Touring Tips: Best Touring Bikes Under Rs 2 Lakhs

Have a budget of Rs 2 lakh. Here are the best touring bikes you can buy for that money

You have been bitten by the touring bug. The first step is to get a tourer i.e. a bike that you can travel long distances in comfort. If you have a budget of Rs 1.5 lakh, check out the best touring bikes for that price here. However if you are able to extend your budget to Rs 2 lakh, here are some very capable tourers you can buy:

Royal Enfield Classic 350 (Rs 1.59 lakh to Rs 1.81 lakh):

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 offers two major touring updates over the Bullet 350: A spring seat and dual gas charged rear shock absorbers. While the spring seat appeals to some, the gas charged shock absorbers offer better ride quality. Both the Bullet 350 and Classic 350 get the same 346cc long-stroke BS6 motor that gets fuel-injection offers 19.3PS and 28Nm. It makes sense if you plan to lug around extra weight with fuel jerry cans and touring luggage. We would opti for the top spec variant that gets dual-channel ABS. 

Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 (Rs 1.76 lakh):

We prefer the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 over the Gixxer 250. Both motorcycles get a sloping rider seat which feels uncomfortable on the naked bike but is a perfect fit on the SF owing to the slightly sporty riding position. The large motorcycle gets a LED headlamp, LED tail lamp and a comprehensive digital instrument console. Another highlight is its 249cc purely oil-cooled motor. It is a refined unit delivering 26.5PS and 22.2 Nm. The six speed gearbox aids touring as does the comfortable ride quality. 

Royal Enfield Himalayan (Rs 1.89 lakh to Rs 1.94 lakh):

The Royal Enfield Himalayan is one adventure tourer you can ride down to Ladakh with minimal modification. It gets a functional bodywork with an exposed frame to mount jerry cans and panniers. The Himalayan features long-travel suspension and large spoke wheels with dual-purpose tyres. The air and oil-cooled 411cc fuel-injected BS6 motor delivers 24.31PS and 32Nm. This is the most capable adventure tourer you can buy below Rs 3.5 lakh. 

Benelli Imperiale 400 (Rs 1.99 lakh):

The Benelli Imperiale 400’s comfortable seat and upright riding position ensure complete comfort over long distances. Its BS6-compliant 374cc air-cooled and fuel-injected motor delivers 21PS and 29Nm. It is a fantastic-looking bike and the one to go for if you are into retro motorcycles. That said, bear in mind that at 205kg, this is a heavy motorcycle and its long wheelbase makes turning in tight corners a chore. Also, Benelli does not have a vast service reach like Royal Enfield.  

Bajaj Dominar 400 (Rs 1.94 lakh):

The Bajaj Dominar 400 has a lot of things going for it. It comes with an extremely bright LED headlamp, an upright seating position, sophisticated underpinnings in the form of upside-down forks and monoshock, radial tyres, and dual disc brakes with dual-channel ABS. It gets a KTM 390 Duke-derived 373cc liquid-cooled motor that delivers 40PS and 35Nm and a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. This one’s a powerful tourer that will take you from point A to point B in half the time.

Bajaj Dominar 250 (Rs 1.6 lakh):

We prefer the smaller Dominar 250 over the Dominar 400 simply because its motor is more relaxed at touring speeds and more tractable at lower speeds. It is no slouch either, the KTM 250 Duke-derived 248.8cc liquid-cooled motor delivers 27PS and 23.5Nm mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Thankfully, the Dominar gets its larger cousin’s bright LED headlamp and upright seating position. It misses out on USD forks and gets bias-ply tyres but we’ve found that despite these cuts, the Dominar 250 rides and handles well.

Mahindra Mojo 300 BS6 (Rs 1.99 lakh):

The Mahindra Mojo is a fine tourer with premium underpinnings like upside-down forks and Pirelli tyres. The newest model gets conventional forks and MRF tyres but that does not hamper the Mojo’s touring credentials much. For one, the twin-barrel halogen headlamps offer a powerful beam spread. The riding position is upright and the seat is comfortable enough for long jaunts. Its 300cc fuel-injected liquid-cooled BS6 motor now delivers 25.7PS and 25.9PS and continues to use a 6-speed gearbox. Despite its oddball looks, the Mojo has proven to be a capable tourer.

*-All prices, ex-showroom Delhi.