Okay, so you want to buy a new bike and be king (or queen) of the road, tara, ke garne? You can choose from over 135 models –from Chinese Harley-Davidson knockoffs to the basic updated Rajoot that hajur baa used on the farm. Kasari suru garne?
Well, I asked both Laxman Tuladhar of Syakar Company LTD... (Hero Honda dealer) and Raju Chettri of Bajaj Auto LTD... here in the 'du, and they said the same thing: "Figure out what you are going to use the bike for, then select a model to suit." If you are like me, you want it all: economy, power, and looks - hoina? What's the point of getting a new bike if you are don't look like your favorite hero/heroni, kyaa?
That narrows it down a bit, since the basic Hero Honda Splendor is not that chwaank —but it will get you from here to Delhi safely on a few hundred rupees. So what does Jiggy say, bike-fanatic extraordinaire, and an avid fan of doing everything on a motorbike?
Well our advertisers would of course want you on either a Kawasaki Pulsar or a Honda Charisma, which happens to be the largest CC bikes on the market (except for the Royal Enfield, which I will get into later,) and after riding both of these new bikes, I tend to agree with our advertisers. (But let's not be hasty in our buying decision!) Raju Chettri of Bajaj Auto LTD.. told me, "When shopping, talk to other owners of a bike to get their opinions." Of course, talking to another new bike owner is like listening to the fanatically converted; they will always boast about how many kilometers per milliliter they get on their pride and joy or how ultra-fast their modified Ambition is. So, kolai bishwas garnu parchha? Trust me. (Famous last words). Remember, I write for WAVE, and that means I write for YOU.
What will you do with this new bike? Is it to get to work or pick chicks (or roosters) up on King's Way? Calculate how many liters (per month) you can afford and how often you can pay for servicing – although all the major dealers in town: Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha, all offer 4-6 free services for the first 6 months to a year. Laxman Tuladhar of Syakar Company LTD.. told me that the first 6 months of a bikes life will let you know if it is a lemon within the first 6 months. If it makes it past that break-in period, it will be smooth sailing until you pass it on to your nati haru (grand kids).
This is not going to be true if you go Chinese. While Chinese models have a much lower base price, they will never rival good old Indian dependability and easy parts accessibility. Indian/Japanese collaboration dealers tend to stay around longer, as these bikes are built-to-last for several generations. So, naya 2004 bike kati laagchha hola? At least NRs. 70,000 (after taxes and leg guard). To dress your bike with neon flickers, Bob Marley stickers and fake saddlebags, add a few hajaar. But, beware, you could spend up to 2 lakhs on a new bike; seriously look at your bank account before you go to the showroom. OR, consider what the rest of the world has done and go into debt with dealer-supplied financing (most dealers will finance your new purchase with a 30-40% down payment).
But Jiggy!! Which one!?! Okay, here are Jiggy's picks according to personality:
l Economy Biker – You are part of this group if you plan on taking the wife and kids to the cinema on Saturdays, all 6 of you! For this, I recommend the Splendor by Honda or the Boxer CT by Bajaj (also known as Kawasaki).
l Bollywood Wanna-Be Biker on a Budget – You know who you are, you are cool but not one of the royal family. You do not have kids to take to cricket practice but you are somewhat practical (for example, you read WAVE religiously, but you borrow it from a friend). The new Kawasaki Wind or Honda Ambition would be a good fit.
Born-to-Be-Wild Biker – Okay, you were a Hell's Angel in a previous life and you still want the feel of a real mean road machine. I gave the Pulsar 180 a try, and while I am not fond of the hunched-over crotch-rocket riding position of this class of bike (just like the Honda Charisma), there is a feeling of really riding a motorcycle and not some souped-up motor scooter. Of course, prices and options vary.
Here are two major (and potentially costly) options before I tell you about my favorite bikes in the wheeled world:
Disk Brakes vs. Drum brakes - If you can afford and it is offered on your dream machine, get them. Though they may be difficult to get parts for (later on), they require less maintenance and are safer on the road. Safety – because we want you to keep picking up WAVE at the newsstand and you can't do that from the hospital.
Kick Start vs. Electric Start – If you are the type of person that kicks your dog, then you may enjoy a kick-starter as practical exercise, but if you are the type that shuts the engine off at red lights and 5-party protest jam-ups, then electric start is a must. However, for 125cc bikes and below, electric start is overkill - those little bikes kick-start just fine by just looking at them in a mean way.
Onto my two favorite bikes in the world, one of which I tried to run into the ground for almost 3 years and never could, and one that I've owned since January and that I am so in love with it's not healthy. The Yamaha YBX 125 CC is probably one of the most popular bikes on the Nepali roads today, and has been for years. (The updated model, the Enticer, is actually the same bike but dressed up to look Chinese). I did tons of research before I purchased a 2000 model YBX and I have nothing bad to say about it except it could not handle a very mote bideshi trying to drive it 4 times a year to Darjeeling and other exotic places in the Himal, and also trying to push it to highway speeds of over 90 Kmph. But I have to hand it to this bike… if I weighed a few dozen kilos less, it would have been fine even with that all that abuse. (I'm sure the Nepali-made heavy-metal luggage racks and 90 kg of wardrobe / computer peripherals / souvenirs for the kids, etc. that I carried did not help either!
So, I got a 2004 Royal Enfield Bullet Electra; this is a beautiful piece of 1950's engineering that boasts 350cc of power packed on a frame that you can drive to Tibet. The bike was built for rough roads, and in India, it is one of the most widely driven bikes around; the Indian Army owns thousands of them. A diesel version is used on farms and they also use them for petrol-powered rickshaws. It's just an awesome riding experience, and is a must for anyone into vintage clothes and whatnot. There are other models of Enfields sold here in Nepal, going up to the 535cc Lightning and the new 350cc Thunderbird. Both those models resemble a Harley-Davidson much more closely than a Chinese knock-off ever will.
The Down side: Price, petrol consumption, parts, and service. You will never get the mileage from one of these 170kg beasts that you would get from a Splendor or Boxer, but then again you won't get as many heads turning either - everyone stops to look at you when you thump-thump by on one of these babies. Faruk, over at the Himalayan Enfielders Club, is the best Enfield mechanic in town, but often says bholi, bholi when I need something in a hurry. Still, I'm happy to drive a "piece of history" as the ad goes. Perfect toy for anyone having a mid-life crisis and it is much, much cheaper and more fun than buying a new Pujero.
Let me leave you with this, no matter what bike you decide to buy, ride it like your life depends on it; in other words, ride safe, live long, and prosper. And remember, be patient at all traffic jams and at the Department of Motor Vehicles where you will spending a lot of time once you buy your new wheels.
Reviewer's Bio:
Jiggy Gaton is one of Wave's regular contributors and would love to hear about your Bike-buying experiences and opinions on whether or not disk brakes are better than drum brakes during the monsoon season, contact him here: HEROJIG@HOTMAIL.COM.
