KTM RC200 for 2B Riders

[mdabdillah]

I don't intend to further upgrade my license from 2B to 2A or anything as I'm riding only for commuting for school and work. Once I have a family which is roughly in about 5 years or so, I'll be driving instead or riding.

Any RC200 riders out there who can give me some insight on this bike?

 

1st Hand is roughly 16.5K~18K total i believe. Which is ridicuosly a lot for a 2B bike but since the thought of not upgrading any further so why not get a close to 200CC bike. If there is someone who sells a good condition 2nd hand RC200 then I might consider, if not, I'll be getting a 1st hand.

 

Any one care to share some insights on this bike? Like rough cost, maintenance wise, modifications, parts and such?

[sjyong]

I don't intend to further upgrade my license from 2B to 2A or anything as I'm riding only for commuting for school and work.

 

says many 2A/2 license holder when they started riding.

 

I mean if you purely want to commute why not look at bikes like CB190R, FZ16 or more similarly duke 200?

 

I don't know about you, but it is VERY likely that a rider will have an itch of upgrading, 5 years is still a long time to go. Why limit yourself to 1 bike? 5 years is plenty of time to try many different bikes.

[mdabdillah]

says many 2A/2 license holder when they started riding.

 

I mean if you purely want to commute why not look at bikes like CB190R, FZ16 or more similarly duke 200?

 

I don't know about you, but it is VERY likely that a rider will have an itch of upgrading, 5 years is still a long time to go. Why limit yourself to 1 bike? 5 years is plenty of time to try many different bikes.

 

I'll not be working. I'm currently saving money from my NS pay. Once I ORD, I will not have a job as I'll be uni for 2 years which is a crash course, so I doubt I'll the money to get a new bike IF i intend to go for 2a.

[reize]

If money is a problem, then you shouldn't even be looking at KTM's in the first place, they are more performance machines, with a hefty price tag when you compare to other similar economical offerings.

 

Would just make more sense to buy a FZN150 or a kapchai and save the difference to paying for your car in future if you don't care about bikes in the first place.

[mdabdillah]

If money is a problem, then you shouldn't even be looking at KTM's in the first place, they are more performance machines, with a hefty price tag when you compare to other similar economical offerings.

 

Would just make more sense to buy a FZN150 or a kapchai and save the difference to paying for your car in future if you don't care about bikes in the first place.

 

If money is a problem, then you shouldn't even be looking at KTM's in the first place, they are more performance machines, with a hefty price tag when you compare to other similar economical offerings.

 

Would just make more sense to buy a FZN150 or a kapchai and save the difference to paying for your car in future if you don't care about bikes in the first place.

 

The reason why I want to take KTM RC200 in the first place is because I have the cash as of now and honestly, I can pay the full amount. Or downpayment and do installment. But I can't afford another bike if I were to upgrade to a higher class. Hence why I aim to get rc200 because I want to have the max cc(sports bike) under 2b cat.

[reize]

The reason why I want to take KTM RC200 in the first place is because I have the cash as of now and honestly, I can pay the full amount. Or downpayment and do installment. But I can't afford another bike if I were to upgrade to a higher class. Hence why I aim to get rc200 because I want to have the max cc(sports bike) under 2b cat.

 

Lol brah, your brand new 200cc KTM costs more than some 3 year old 400cc Class 2A bikes leh.

[sjyong]

Higher the value of the bike, the greater it depreciates per year. KTM 200cc bikes cost as much as Yamaha's MT-03/R3.

 

Also, buying the machine alone is one thing, have you set aside money for all the possible maintenance you may need? Tires, brakes, petrol, the list goes on and on and on.

 

and i don't quite understand your pursue for maximum cc for your license because as far as i know KTM RC200/Duke 200 top speed is about the same as those honda/yamaha cbr150/r15 etc

[mdabdillah]

Lol brah, your brand new 200cc KTM costs more than some 3 year old 400cc Class 2A bikes leh.

 

Yes. I did my research and I know what I'm paying for a 200cc bike which has the same if not more price compared to a 400cc bike.

 

Higher the value of the bike, the greater it depreciates per year. KTM 200cc bikes cost as much as Yamaha's MT-03/R3.

 

Also, buying the machine alone is one thing, have you set aside money for all the possible maintenance you may need? Tires, brakes, petrol, the list goes on and on and on.

