I test rode the gladiator today and the bike did seem very good. I will soon be giving away my old boy CT100 to a cousin of mine and have decided this time to buy a bike with good looks and better performance.
All the reviews posted in mouthshut on Gladi are reassuring but still would like to get rid of some points of anxiety.
1) To begin with absolutely stunning looks. Just the kind I need. But I dont know why I get this feeling, the initial impression that the bike is bit too fancy and whether whatever that lies beneath will be equally better.
2) I know I will get accustomed, but the gear pattern is a bit of a concern. 1 down and 4 up. So far it has been 4 straight down .
3) Spare parts and service. I dont have any nearby Yamaha service centre and may have to all the way ride up about 16kms for one. I think there are only about 3 to 4 service centres in Chennai. This is a bit of a worry since the thought of relying upon a single service centre, should something serious suddenly go wrong with the bike bothers me. Also I would like to know whether service centres such as the castrol bike zone can be relied upon after those intial rounds of new service.
4) What really is the difference between the SS and the graffiti type other than looks. When I asked the showroom agent why the Graffiti was much lower than the SS, he couldnt think of anything valid but just said’handle bar design’ . What difference would it make if go for the graffiti?
I consider the TVS Flame and Honda stunner too. TVS flame is kind of disapproving because of those problems with cold start and vibrations(As a matter of fact my CT100 vibrates like a teapot at speeds of 60 - 70kmph) Stunner is equally appealing but for that I may have to stretch my budget .My maximum limit is upto 55k.
I would appreciate valuable suggestions and guidance to help me with my decision.