Commuter King under INR 75,000

[Uma_Shankar]

Hi Motorists ,

I am 5' 4" tall, weigh around 66kg and married. For 11 long years (till now) am using Hero Honda Passion. Have clocked 91,000 KMs with it. As its age has started showing, the comfort and ride quality has taken a hit. Hence am planning to upgrade to a new segment (125cc-150cc) Commuter as i have to commute around 50 KMs every day. My requirements are the bike should have better suspension, ride quality, good city commute and of course good mileage around 50-55 KMPL. My budget is under INR 75,000 strictly. The following are my choices.,

Yamaha Saluto 125cc Disc
Honda Shine SP
Bajaj V15

I have test rode all three bikes, all are equally good. Now the question arises on long-term durability & reliability, as i will maintain it for another 10 years, which one will be better.
Do pour in your suggestions and ideas.,

[Jijo_Malayil]

Uma_Shankar For refinement, ride quality and durability, stick to the Honda Shine SP. Honda offers you a hassle free ownership experience and will easily outlast the time you have mentioned, provided you maintain it well. Shine will also return a healthy 60 kmpl on an average.

[Praveen]

Uma_Shankar I'd suggest you take a look at Bajaj Platina Comfortec version. If comfort and mileage are your absolute priorities, then this bike makes perfect sense for you. Click here to know more about the Platina Comfortec. This bike has improved mechanicals that demands lesser maintenance too. Do check out the link. I have had friends who own Platina and they consistently get around 75-80 kmpl. So when it comes to fuel bills, you wouldn't have to worry, I guess.

* Yamaha Saluto is a good bike, but I am not very optimistic about its long-term reliability as people hardly buy bikes from Yamaha these days. Yamaha's only best-selling vehicle is the Fascino and another point to note is that Yamaha does not have as much dealer-reach as Honda or Bajaj does.

* Honda Shine SP is a very capable bike. The bike is equipped with a five-speed transmission which puts less stress on the engine and results in greater mileage as well. You can expect 50+ kmpl from the Shine SP. The build quality is also excellent and is totally worth the price. Another advantage is that Honda bikes generally have higher resale value than other brands. The comfort levels are also good, thanks to the sorted suspension. If you are buying the Shine SP, I'd suggest you go for the Disc brake- CBS (Combined Braking System) variant so that you don't compromise on safety. All in all, you won't regret investing your money in this bike.

* Bajaj V15 comes with a bigger engine but the power outputs are not that impressive. The engine is designed for low-end torque for easy intra-city commuting. I have seen a lot of people ride this bike. However, I am not convinced about the bike's long-term reliability and the comfort levels.

In a nutshell, if you don't want to spend too much and want a bike with good comfort levels and efficiency, you can consider the Platina Comfortec. If you want a bike with a better overall package and don't mind spending a little premium for quality, then the Shine SP would be the best for you. Take a test ride of both the bikes and let us know what you decide. Cheers!

[Uma_Shankar]

Uma_Shankar I'd suggest you take a look at Bajaj Platina Comfortec version. If comfort and mileage are your absolute priorities, then this bike makes perfect sense for you. Click here to know more about the Platina Comfortec. This bike has improved mechanicals that demands lesser maintenance too. Do check out the link. I have had friends who own Platina and they consistently get around 75-80 kmpl. So when it comes to fuel bills, you wouldn't have to worry, I guess.

* Yamaha Saluto is a good bike, but I am not very optimistic about its long-term reliability as people hardly buy bikes from Yamaha these days. Yamaha's only best-selling vehicle is the Fascino and another point to note is that Yamaha does not have as much dealer-reach as Honda or Bajaj does.

* Honda Shine SP is a very capable bike. The bike is equipped with a five-speed transmission which puts less stress on the engine and results in greater mileage as well. You can expect 50+ kmpl from the Shine SP. The build quality is also excellent and is totally worth the price. Another advantage is that Honda bikes generally have higher resale value than other brands. The comfort levels are also good, thanks to the sorted suspension. If you are buying the Shine SP, I'd suggest you go for the Disc brake- CBS (Combined Braking System) variant so that you don't compromise on safety. All in all, you won't regret investing your money in this bike.

* Bajaj V15 comes with a bigger engine but the power outputs are not that impressive. The engine is designed for low-end torque for easy intra-city commuting. I have seen a lot of people ride this bike. However, I am not convinced about the bike's long-term reliability and the comfort levels.