 

and i don't quite understand your pursue for maximum cc for your license because as far as i know KTM RC200/Duke 200 top speed is about the same as those honda/yamaha cbr150/r15 etc

 

Reason why I want a RC200 because its one if not only one that has a big tank, sports look and its close to 200cc. You can say R125 has a big tank, but the power of the bike is underpowered as its a 125cc bike. As for R15v2, yes it has that sports looks but tank wise, looks small, it doesn't feed my needs to have that big tank + sports look. You then will say, buy a small buy and upgrade license to get a bigger cc. Then again, I might not upgrade to a higher license class. Any thoughts, suggestions?

[sjyong]

Yes, it has big tank, but because it's a 200cc, it consumes more fuel than R15 or CBR150, in fact, google suggest that rc200 tank capacity is only 11.5 litres, while R15 has a tank of 12 litres so... CBR150 even better, 13 litres.

 

Anyway correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe you just passed your 2B and this is your first bike.

 

I strongly DO NOT recommend RC200 as your first bike.

1) It's not cheap

2) Parts are not as readily available as brands like Yamaha and Honda

3) P-platers are very prone to dropping your bike, your heart and wallet will shatter if you *touchwood* ever do

4) RC200 isn't pillion friendly if you are intending to pillion anybody.

5) RC200 isn't easy to sell (because point no. 1)

 

I recommend you buy a cheaper bike to learn the ropes on. Do thorough research when buying the bike, get a good deal, and a bike with good resale value and one year later, sell it, top up abit more cash, upgrade.

[reize]

Yes, it has big tank, but because it's a 200cc, it consumes more fuel than R15 or CBR150, in fact, google suggest that rc200 tank capacity is only 11.5 litres, while R15 has a tank of 12 litres so... CBR150 even better, 13 litres.

 

Anyway correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe you just passed your 2B and this is your first bike.

 

I strongly DO NOT recommend RC200 as your first bike.

1) It's not cheap

2) Parts are not as readily available as brands like Yamaha and Honda

3) P-platers are very prone to dropping your bike, your heart and wallet will shatter if you *touchwood* ever do

4) RC200 isn't pillion friendly if you are intending to pillion anybody.

5) RC200 isn't easy to sell (because point no. 1)

 

I recommend you buy a cheaper bike to learn the ropes on. Do thorough research when buying the bike, get a good deal, and a bike with good resale value and one year later, sell it, top up abit more cash, upgrade.

 

I think no point trying to convince OP, he has decided.

 

He asked "Any one care to share some insights on this bike? Like rough cost, maintenance wise, modifications, parts and such?"

 

Simple, rough machine price + COE = $18k

Maintenance wise and parts, set aside $2k-$3k a year to replace fairings, handlebars, mirrors etc when you eventually crash. As well as oil/filter/spark plug changes.

Modifications, go stick sticker lor, change grips, change mirror, about $20-$500 each depending on what you buy.

Do you want performance parts? good luck finding a mototiam that is carrying something that can fit an RC200 and is also LTA approved.

[mdabdillah]

I think no point trying to convince OP, he has decided.

 

He asked "Any one care to share some insights on this bike? Like rough cost, maintenance wise, modifications, parts and such?"

 

Simple, rough machine price + COE = $18k

Maintenance wise and parts, set aside $2k-$3k a year to replace fairings, handlebars, mirrors etc when you eventually crash. As well as oil/filter/spark plug changes.

Modifications, go stick sticker lor, change grips, change mirror, about $20-$500 each depending on what you buy.

Do you want performance parts? good luck finding a mototiam that is carrying something that can fit an RC200 and is also LTA approved.

 

Yes, it has big tank, but because it's a 200cc, it consumes more fuel than R15 or CBR150, in fact, google suggest that rc200 tank capacity is only 11.5 litres, while R15 has a tank of 12 litres so... CBR150 even better, 13 litres.

 

Anyway correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe you just passed your 2B and this is your first bike.

 

I strongly DO NOT recommend RC200 as your first bike.

1) It's not cheap

2) Parts are not as readily available as brands like Yamaha and Honda

3) P-platers are very prone to dropping your bike, your heart and wallet will shatter if you *touchwood* ever do

4) RC200 isn't pillion friendly if you are intending to pillion anybody.

5) RC200 isn't easy to sell (because point no. 1)

 

I recommend you buy a cheaper bike to learn the ropes on. Do thorough research when buying the bike, get a good deal, and a bike with good resale value and one year later, sell it, top up abit more cash, upgrade.

