I came across some of the articles here on "buying a dream bike" and when I read those, I saw someone thought’X’ bike was good while someone else thought’Y’ bike was good. As as experienced biker, I thought I should add my own, unbiased thoughts here.So, how do you start choosing a bike?
First of all, define your requirements.
No one else can judge what’s right for you - only you would know what are your expectations from your dream bike, and if you are not sure of your expectations, then there is a lot of homework to be done. What are your requirements - do you need a bike for daily commute or do you want something which will turn heads wherever you go? Tourer, commuter, naked or all-purpose? There are bikes which can go blindingly fast, there are bikes which are supremely comfortable, there are bikes which are very cheap to own and maintain and there are bikes which can cross the subcontinent with a tankfull of fuel. There are zillions of bikes in the market catering to every possible demand, and let’s be honest, you can’t have everything in one package, you have to list your priorities and preferences. A definitive list should contain all the variables - Performance, Mileage, Comfort, Looks, Features, Price, Service Availability listed out in order of importance. So, for someone who wants to buy a touring motorcycle, comfort and reliability should have higher priority than performance and looks. For someone who wants a commuter, initial price and mileage would take higher priority. Once you have your requirements defined clearly, you’ll find that choosing a bike suddenly becomes a lot easier, since you have a picture in mind. Now all you need to do is eliminate the ones which don’t fit your requirements and shortlist the ones which suit your need.
Do a bit of research
Now that you know what you are looking for, it’s time for some research. Don’t follow the advertisements or salesmens’ talks blindly. There are several tech-words that salesmen and ads will throw at you. ABS, EFI, TPS, HECS, RTR, APDV, Triple Spark, BlueCore, CombiBraking, Liquid Cooling, Oil Cooling - do you know what do they all mean and whether they are really useful or not? If not, get on to Google and do your research. You will get to know that while some of the terms are actually useful, while other terms are just fancy marketing names. Get to know the functional and technical features that would be helpful for you - for example, the sporty fariring on bikes like the R15 not only looks good, it provides good wind protection at high speed, but it makes the bikes heavier and difficult to maneuver in tight traffic. EFI(Electronic Fuel Injection) eliminates the need for a choke and gives better fuel economy. ABS prevents your wheels from skidding under heavy braking. Once you know have the tech that goes into a bike, you would be even more clear about the bike you need to buy.
The All-Important Test ride
All the research, shortlisting - all boil down to this one last, but very important stage - the test ride. A bike may suit all your requirements on paper - but you will get to know it’s real characteristics only when you test-ride it. Aspects such as riding position, comfort, ergomonics will vary from person to person. One person may find a particular bike very comfortable while another may find it back-straining. Don’t hesitiate to go for multiple test rides if required. Also make sure while taking a test ride, you note all the aspects of the bike - engine response, clutch smoothness, braking effort needed, positioning of footpegs, height of handlebars, location of switches, pillion seat comfort, and even the clarity/readability of the instruments. All these factors will matter during the ownership. Make yourself absolutely certain that you entirely like a bike before you shortlist it.
Listen to your heart, not your wallet.
If you are looking at a long-term ownership, don’t hesitate to go over your planned budget. And always listen to your heart. I do not mean to imply that someone with a budget of 1 lacs should go all-out and but a 8-lac Harley, but be flexible wih your budgets. You don’t buy a bike every year, so it’s actually wiser to spend a bit higher and buy something which you actually like and would enjoy owning, instead of saving some money initially but regretting your purchase in the long term. If you are not happy with something you own, the ownership feels like a burden. When I had to buy a bike, I had a budget of 1.2 Lacs, and my choices were limited to the Karizma ZMR or the Pulsar NS200. But after test-riding several bikes, it was the CBR250R which I actually fell in love with. It was a good 60K above my budget, but I went with my heart and today, 4 years later, I am still happy with the choice I made.
I really hope this helped a few aspiring bikers in making a better choice.