and 2 rc , we covered around 2000 km up and down from southindia!! Ktm done a gr8 job, bt rc , hmm both rc gave drivers a good backpain!! And made us lil disappointed about its over heating! DUKE , RE, KARIZMA, MOJO,CBR, these are good riding bikes for average guys!!
Yes, krizma also a very good bike, I use them for leh tour. We cover 3200km (approximate) with 12 days and no face any kind of difficulty by my karizma. and feel my choice for riding krizma was outstanding.
Good average, comfortable, big wheel for ruff road, sitting posture etc.
you’ve forgot karizma zmr.i don’t know about the new zmr model.but i once used 2009 zmr model for a long tour.we and our friends have covered more 4000 kms in less than ten days.its then we’ve understood that only few bikes are suitable for long rides.the bikes which ran all these distances with much ease are zmr,pulsar 220,bullet electra 350 and 500,bullet thunder bird 350,avenger 220,one imported yamaha bike(i don’t remember its name).
also we’ve understood that we should never use the small 150 and 180 cc bikes for such long rides.they’ve rattled and have stopped working for hours for nearly few hours that the one with that small bikes had to cancel their tour with us coz they they understood that their small bikes are not going to take such long tours and they don’t want to spoil our touring enthusiasm.and we’ve continued with our tour.