Thursday, 8 May 2014

What kind of Bike should you Buy?


Are you a bike enthusiast? Bikes are one of the greatest joys known to mankind, men in particular! These days however, women bikers are also making their presence felt in India and this is heartening news for bike makers and mainstream companies operating in this sector. There are many companies operating in this market space indeed and they are coming out with more and more products for both men and women. Scooters and bikes now rule the Indian market with elan and popular bike companies are facing competition from premium bike brands. The presence of top brands like Harley Davidson, Hyosung, Kawasaki, Indian and others would have been unfathomable in earlier decades.


Bikes in India
However, the new breed of superbike and premium bike enthusiasts is pulling out all the stops to acquire and enjoy these mean machines and luxury bike brands are having a blast in India. Harley Davidson even went a step ahead and unveiled the Street 750 at a delectable price for Indian bike lovers. The low prices were possible through local assembling and lower duties and taxes as a result. This is one good move by Harley Davidson and even other globally acknowledged bike companies are coming out with more and more products for the Indian market. Which bike should you ideally purchase? The bike market in India is governed to large extent by the budget of the customer.

Your budget will ultimately determine your purchase and the kind of options you have. You have to determine the kind of usage experience you are looking at with your bike. Are you a daily commuter looking for efficient daily usage experiences? Are you looking for a bike that gives you a fabulous experience with regard to tackling congested traffic and daily hassles? Are you looking for a bike that gives you greater savings in terms of fuel economy and is a practical option to use on an everyday basis? If your answer is yes, you should definitely go for entry level or commuter bikes. There are some particular specialized commuter bikes that are now available in the country.

These bikes are fuel efficient, give you greater savings and are easy to use on a daily basis for commuting to work or other places of interest. These bikes are long lasting, durable and come with the latest features like start stop technology these days. Start stop technology has revolutionized the entire fuel efficiency concept and has helped people save more on their daily running costs. You can go for either the Bajaj Discover range of bikes or the Splendor iSmart from Hero Motors. The latter has been a time tested, popular bike that was once very popular with Indian customer. The Hero Honda Splendor was a very affordably priced, popular bike that resonated with a large section of youngsters and mid generation customers alike.

The legacy has survived as it seems and this new generation Splendor certainly deserves our recommendation as a top notch commuter bike. You can expect to spend between INR 35, 000 to INR 70, 000 for these bikes. There is another category of bikes that you might be very interested in. This pertains to top superbikes like the Kawasaki Ninja and the CBR. Yamaha also has bikes in these segments. These superbikes provide ample speed and acceleration abilities and are great options if you have the cash and the passion to spend on power and thrills. However, there is one aspect that often turns out to haunt superbike users, namely the quality of Indian roads and the growing levels of traffic congestion in major cities. This is why most superbike riders cannot really ride at high speeds and harness the full potential of these bikes. There are very few roads and driving tracks available and this is a major deterrent to buying superbikes. These bikes are mostly available between INR 1.5 lakhs to INR 5 lakhs and above. The Suzuki Hayabusa and the KTM Duke are other recommended options in this segment.

The Bajaj Pulsar is also in a class of its own and these powerful options defy categories and stereotypical branding maneuvers with their powerful features and overall ability. Alongside, you can also go for top end bikes from Harley Davidson, Indian, Hyosung and Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield in particular, has brought out an enticing café racer bike which should be a tempting proposition if you have the budget to afford the same. Good options in this segment include the Harley Davidson Street 750 which was mentioned earlier. This segment will have you spending anywhere between INR 1 lakhs and INR 7 lakhs depending upon the bike in question.

If you are looking to buy a full fledged Harley Davidson with all the frills, expect to shell out anything between INR 8 lakhs and INR 16 lakhs for the same! There are multiple bikes in every category depending upon your desires, needs and particular budget. You can easily purchase top end luxury bikes in India now and that too without any hassles. More and more companies are in the race to launch their products in India and this spells good news for bike enthusiasts and lovers. The premium segment is doing pretty well in India, more than what was expected actually and this augurs well for the growth of the biking market in general. If you are into superbikes and are thinking of buying one, you should also check out biker forums and clubs for advice. Not only will you be empowered with regard to making the right choices, you will also be able to join a vibrant community of riders and partake in newer experiences that are both enlightening and informative at the same time. India is now a melting pot of various brands and there never was a better time to snap up a bike. You have to decide on your budget and choose your preferred bike accordingly. Here’s to a successful bike purchase decision on your part!



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