 

 

I understand your concern about me being a new rider and definitely a sporty bike like rc200 will shatter me when it drops or get into accident. I may have set my heart on rc200 but definitely if other bikes have pros that overpowers the cons of rc200. I may look at them. R15v2, pulsar 200 and cbr is still in my list of choices but I've yet to fully research on it as I spent my time looking into rc200.

 

Thanks for the insight guys.

[lkm]

I understand your concern about me being a new rider and definitely a sporty bike like rc200 will shatter me when it drops or get into accident. I may have set my heart on rc200 but definitely if other bikes have pros that overpowers the cons of rc200. I may look at them. R15v2, pulsar 200 and cbr is still in my list of choices but I've yet to fully research on it as I spent my time looking into rc200.

 

Thanks for the insight guys.

 

I understand your position and honestly, I was in a very similar position just 7 months ago. I'm relatively large and would prefer to get something on the higher-end of the 200cc limit. But I also subscribed to some of the advise of the posts above - about being a new rider and probably not a good idea to get a new bike.

 

So, eventually, I ended up with a 2.7yr old Pulsar 200NS. Powerful enough to fill my needs, yet cheap enough to not feel too hurt if I damaged it. Also, design wise, nice enough to keep a smile on my face. It is, after all, designed by Edgar Heinrich - the same guy who was responsible for the design of the BMW R1200GS and the S1000RR. I figured that if I wanted to swap to something else later on, the depreciation wouldn't be too large, even if it meant swapping to another 2B bike later. Of course, unlike TS, I do have intentions of climbing the license ladder.

 

But at the end of the day, to each his own. I remember reading this advise somewhere - get a bike that will put a smile on your face. If after parking the bike, you start to walk away, and then pause to turn around just to admire it one more time, you know that that's the bike that's meant for you.

 

My Pulsar 200NS still makes me look back.

[sjyong]

If after parking the bike, you start to walk away, and then pause to turn around just to admire it one more time, you know that that's the bike that's meant for you.

 

Every single time for me

 

speaking of pulsar, OP should check out Pulsar RS200 too!

[mdabdillah]

I understand your position and honestly, I was in a very similar position just 7 months ago. I'm relatively large and would prefer to get something on the higher-end of the 200cc limit. But I also subscribed to some of the advise of the posts above - about being a new rider and probably not a good idea to get a new bike.

 

So, eventually, I ended up with a 2.7yr old Pulsar 200NS. Powerful enough to fill my needs, yet cheap enough to not feel too hurt if I damaged it. Also, design wise, nice enough to keep a smile on my face. It is, after all, designed by Edgar Heinrich - the same guy who was responsible for the design of the BMW R1200GS and the S1000RR. I figured that if I wanted to swap to something else later on, the depreciation wouldn't be too large, even if it meant swapping to another 2B bike later. Of course, unlike TS, I do have intentions of climbing the license ladder.

 

But at the end of the day, to each his own. I remember reading this advise somewhere - get a bike that will put a smile on your face. If after parking the bike, you start to walk away, and then pause to turn around just to admire it one more time, you know that that's the bike that's meant for you.

 

My Pulsar 200NS still makes me look back.

 

RC200 would definitely put a smile on my face every day be it riding it or just looking at it. But price is factor too for me. How was the Pulsar 200NS for you? The price difference compared to RC200?

[lkm]

RC200 would definitely put a smile on my face every day be it riding it or just looking at it. But price is factor too for me. How was the Pulsar 200NS for you? The price difference compared to RC200?

 

I love my Pulsar 200NS. I even took it up to Thailand, up to Chiang Mai, then to Laos, up to the China border, then southwards into Cambodia, and back to Thailand, Malaysia and eventually returning to Singapore. =)

 

Well, for starts, I'm prefer a practical bike. Gives me the option to go on a tour (which I did!) I, too, was looking at the Duke 200, RC200 and the RS200 (just before it was available in SG) - after ruling out the CBR150R, FZ16 (small engines) and the Phantom 200 (too uncle). The former 2 faired bikes along with the Duke, while looking great, will look horrendous when slapped on with luggage. Yeah - the Duke looks good only if it remains naked. On the 200cc list (to me at least) the Pulsar 200NS was the only bike that looked nice enough without luggage, and also rather acceptably nice with luggage.

