Best commuter motorcycles for everyday riding

India loves its motorcycles. They are cheap to run thanks to great fuel efficiency and easy to maintain. Besides that, they are affordable to buy. Motorcycles offer reliable transportation cross diverse terrains, helping India be on the move. In fact, in several rural and semi-urban households motorcycles are the only transportation choice available. Here are 5 of the best commuter motorcycles which you can buy in India right now:

Hero Splendor iSmart+

Hero MotoCorp reigning champion Splendor is a household name when it comes to motorcycles. The motorcycle continues to hold the numero uno spot and the cherry on top of the Splendor brand is the Hero Splendor iSmart+. This was Hero MotoCorp’s first indigenously developed motorcycle, designed from scratch at the company’s R&D facility in Jaipur. Apart from the ‘fill it, shut it, forget it’ brand image, the motorcycle has another ace hidden up its sleeves.

Powering the Hero Splendor iSmart+ is a 109.15 cc engine coupled to a 4-speed gearbox. The engine produces 9.5 PS of power and 9 Nm of torque. While the engine has been tuned to sip through minimum amount of fuel while covering maximum distance for every litre of petrol. The Hero Splendor iSmart+’s secret weapon is start-stop technology for saving fuel during stop go traffic. Hero MotoCorp calls this technology i3S and it switches off the engine when the rider stops, say at a traffic light. One simply has to press the clutch to get the engine running again.

Features other than i3S include a service reminder, a side stand indicator and pinstriped wheels. Besides that, the Hero Splendor iSmart 110 is shod with tubeless tyres. The bike tips the scales at 116 kg and has a ground clearance of 165 mm.

Colour options of Hero Splendor iSmart+ include Jet Black, Techno Blue, Sports Red and Leaf Green. Pricing commences at INR 57,430 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

TVS Radeon

This new commuter motorcycle by TVS Motors has become a proud member of the TVS family. It crossed the 1 lakh mark sales milestone in April 2019. Developed keeping the typical Indian consumers in mind TVS Radeon boasts of a unique design which prevents scratches and damage. The bike also boasts of an iron chassis and a metal body.

The TVS Radeon is powered by a 109.7 cc Duralife engine. Coupled to a 4-speed gearbox, the engine produces 8.4 PS of power and 8.7 Nm of torque. The bike tips the scales at 112 kg. Besides that, the TVS Radeon gets 18-inch wheels.

TVS Radeon gets a chrome surrounding headlamp, LED daytime running light, tank grips and a car like twin pod instrumentation. The large seat gets a contrasting coloured, ribbed seat. The TVS Radeon also boasts of a highest ground clearance (180 mm) and longest wheelbase in the segment. A side mounted pillion handle with a handy hook. Other features include a USB charging spot and DuraGrip tyres.

Colour options for the TVS Radeon include Pearl White, Metal Black, Golden beige, Royal Purple, Volcano Red and Titanium Grey. The TVS Radeon is priced at INR 50,820 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Bajaj CT100

Sold across 8 markets around the world, the Bajaj CT100 promises to bring home the jackpot of happiness at an accessible price tag. In fact, the Bajaj CT100 is the most affordable motorcycle on sale in India. More on that later. Yes, sometimes, affordability helps, after all, more than 50 lakh customers have brought home a Bajaj CT100.

At the heart of the Bajaj CT100 is a 102 cc engine coupled to a 6-speed gearbox. This engine can squeeze out 7.7 PS of power and 8.24 Nm of torque. A higher powered 8.2 PS version is also available. Besides that, the Bajaj CT100 has a top speed of 90 kmph (claimed). The bike tips the scales at 108 kg and has a 170 mm ground clearance.

The Bajaj CT100 gets twin spring in spring rear suspension for a comfortable ride across diverse terrains. Other than that, the Bajaj CT100 gets a wide rear tyre, 17-inch wheels and a long wheelbase. Colour options for the Bajaj CT100 include Ebony Black with blue decals, Ebony Black with red decals, and Flame Red.

Bajaj CT100 is retailed in three variants (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi) – Kick start, spoke wheels (INR 33,402); kick start, electric wheels (INR 33,997) and electric start, alloy wheels (INR 41,837).

Honda CB Shine

The Honda CB Shine family is the largest selling 125 cc motorcycle in India and is retailed in two variants. A commuter centric version with 4 cogs a slightly sportier version (CB Shine SP) with a 5-speed gearbox. Sadly, the only thing sporty about the latter are the graphics and tank extension.

Powering the Honda CB Shine is a 124.73 cc engine producing 10.30 PS of power and 10.30 Nm of torque. The bike weighs 123 kg and has a ground clearance of 157 mm. An optional front disc brake adds to the safety net. Besides that, the Honda CB Shine boasts of a low maintenance seal chain and tubeless tyres. The CB Shine SP variant also boasts of a special HET rear tyre which has low rolling resistance. This special compound helps in increasing fuel efficiency by reducing friction.

The Honda CB Shine is retailed in Black, Sunset Brown Metallic, Geny Grey Metallic, Rebel Red Metallic, Athletic Blue Metallic and Imperial Red Metallic. Honda CB Shine starts at INR 58,967 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon

The mighty Bajaj Pulsar brand needs no introduction. Each month nearly 70,000 Indians ride home on a new Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle. After dominating the 150 cc segment, the who’s who at Bajaj Auto have recently introduced the Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon. This has allowed Bajaj Auto to not just negate the high cost of ABS with a cheaper CBS, but also, made the Pulsar brand more accessible.

Powering the Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon is a 124.4 cc twin spark DTS-i engine coupled to a 5-speed gearbox. The engine can produce 12 PS of power and 11 Nm of torque. The bike weighs 140 kg and has a ground clearance of 165 mm. Besides that, the Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon gets clip-on handlebar, optional 240 mm front disc brake, tubeless tyres and a 35-watt DC headlamp.

Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon is sold in 3 colour options – Neon Blue, Neon Red and Neon Silver. The Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon is priced at INR 64,000 for the drum brake version and INR 66,618 for the disc brake (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi).