Best city motorbike

[paulinbkk111]

Hi all!

Living in Bangkok soon and will buy a bike to commute to work everyday, about a 40 minute trip each way.

So my opinion question is: What is the best bike for daily riding around town? (fuel efficiency, ease of moving through traffic, etc)

Test rode a CBR 150 and 300 and thought they were both great, but want to hear anyones experience. Ninja, Yamaha R15 would be at the top, but over riding scooters.

[Bomonster]

Pcx 150 nough said

[eeeya]

I bought a Honda CB300F a few months ago for BKK commuting. As it was my first manual bike I found it a bit tiring using the clutch and gears all day.

But now I love it. I can carve up the traffic easily and have fun doing it. The bike is narrow and I can squeeze through 90% of the places a scooter can.

Power is good, gets about 270km per tank before I fill it up (still leaving a litre or two in the reserve)

Lots of threads about discussing this model.

Gets a thumbs up for me.

[BKKBike09]

What about Kawa D-Tracker?

[paulinbkk111]

Thanks guys

the pcx looks so cumbersome, more for a family. Happy to be corrected though, never rode one.

D-Tracker: sure its a good bike, just not my type of bike.

[guzzi850m2]

I have a pcx150 since 2012 and it's easy the best scooter I ever owned but I live in Pattaya.

If you have a 40 min commute each way perhaps you are riding pretty fast at times? The pcx maxes out at app 100km/h and is quick up to 80 so that is something to consider for choosing the perfect commute bike/scout.

Fuel consumption is at 38-40 km/l, smooth, comfortable, good storage under the seat and no maintenance between services expect checking tire pressure now and again, but as I said, I don't like to ride it on the highways due to lack of power out there.

If you wants to get away from BKK in the weekends on your bike, a 150-300 cc real bike is much better, you can go to Pattaya or Hua Hin easily on those and keep up with traffic.

[ttakata]

It really depends on what roads you will be travelling and if you ride during rush hour.

If you are on the Bang Na Trat then any bike is OK.

If you are on Lat Phrao, Rama 4, Sukhumvit, Ram Intra, Chinatown, etc. then anything bigger than a scooter will get stuck more often either from the wider bars or longer wheelbase.

There are threads on almost every bike here for your reading pleasure but the upcoming Exciter 150 might be an option.

For the true city commuter a scooter is the best option IMO.

Then get a bigger sportbike for fun.

Edited February 22, 2015 by ttakata

[daveAustin]

New Versys.

[Shurup]

New Versys.

1000?

[papa al]

They are all good.

(The smaller ones.)

Edited February 22, 2015 by papa al

[Gweiloman]

It really depends on what roads you will be travelling and if you ride during rush hour.

If you are on the Bang Na Trat then any bike is OK.

If you are on Lat Phrao, Rama 4, Sukhumvit, Ram Intra, Chinatown, etc. then anything bigger than a scooter will get stuck more often either from the wider bars or longer wheelbase.

There are threads on almost every bike here for your reading pleasure but the upcoming Exciter 150 might be an option.

For the true city commuter a scooter is the best option IMO.

Then get a bigger sportbike for fun.

Like ttakata says, we need to know from where to where you will be commuting. This will make a difference as to whether you should get a manual or automatic bike.

Also a 40 min commute sounds a long way and not so fun on the scooter.

How experienced are you in riding Bkk traffic?

[paulinbkk111]

Yeh I should have given more details.

From Udom Suk to Lad Prao, Srinikarin, Siam centre etc. Sometimes further out to Rangsit.

Thinking of the SH as well.

Im experienced in Saigon traffic... same same but different

[andrewrooney]

I ride a CBR300R and it's great for Bangkok. It's lightweight, handles easily and doesn't run too hot. It lane splits as well as a scooter but it's got the handling, suspension, and brakes of a big bike with pretty decent power as well. Sometimes on long trips outside of the city I wish I had a bit more power, but 300cc is definitely enough for Bangkok. The only time I find myself wishing I was on the Wave is when I'm in completely stopped dead traffic, such as Lad Prao during rush hour when all the little bikes are getting up on the sidewalk etc. Overall, I definitely recommend it.

As for other options mentioned, the PCX is a pretty good scooter. Personally I don't really like automatics but that's just a matter of personal preference. They're definitely really comfy though.

You mentioned the R15, I haven't ridden one yet but I love the looks of it and it's very lightweight, that would probably be a good city bike too. Yamaha is also coming out with the R3 soon which looks really nice, so you might want to keep that in mind.

[Gweiloman]

Yeh I should have given more details.

From Udom Suk to Lad Prao, Srinikarin, Siam centre etc. Sometimes further out to Rangsit.

Thinking of the SH as well.

Im experienced in Saigon traffic... same same but different

Under normal circumstances, I would recommend something like a PCX as it's a simple and reliable twist and go with great fuel economy and quite a bit of storage including tons of accessories such as racks for top boxes, a "tank bag", panniers etc which is usual for longer trips.

But your routing seems to have some higher speed sections. In this case, a 250 / 300 cc manual bike might be a better option for it's increased torque, giving you the ability to quickly and easily pull away from traffic. Plenty of choices in this segment - CBR, Ninja, Z250 etc.

Experienced in Saigon traffic? You should be able to cope very well in Bkk traffic then. I would hesitate to ride in Saigon, haha.

[ll2]

1. honda cbr500r, cb500f, cb500x.

2. new yamaha r3.

3. kawasaki ninja 300.

and if you are on a budget, a good second hand cbr250r with abs for 70 - 75 k thb.

[papa al]

"Experienced in Saigon traffic? You should be able to cope very well in Bkk traffic then. I would hesitate to ride in Saigon, haha. "

And conversely, when in Saigon traffic, don't hesitate.

Right?

[Rhys]

The CBR 300 R... even the CBR150 for the tight streets of Sumhuvhit..A scooter...no...

[AllanB]

I don't know about BKK traffic, but I think the CB model is better with a better riding position for the city, I found the CBR tiring in the towns, bent over all the time, but then I am not so young.