 

Even in Singapore, I can easily transform the 200NS between utility mode (with the top box), tour mode (top + side boxes) or fun mode (all boxes removed), and it still looks (again, to me) sufficiently visually appealing.

 

Check out the photos on my blog at http://www.sgbikerboy.com. And if you're interested, I have journaled my recent 49-day SE Asia tour there too. =)

 

PS I bought my 2+year old 200NS in Jan'16 for $7,800. It cost $13,500 brand new. The RC200 and the Duke 200 go for around $18k new. I was attracted to the KTM's and the RS200 for the ABS feature. But eventually couldn't bring myself to justify the cost difference. By the way, ALL the bikes mentioned were within my budget - even if brand new.

Edited August 24, 2016 by lkm

[mdabdillah]

I love my Pulsar 200NS. I even took it up to Thailand, up to Chiang Mai, then to Laos, up to the China border, then southwards into Cambodia, and back to Thailand, Malaysia and eventually returning to Singapore. =)

 

Well, for starts, I'm prefer a practical bike. Gives me the option to go on a tour (which I did!) I, too, was looking at the Duke 200, RC200 and the RS200 (just before it was available in SG) - after ruling out the CBR150R, FZ16 (small engines) and the Phantom 200 (too uncle). The former 2 faired bikes along with the Duke, while looking great, will look horrendous when slapped on with luggage. Yeah - the Duke looks good only if it remains naked. On the 200cc list (to me at least) the Pulsar 200NS was the only bike that looked nice enough without luggage, and also rather acceptably nice with luggage.

 

Even in Singapore, I can easily transform the 200NS between utility mode (with the top box), tour mode (top + side boxes) or fun mode (all boxes removed), and it still looks (again, to me) sufficiently visually appealing.

 

Check out the photos on my blog at http://www.sgbikerboy.com. And if you're interested, I have journaled my recent 49-day SE Asia tour there too. =)

 

PS I bought my 2+year old 200NS in Jan'16 for $7,800. It cost $13,500 brand new. The RC200 and the Duke 200 go for around $18k new. I was attracted to the KTM's and the RS200 for the ABS feature. But eventually couldn't bring myself to justify the cost difference. By the way, ALL the bikes mentioned were within my budget - even if brand new.

 

I research about RS200, and actually the design is more "garang" because of its headlight and the fairings. On top of that, it is also quite friendly with pillion as it has a seat for them and also a handle for them to hold on to it. I checked on Unique Motorsports and it cost roughly about 14.5K compared to the RC200 which is close to 19K. This certainly interests me. It has a big tank, garang look and still have that sporty look.

 

How is the maintenance, parts and modifications? Is it easily accessible in Singapore, like if you plan to upgrade or change pipe, is it easy acquire or similar to KTM? How's the petrol usage?

 

I believe the RS200 is the newer version of 200NS so I assume the maintenance n such would be similar.

[lkm]

I research about RS200, and actually the design is more "garang" because of its headlight and the fairings. On top of that, it is also quite friendly with pillion as it has a seat for them and also a handle for them to hold on to it. I checked on Unique Motorsports and it cost roughly about 14.5K compared to the RC200 which is close to 19K. This certainly interests me. It has a big tank, garang look and still have that sporty look.

 

How is the maintenance, parts and modifications? Is it easily accessible in Singapore, like if you plan to upgrade or change pipe, is it easy acquire or similar to KTM? How's the petrol usage?

 

I believe the RS200 is the newer version of 200NS so I assume the maintenance n such would be similar.

 

Universal Motors (in Bukit Merah) holds the Monopoly on the Pulsars here in Singapore. While they do an excellent job stocking up all parts necessary for the Pulsars, it's not too easy to find parts selling elsewhere. Not quite a problem in Singapore, as we are generally quite small.

 

But because of this monopoly, I have a suspicion that other motor shops tend to speak badly about them. Just your typical sales talk - "my brand better and the other brand no good". Due to the small Pulsar community in SG, there are presently no legal aftermarket pipes here. Too expensive to homologate for such a small community. If you ever get a Pulsar, get it from Universal Motors - cheaper, and they are the official distributor.

 

Oh, btw, you do know that the KTM's mentioned and the Pulsars are actually all built in the same factory in India, right? In fact, the Pulsars borrow KTM's engine's designs heavily and even use the same oil filters. The engine specs are then, unsurprisingly, very similar.