In a nutshell, if you don't want to spend too much and want a bike with good comfort levels and efficiency, you can consider the Platina Comfortec. If you want a bike with a better overall package and don't mind spending a little premium for quality, then the Shine SP would be the best for you. Take a test ride of both the bikes and let us know what you decide. Cheers!

Hi Praveen, thank for the info.
* Yes, Platina is a no non-sense bike, but the only -ve is it's very old design. It puts me down.
* With Yamaha i feel they sell good no. of bikes in the higher displacement category but they haven't found success in 100/125cc . And the Saluto felt really good & comfort in my test ride, hope they are focusing more on this segment and expanding their dealership network.
* Shine SP, man i see this all over in the strrets of Chennai. It's like out of 10 people 5 has this, it has become a common sight.
* Bajaj V, actually Bajaj has given an official statement that it is expanding it's V brand to 200 & 400cc too, hence they will not cut short it after it's been such a blockbuster hit in the market, it was also very comfortable to ride.

with Shine i found ownership reviews complaining about the engine noise & cold start issue every morning, almost every one and Honda has no answer for it (XBHP.com & TEAM-BHP.com forums)
I haven't decided yet, still playing close.

[Uma_Shankar]

Uma_Shankar For refinement, ride quality and durability, stick to the Honda Shine SP. Honda offers you a hassle free ownership experience and will easily outlast the time you have mentioned, provided you maintain it well. Shine will also return a healthy 60 kmpl on an average.

Hi JijoMalayil, Thank you. Haven't confirmed yet, still playing close. But i read in ownership forums about engine noise & cold start issue every day by almost all the users. Hence not that confident.

[Praveen]

Uma_Shankar I have owned Honda Shine for about six months and I never had any issue with it. I had to use the choke for a short time on a cold day while starting the bike early in the morning. But this is only natural for almost every other bike in the market. So no issues there. Regarding engine noise, I found the Shine to be very refined and efficient as well. The complaints you have seen on other forums might be some rare cases. I have had relatives who have used the Shine for around 6-7 years without any problem. Honda's build quality is generally pretty solid. My first bike was the Unicorn Dazzler and that bike served me quite well in my college days. The Shine SP shares most of its mechanical underpinnings with Shine but the gearbox is upgraded to a five-speed unit as opposed to the Shine's four-speed one. The riding position is upright and is pretty spot on and comfortable. I think you can go for the bike without worrying. I'd suggest you buy the optional three-year extra warranty, which sums up to a total of five years warranty. I think that's a pretty good deal. If you can extend your budget a little more, you can check out Honda CB Unicorn. Not the 160 cc one, but the 150cc one. The Unicorn now comes with a BS 4 compliant engine. The Unicorn is famous for its bulletproof build quality and comfort. I have read stories about riders successfully taking the bike for really long distance trips as well. In my opinion, Shine has better build quality when compared to Bajaj V15. I don't think the V15 is good enough to last a decade, but that is just my viewpoint.

[KPR]

Praveen [QUOTE_NODE]"Originally posted by Praveen" . * Yamaha Saluto is a good bike, but I am not very optimistic about its long-term reliability as people hardly buy bikes from Yamaha these days. Yamaha's only best-selling vehicle is the Fascino and another point to note is that Yamaha does not have as much dealer-reach as Honda or Bajaj does. [/QUOTE_NODE] I had bought my Libero G5 in 2007. I still have the gem with me. No issues what so ever. Never ever had an issue and going superstrong at 60000 KMs. Recently did a hill drive for 320Kms in a single day with this gem. The increased GC, higher inch tyres, minimum vibrations even at 80KMPH are notable points. Yamahas are superior and ages very well.

[Praveen]

KPR Oh, I see. Wow, that's commendable! Thanks for sharing your views on Yamaha. The problem is, not many people are aware of the brand's products and new buyers may be reluctant because of that. It doesn't enjoy the kind of brand recognition like Honda or Bajaj gets. Yamaha may be a famous brand to performance motorcycle enthusiasts, but they have to work on their marketing when it comes to commuter bikes, don't you think? We'd love to see a brief experiential review of your bike. Cheers!

[Uma_Shankar]

Probably ll b choosing Saluto 125 Disc. Chennai on-road comes 69,000 (all charges+extended 3 year warranty), Shine SP 75,000. 6,000 jus for an extra gear which I won't b using much in Chennai traffic no way. Found good ownership reviews on Internet & spoke to people who owns it.. What u guys think ?

[Vineet_Menon_8]

Uma_Shankar
It's a bit late to the party, but did you buy Saluto finally? How was your experience with the bike and how much mileage are you getting?