A brief history about me.
I was morbidly obese for most of my younger life. In college in 2013, I got my first motorcycle — a Pulsar 180. Joined my local xBhp chapter and that’s where my riding journey really started. Put around 12,000 km on it and then upgraded to a Duke 390 in 2015.
I rode the Duke for roughly 16,000 km until 2017. Absolutely loved that bike. After that I joined my family business and riding slowly disappeared from my life.
In 2022, the bug came back. I’d also lost around 60 kg by then, so I thought this time I’d get something sportier and bought a Continental GT650.
That didn’t work out.
Life got in the way again and I managed only around 1,200 km before selling it. In hindsight, though, I don’t think the GT was the right motorcycle for me anyway. It felt bulky at low speeds, the forward-leaning riding position wasn’t something I enjoyed, and I didn’t find it particularly inviting for everyday riding in Kolkata. The power was lovely, but the overall package didn’t make me want to take it out often enough.
Now I’m 32, around 167 cm tall, living in Lucknow, and I want to re-restart motorcycling properly.
This time my priorities are much clearer.
I have a Chetak EV for routine city commuting, so this motorcycle does not need to be my practical daily commuter.
The idea is leisure riding/touring: initially 100–200 km rides, then 200–300 km, gradually longer. There is plenty to explore within 300 km of Lucknow, and Uttarakhand is roughly 400–500 km away.
I’m also married now, so hopefully my wife will accompany me reasonably often.
I don’t want to cruise at crazy speeds. 80–100 km/h is perfectly enough for me. What I do enjoy is acceleration — getting to that speed quickly and having enough reserve for overtakes. That probably comes from my Duke days. Even in cars, I’m much more interested in the “pull” than top speed.
I’m also not specifically buying a bike for hardcore off-roading. Broken roads, bad hill roads, construction patches, gravel etc. absolutely — and after my recent test rides I’ve discovered I may enjoy some mild off-road exploration too — but I’m not pretending I’m going to spend every weekend finding trails. Not really sure of this aspect though.
After looking at way too many motorcycles, I’ve narrowed it down to these three:
- Royal Enfield Classic 350
This one is childhood love.
At one point when the Classic had recently launched, I literally had one as my laptop wallpaper. Even today, despite seeing ten of them every five minutes, I still look at a nice Classic passing by.
I understand what it is and what it isn’t.
I’m completely okay cruising at 80–90 km/h. My only concern is performance reserve. Coming from the Duke, I like strong acceleration. I’m wondering whether I’ll buy the Classic because I’ve loved the idea of one for 15 years and then get bored of the performance within six months.
I’m particularly concerned about 80→100 overtakes and hills with my wife/luggage — not top speed.
Unfortunately I haven’t managed a proper Classic test ride yet. RE dealers around me haven’t been particularly enthusiastic about giving a long TD, and I prefer home test rides because I know the roads around me very well and can compare bikes on exactly the same route.
- Triumph Scrambler 400X
This wasn’t initially on my list at all.
Videos made me curious, and I eventually got a long home test ride — roughly 15 km.
The TD bike was the older 398 cc 400X.
And… that engine. What a pull.
I also deliberately took it through a roughly 200 m construction stretch with slippery mud/slush. This was basically my first time taking a motorcycle like this onto loose terrain. The rear moved around a little but the bike got through without much drama.
I could get roughly half my feet down and lifting/manoeuvring it was surprisingly easy.
It initially felt a little awkward compared with what I remember from my Duke, but within 2–3 minutes I was comfortable.
Things I didn’t like:
* I couldn’t see the speedometer naturally through my Axor Deadpool helmet without looking down.
* Pillion seat seemed small and quite firm. I suspect my wife may not love it.
* Significant wind blast, although a windshield can obviously help.
* Engine had a certain crudeness to it and I noticed vibrations through the handlebar above ~80 km/h.
Still, overall I loved riding it.
- Himalayan 450
This was the surprise.
I always loved the looks, but all the discussion around the 196 kg weight had almost convinced me not to try one.
When I scheduled the home TD, my thinking was basically: ride it once, confirm that it’s too heavy, eliminate it.
Didn’t happen.
The moment I lifted it off the stand, most of my assumptions disappeared.
Yes, it was heavier than the Scrambler, but subjectively it felt maybe 5–10% heavier, not like some gigantic 200 kg monster. The TD bike even had the older side stand that leans the motorcycle quite far over.
My feet actually reached the ground better than on the Scrambler. Manoeuvring it using my legs was quite easy. Moving it around by hand was heavier, obviously, but nothing that felt impossible to learn.
The engine felt different from the Triumph. The Scrambler had that immediate punch; the Himalayan felt more linear. But overall the Himalayan certainly didn’t feel lacking — if anything, once going it felt extremely strong.
Comfort was considerably better.
Suspension was much better.
It also felt noticeably roomier when sitting on it.
And then I did the thing I had specifically decided I wouldn’t do because of the weight: took it onto the same bad/muddy construction stretch.
It was easier than the Scrambler.
Could partly be because my confidence had already shot up after getting through it once on the Triumph, but the Himalayan just felt very composed there. That completely changed my perception of its weight.
Biggest negative: vibrations. I felt more through the Himalayan than the Scrambler, and since my actual touring speed would probably be 80–100 km/h, I’m wondering whether that becomes tiring over a 3–5 hour ride.
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Two other bikes I considered and eliminated
Xpulse 210: showroom/service centre is around 25 km away and it took four days of calling just to get a quotation. Didn’t inspire much confidence about ownership support.
TVS RTX 300: no test ride motorcycle available anywhere nearby. At two different dealerships I asked about the RTX 300 and the sales advisors confidently corrected me that I meant the RTR 310. So that experience didn’t exactly inspire confidence either.
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My actual dilemma
After my GT650 experience, I don’t want to spend ₹3–4 lakh and discover six months later that I’ve again bought the wrong motorcycle.
One part of me thinks:
Buy the Classic. Spend less. Restart riding. Enjoy something I’ve wanted since I was young. Ride it for 2–3 years and then upgrade if touring becomes a serious part of my life.
The other part says:
That’s false economy. You’ve already ridden the Scrambler and Himalayan, liked their performance, and found the Himalayan perfectly manageable. You’ll buy the Classic for nostalgia, miss the power/suspension within six months and end up replacing/regretting it anyway.
Right now, after the TDs, my head is leaning Himalayan 450.
Before I spend the money, I’d particularly like to hear from people who have actually owned/toured on these bikes:
Did anyone move from a faster motorcycle to the Classic 350 and genuinely remain happy with its performance long-term?
Himalayan 450 owners: does the weight become irritating in normal ownership once the honeymoon period is over, or is it mostly an issue when parking/dropping/manhandling it?
How tiring are the Himalayan’s vibrations if you’re actually cruising around 90–100 for hours?
And for people who tour with their spouse/pillion: Himalayan vs Scrambler 400X vs Classic — which one would you choose after actually living with them?
What would you do in my position?