[mdabdillah]

Universal Motors (in Bukit Merah) holds the Monopoly on the Pulsars here in Singapore. While they do an excellent job stocking up all parts necessary for the Pulsars, it's not too easy to find parts selling elsewhere. Not quite a problem in Singapore, as we are generally quite small.

 

But because of this monopoly, I have a suspicion that other motor shops tend to speak badly about them. Just your typical sales talk - "my brand better and the other brand no good". Due to the small Pulsar community in SG, there are presently no legal aftermarket pipes here. Too expensive to homologate for such a small community. If you ever get a Pulsar, get it from Universal Motors - cheaper, and they are the official distributor.

 

Oh, btw, you do know that the KTM's mentioned and the Pulsars are actually all built in the same factory in India, right? In fact, the Pulsars borrow KTM's engine's designs heavily and even use the same oil filters. The engine specs are then, unsurprisingly, very similar.

 

Yes I know the ktm rc200 are built in India. i didn't know Pulsar was also built India. That's interesting. Since it's this way, I believe their parts would be difficult to get by.

 

Also do you mean to get the bike directly from them or you mean the parts? honestly I want a 200cc bike. Would not want a lesser cc bike tho. Hence rs200, duke 200, rc200 or cbr190 are the ones I'm looking at.

[lkm]

Yes I know the ktm rc200 are built in India. i didn't know Pulsar was also built India. That's interesting. Since it's this way, I believe their parts would be difficult to get by.

 

Also do you mean to get the bike directly from them or you mean the parts? honestly I want a 200cc bike. Would not want a lesser cc bike tho. Hence rs200, duke 200, rc200 or cbr190 are the ones I'm looking at.

 

Actually, if you're referring to the Pulsar, parts are super easy to get - just get it from Universal Motors. They stock almost EVERY Pulsar parts. I'm not familiar with KTM. Although it's *ONLY* 1 shop in Singapore stocking the parts, but I wouldn't worry too much about it because they are the official dealer have everything you'll need. Let me give you an example - recently, I had a breakdown when I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I needed parts, and Thailand didn't have them. Called up Universal Motors and liased with them, and eventually FedEx'ed up the parts. I received the parts in Chiang Mai in less than 24hrs. Of course, I paid using internet banking. EVERY part I needed, Universal Motors has them.

 

Universal Motors sell parts AS WELL AS the bikes itself (at prices lower than Unique, the last I checked.)

 

The CB190R initially caught my interest too. But after looking at the specs - air cooled, 15.7hp, and Chinese-made. Compared to the liquid-cooled Indians (200ns, rs200, duke200 & rc200) with roughly 24-25hp, it seem quite lacking in the horsepower aspect. Simple math reveal the Indians having >50% more max hp! Heck, even the CBR150R at 18hp seem to beat the new, CB190R with bigger engine; although the CB190R has slightly higher torque (15Nm vs 12.7Nm). But the Indians all have about 19Nm of max torque - some 30% more than the CB190R, and a whopping 50% more than the CBR150R!

 

I don't know about you. But I'm also quite a specs guy. Especially so for small displacement (2B) bikes, every little bit of extra hp or torque can be felt. Not all 200cc's are made the same.

 

The four Indians mentioned have very similar engines - and it's reflected in the very similar engine specs too. The KTM's have a slight wee bit edge over the Pulsars. But the Pulsars have better fuel mileage (by quite a margin). All-in-all, it boils down to whether you're willing to pay that extra (pretty large) premium (approx 40%) for the KTM's over the Pulsars - in this case RS200 (since you're considering this).

 

Of course, the KTM has a better "brand positioning" and is perceived to be more "prestigious" compared to the Pulsars. If that's what you're looking for, then go for it. That said, the maintenance cost and cost of replacement parts are also comparatively higher. But really, in Singapore, not many give a hoot about a more "prestigious" 2B bike. Personally, I'd rather purchase a 2B workhorse and save up to a more "prestigious" bigger-cc bike later on.

 

Dude, just to be clear, I'm not a motorcycle salesman nor am I representing any brands. Hahah... Ultimately, the decision is yours. I'm just sharing with you MY own thought process, and hopefully equip you with more information in your purchase decision making.

Edited August 24, 2016 by lkm

[sjyong]

The thing i dislike about cb190r is that it only has 5 gears and the headlight is kinda ugly. I believe pulsars part is more easily obtainable than ktm's... i mean i do see more pulsars on our roads than the ktm so that is my guess.

