The ultimate test of any road bike is not the dirt, highway or twisties instead it's the traffic. It tests bike's pick up, suspension, seat comfort, heat management, and filtering ability. These are the factors you will be testing on a daily basis. So today we are going to talk about why you should be test riding your potential “Daily Commuter” in heavy traffic conditions. While handing me down the keys of the RE Himalayan for the test ride, the showroom guy informed me of a clear route with no traffic and empty roads so I could enjoy the new counterbalanced LS 410. It’s his job to do so and I don’t blame him for trying to make me go a certain way so I don’t find about the cons of the bike.
Riding the bike in city traffic I noticed some of the usual cons like overheating of the engine and some missed neutrals. The brakes took really hard of a pull to deliver a good bite and the mirrors vibrated a lot. Some of these things I was only able to notice when I was riding the bike in a congested traffic in the middle of the city with 40-degree ambient temperature. While going from one red light to another I noticed the quick acceleration and pickup courtesy of the new engine and the fuel injection system which worked surprisingly well. Both Classic 500 and this bike use EFI but on the former, the system makes absolutely no noticeable improvement.
After returning the bike back to the dealership, I was not only blessed with the pros and cons but also with those points which made the trade-off of some abilities worth it. It was okay to not have the best brakes because a new brake pad and steel braided line could solve the issue. Despite the vibrations, the long travel suspension made riding within city limits quite easy.
Almost 70% of your time in the saddle will be spent being stuck behind a Mahindra XUV 500 or a Scorpio. Testing a bike for the same test beforehand and choosing it accordingly will make the situation less frustrating. You have a bike which can accelerate quickly, filter out the traffic easily and lets you flat foot effortlessly then these factors make up a pleasant riding experience.
A good example is the Royal Enfield Continental GT. The bike has great pulling power on the highway and you won’t notice the rubbish EFI while taking over. In traffic conditions though, the story is something else entirely. The clipons make you sit aggressively and the 535 cc engine makes you feel every vibration while picking up the pace in traffic. The time you can spend on a bike while riding in traffic makes the best city bike for you.
By: Yetnesh Dubey