 In India, so far, the Royal Enfield Bullet, and its various versions have come to represent the automatic choice for the long distance rider. This story is about other motorcycles that can play that role as well. To go touring, you need a powerful engine because a powerful engine allows you to run consistently at a good speed without actually pushing the limits of the engine. Of course, a good engine isn’t an end in itself. The proficient touring motorcycle also needs to have great ergonomics and decent fuel efficiency. OverDrive (Sept. ’09) decided to take four motorcycles which were up to the task to find out...
The Hero Honda Karizma is an obvious candidate for victory. It’s smoothness, calm disposition, effortless speed, great riding position and confident handling are all legendary. But it is also the oldest bike here – will that be an issue?
The Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi is almost as natural a choice as the Karizma. Easily the most powerful motorcycle here, it also has a reputation for a narrow but surprisingly good seat. It used to have absolutely phenomenal ride quality. It used to be expensive but it isn’t any more...
The TVS Apache RTR 180 is not an intuitive pick for this test but the longer wheelbase and powerful engine should both help the bike down the highway.
The final pick is the Yamaha YZF-R15. Obviously the powerful, unflappable though rev-happy engine will be an asset. Question is whether the rest of the package will make up for what might easily be called ‘wrong ergonomics’.
Bajaj Pulsar 220
The Pulsar 220 has always shone with immense potential. It’s chosen a role for itself that sits neatly halfway between committed sporty and horizon seeker. All the bits work nicely. The softer tyres produce thoroughly enjoyable grip, the riding position is superb and the motor feels good. What’s gone missing is the ride quality by a hair but its stable in crosswinds and in corners overtakes easily. The criticism always comes down to the missing clock on the dash and the elbow-reflectors that masquerade as mirrors.
 Hero Honda Karizma
In the real world, the Karizma loves highways. It chugs sweetly along at 80 to 100kmph, mounting luggage is easy enough, reliability is pretty good, the dynamics may not be sporty but they are confident, stable, the motorcycle accommodates riders of all skill levels and their pillions will only complain of peg vibes at higher speeds. It’s natural but is it still the best.
TVS Apache RTR 180
The TVS Apache RTR 180 is a bit slower than the rest, but importantly the rider has to work harder to keep up on the road. The riding position is compact, which is great for a short while, but on the highway, you feel all folded up after a few hours.
The motor’s smooth at 80-95kmph which means quick cruising is easy, but on the whole it’s most certainly not the best at touring. In its defence, it wasn’t designed to either.
The 180 also has the lowest top speed here, which means at the same cruising pace, it’s running the closest to its limits – that’s affair amount of stress to carry, especially counting the extra revs, gear-changes and speed that goes into catching up with the rest of this troupe.
Yamaha YZF-R15
On engine alone this is the motorcycle to be on. You must like revs, though. And if you do, the liquid cooling keeps engine stresses low and noise even lower. A speed of 100kmph (at 6000rpm) feels quiet and stress-free and overtakes even at this speed are completed with such ease that the R15 is a pleasure to ride on the highway. Going flat-out on the R15 is pure pleasure; no other motorcycle here feels quite as happy at full stick as the R15.
Verdict
Without a doubt, the bike least suited to touring is the RTR 180 (Rs. 65,653 ex-showroom, Pune). The Karizma is at third spot – still an effortless touring motorcycle by all standards, the Karizma has simply been super-seded by motorcycles that handle the rigours of the open road more easily, whether it is comfort, ease of overtaking, fuel economy or dynamics.
 So the top slot belongs either to the R15 (Rs. 98,000 ex-showroom, Pune) or the P220 (Rs. 69,727 ex-showroom, Pune). Well, the R15 is now Rs. 33,000 more expensive than the Pulsar 220. It’s also the motorcycle which sets more pre-requisites for a good stint over a long distance – you have to keep the speeds up and ideally carry only a small amount of luggage because it slides forward on the sloping seat.
So ladies and gentleman, the best touring motorcycle in the country in the country at the moment, is the new Bajaj Pulsar 220. It might pogo a bit over small bumps at speed, but that is about it. It is not only an extremely comfortable motor-cycle here. It also has the most powerful headlamps, the best economy, and terrific price and most importantly, it’s a pleasure to ride at all paces from moderate to illegal.
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| Shootout By IndiaBike on 11th June 2010 |
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