 

and with the with the amount you save from getting pulsar, you can throw 1k in on upgrading some parts! get a good tire, levers, grips, mirrors and so on

[mdabdillah]

KTM is overpriced as stated and I research more in depth. I believe Pulsar RS200 will be better for me.

[lkm]

KTM is overpriced as stated and I research more in depth. I believe Pulsar RS200 will be better for me.

 

LOL... Just do yourself a favour - before you make a purchase decision, drop by Universal Motors in Bukit Merah and speak to them about the bike price and financing options. Shop around and compare. I remember that when I last did this exercise in Jan this year, UM seem to offer some of the most fair prices on the Pulsar. And also, since you're getting new, buying directly from UM means that should an issue occur during your warranty period, it will be looked at by the Bajaj dealer themselves.

 

There is also a very active facebook community of Singapore Pulsar riders at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pulsarianssg/, if you're interested to find out more about other's experiences with their RS200.

[silvermoon1407]

Hi, I'm a P-plate rider who bought the Honda CB190R as my first motorcycle. While I'm no expert, I would like to give my own personal review, having travelled 1000km with it so far in less than 2 weeks.

 

First of all, I think it is important to describe a little about myself as a rider so as to put some context into the review. I'm 29yo, 1.78m, 80+kg, and my main use of having a bike is to commute to work daily from east to west (Tampines to Boon Lay; yeah it totally sucks), and I have intention to go into msia (up to Malacca) once I’m confident of my riding skills to visit friends and relatives.

Taking into account practicality and my usage needs, I only considered naked street bikes because of its upright riding position, relative longer riding range (fuel economy X fuel capacity), flexibility to add top and side boxes (without looking stupid) and decent enough speed. My initial shortlist includes the Bajaj Pulsar NS200, KTM Duke 200, Yamaha FZ16/150, Honda CBF150 and the Honda CB190R. I was actually quite geared towards the pulsar because of its price:performance ratio (at least on paper), but on the day I passed my 2B TP (at CDC), I went over to Boonsiew Honda next door and took a look, and I fell in love with the CB190R when I saw it. After deliberating for a while, I decided to give up getting the NS200 because 1.) Universal Motor is quite far from my home and the thought of going there for servicing all the time kinda puts me off. 2.) Honda is reputable for its motorcycles as well as abundance of parts both local and overseas (I bought many aftermarket accessories for it from Taobao already!), and Ubi is relatively closer to my home.

So after riding it for 1000km, here are some of my thoughts.

The first 800km was the running-in period, and I tried my best not to push it too far (beyond 6k rpm). After the first (mineral) oil change, I was able to push it a little harder (the mechanic at Boonsiew say it’s ok to push to 100% after the first oil change). Top speed was rated to be about 122km/h (which in my opinion, is rather modest and somewhat disappointing for a 184cc engine) , based on some initial video reviews found online. 6k rpm at top gear is only about 60+km/h. The highest I went was about 105km/h (for only a brief moment) at about 8k+rpm. Redline is at 9.5k rpm. Midrange to high range acceleration is quite responsive, but moving off from first gear is very sluggish. Not sure if it’s my riding technique or what, but I often get out accelerated by other smaller 2b bikes at the traffic light, only to overtake them later. Engine vibrates quite abit in general, but I guess that’s expected from 2b bikes.

Fuel economy seems rather good. There’s no indicators, but based on my mileage and 2x full top ups (Caltex 98) so far, fuel consumption is about 55km/l (during running in period) and 50km/l (mix of running in and normal use). I suspect the FC will go down to about 45km/l once I start speeding along the PIE to and fro work every day, which is still pretty awesome fuel economy.

Brakes are very responsive and powerful, thanks to its two big disc brakes and perhaps the fact they are very new. There are times where I felt that I almost get a little fishtail whenever I hit the rear brake suddenly.

Suspension is quite good, and I could go 40-50km/h over humps without much butthurt (I normally adopt a half standing position when I go over humps anyway).

The dash and instrumentation is very nice, with nice electronic LCD displays. I only wished that there was a gear indicator (there’s an aftermarket accessory for that). I also don’t like the fact that it’s not a conventional handle bar, there is no visible bar in the middle to allow for clamping or mounting of accessories such as dashcam, phone/gps holder etc. My IU was fixed under my left mirror, and I think I will find a phone holder that goes under my right mirror. Another thing I don’t like is the position of the horn. I often accidently flick the horn when turn on/off the signal lights. Maybe it’s just me.

