Best Indian Touring bike – Touring on a 150cc bike - Part 1

Touring on a 150cc bike

Bike touring in India is on all-time high. More and more youngsters are hopping on their bike for a cool and leisurely weekend trip. Majority of such youngsters ride on 150cc bikes which definitely are a good option for short weekend trips; however many question arises when you think to clock more than 700kms or even 1000 kms on it.

Hardcore touring on 150cc bike brings lots of questions than answers. You always think twice before a “yes” to your ride because a 150cc bike throws lots of doubts in front of you. In this article we will highlight such points which you must remember before planning a long trip on your 150cc.

The first question comes whether a 150cc bike is suitable for such long distance touring or not?

The answer is yes you can definitely take your 150cc bike on a long touring. Most of 150cc bikes available in India can tour as much as you want them to tour. Every bike has its pros and cons – the point is - there is a limitation for every 150cc bike when it comes to touring -

• Not many 150cc bikes are built to tour long distance
• You will not find enough hooks or place to keep your luggage intact
• There is a compromise in comfort while riding continuously for hours
• There is limited power on offer which usually range from 12bhp to 17bhp
• Like power, torque figures also range between 12Nm to 15Nm
• Torque output normally peaks out in between 6000RPM to 7000RPM which usually translates into speeds around 80kmph
• Continuous riding on higher RPMs hits fuel economy adversely with time
• Smaller displacement means engine will spin on high RPM to attain speed of 80kmph or so
• It is hard to maintain a speed of 90 to 100kmph throughout day
• Most 150cc bikes are air-cooled that means you cannot push to their limits all the time to avoid over heating

However there are few positive points while touring on 150cc bike:

• They are light and agile which aids running longer distances, especially when you are caught in commanding situations like a big traffic jam.
• You can achieve long tank range in one fill
• They will be cheaper to maintain
• Easy to fix in case it breaks down
• Since 150cc bikes are not high on power, suspension setup will be on plusher side improving ride quality

As far as you will under these limitations of your bike you will not face any problem anywhere. All you have to achieve while touring on 150cc bike is patience; as long as you are patient enough to ride even on long smooth empty roads heading towards another horizon you will only clock smiles.

Take full care of safety, wear all riding gears and carry some basic tools for just in case scenario.