Many Indian bikers are graduating from commuter motorcycles to better, more expensive performance bikes. Investing in a high performance bike is a big decision, and it’s always a good idea to know about the biggest flaw of your favourite bike. With that, we bring you 10 popular motorcycles and their biggest flaws!
Royal Enfield Himalayan
The Himalayan is a one-of-its-kind motorcycle from the Royal Enfield brand. The adventure motorcycle was launched in the market targeting the long distance riders but the motorcycle throws a number of problems at its riders. First of all, despite being a adventure motorcycle, the Himalayan generates less power.
The 414 cc motor of the bike generates only 24.5 BHP of maximum power. The motorcycle weighs 182 kg when dry, with the fuel, rider’s weight and the luggage, the Himalayan feels quite underpowered. The motorcycle would been a perfect adventure product in India if the engine was bit more powerful.
Bajaj Pulsar 220
The once fastest motorcycle in the segment, the Bajaj Pulsar 220’s unique styling bits have made it one of the most popular motorcycle among the young enthusiasts. On paper, the Bajaj Pulsar 220 is the perfect motorcycle one can own. It has the right amount of power, looks phenomenal and is capable of doing long distance rides with a hiccup too.
The only issue with the Pulsar 220 is its quality. The motorcycle is offered at a very competitive price in the segment but the end result shows in the quality of switches and other materials that have been used in the motorcycle. The motorcycle itself feels very cheap and vibrates quite a bit. The semi-faired motorcycle sings annoying songs produced by the vibrations it produces at high speeds.
TVS Apache RTR
The RTR series of motorcycles are one good example of how much fun an Indian built performance motorcycle can be. The Apache RTR is said to be researched and developed on the track itself. The problem? All the Apache series motorcycles vibrate bit too much. If you ride them over a long period of time, you still will be shaken and stirred for a long time after that.
KTM 390 Duke
The powerful Austrian naked motorcycle is built right here in India at Bajaj’s Chakan plant. The 390 Duke has quickly became popular because of its design and performance. The 390 Duke is pretty capable motorcycle and churns out a healthy 43 BHP of maximum power from the liquid-cooled 373 cc engine.
Although all the Duke and RC series of bikes that are made in India face quality issues, the 390 Duke stands out for being a bike not meant for urban traffic. The 373 cc engine of the bike is too highly strung, and this makes it difficult to ride in traffic. It’s very jerky at lower speeds, and also heats up quite a bit in high traffic conditions.
Yamaha YZF R15 ver. 2.0
The YZF-R15 is a very popular motorcycle among the teenagers. The design of the R15 is directly inspired from the flagship litre-class motorcycle of Yamaha, the R1, and youngsters find it very attractive. Even though the R15 is a high-performance motorcycle that churns out a maximum power of 16.8 BHP from the puny 150cc liquid cooled motor, it has some grave issues.
Being a performance motorcycle, riders tend to ride it real fast but there is no ABS to help the motorcycle slow down safely. Even though the motorcycle comes with front and rear disc brakes, the absence of disc brakes make it a little difficult to bring it under control. The R15 is also built around advanced delta chassis that offers impeccable stability to the motorcycle, the end result is an aggressive seating posture which is not suited for city riding and long rides and causes pain to the riders. Pillion? Don’t even think of a pillion on this bike. It’s way too uncomfortable.
Continued Below: 10 great affordable performance bikes and their biggest flaws