The throttle seems to have a long play, making a very large angle from close to fully open throttle. Maybe it’s to discourage riders to open throttle all the way.

Seat height is ok for me (but then again, I’m tall) but I wished the seat was a little more narrow. It’s slightly wide for my liking. Pillion seat is very comfortable although a little high.

The exhaust is very compact and minimalistic, reducing the likelihood of pillion getting burnt at the legs. However, the exhaust design may have affected the engine performance. I’m looking forward to legal aftermarket exhaust for the CB190R.

Front and rear lights are nice and bright but yet not glaring thanks to LED illumination.

That’s all for now. I may update again when I reach 5000 km mileage and after changing to fully synthetic engine oil. I welcome any questions or discussions.

 

Sharing my personal review of the CB190R that I personally own. Do your own research and find out what works best for you. Sports bike for commuting is often not a gd idea, unless you can handle the aggressive riding position. Numbers-wise, the CB190R appears to be very much inferior compared to the pulsar 200 NS/RS at similar price points (actually abit cheaper), but in real use, it's a very reliable machine, and it also turn heads. I have had countless of ppl chatting me up when I park my bike and asked me why I have a p-plate on a 'futuristic looking Super4'. Availability of parts and servicing is really very important. 5-speed and air-cool means poorer top speed and horsepower, but that's one less thing (coolant+ radiator) that will spoil and will really mess up ur engine if it fails and ur engine overheats. I dropped my bike once (yes it was a heartache) but thanks to my slider, I only got my oil tank fairing and front right signal light slightly scratched, but everything still works. No offense, but I've heard many things wrong with the pulsar: lights failing, indicators failing, chain snapping, ignition failing... All motorcycle will have parts failing sooner or later, but my impression is that the pulsars fail more often. You do get what u pay for. For a pulsar with similar specs to KTM at much cheaper, you do compromise on things. CB190R while chinese-made, is still a reliable machine. Name brand but chinese manufacturer vs chinese spin-offs are different things.

[lkm]

5-speed and air-cool means poorer top speed and horsepower, but that's one less thing (coolant+ radiator) that will spoil and will really mess up ur engine if it fails and ur engine overheats.

=) I personally do not subscribe to this notion - it's akin to reasoning that one should always get a single cylinder engine and not a 4-cylinder one (Super4?) because the latter has 4 times as many cylinders that can really screw up if ANY one of it fails. While true, it's a rather one-sided statement that doesn't consider the UPSIDES to the apparent disadvantage. Similar argument for choosing a carbureted bike over a fuel-injection - as the latter has got fuel injectors and ECU that may fail.

 

but in real use, it's a very reliable machine, and it also turn heads.

CB190R while chinese-made, is still a reliable machine.

Perhaps due to my engineering background, I'm a very facts and numbers person. Humbly, if I may ask, how could one determine the reliability of a 2016 machine in 2016 without historical empirical data?

 

Of course, this discussion, like many forum discussions are filled with biases. Fanboys will rave about their own purchase decisions in an apparent attempt to justify the money spent. (Admittedly, I may even be one of them! =P ) But ultimately, I tend to reserve making statements that are not verifiable, and prefer to stick to indisputable facts and figures. But I recognise that buying a bike is also a very emotional decision. Like how I'm very sure you love your machine as much as any other riders love theirs. Just like mdabdillah's first love with the RC200. Seriously, if that is the ONLY machine that you've set your eyes on, then discount the numbers and just go with the purchase!

 

Ultimately, choose what's important to you. Looks? Brand? Perceived reliability? Money saved? Value? Speed? Only the person with the money and making the purchase can decide. =)

[reize]

=) I personally do not subscribe to this notion - it's akin to reasoning that one should always get a single cylinder engine and not a 4-cylinder one (Super4?) because the latter has 4 times as many cylinders that can really screw up if ANY one of it fails. While true, it's a rather one-sided statement that doesn't consider the UPSIDES to the apparent disadvantage. Similar argument for choosing a carbureted bike over a fuel-injection - as the latter has got fuel injectors and ECU that may fail.

 

Actually, if any of the cylinders die, you can just get a mechanic to disengage the cylinder and remap the ECU and ride with reduced power. Just don't be a **** and scrap that bike when you're done with it. So a CBR1000R now becomes a "CBR750 Street Triple" lol.