BHPian Castro Gunner recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Disclaimer: The suggestion requested here might materialise in 3 months or 3 years or 5 years?, when my certain financial threshold is met. So, all your valuable advise will be more of a knowledge gaining experience rather than an immediate outcome based reality. Background: I am a 31 year old male, living in Bangalore, working 6 days a week job. My current garage:2024 Vida V1 Plus: For commutes, clocking an average of 7000 kms/ year2020 Gixxer SF 250: For breakfast rides and weekend rides (2500-3000 kms/ year)2021 i20 Diesel: For outing with family (4000-7000 kms/year)The itch: Honestly all my needs are satisfied now and foreseeable future. But you guys can relate it too, “”THE ITCH””, the want for more, the evolved version of a toy,… it has started.” I want to upgrade my SF 250 in the future when I reach a certain net worth/income level. And that upgrade will be limited to the 4L bracket beyond which is clearly out of my budget both in purchasing power and maintenance. Now the Dilemma: Now, basically we are looking at a bike which Is going to clock 1500-3000 kms/ year (For 5 more years). Purely for joy carrying out breakfast rides/one day rides. Instead of going for a 4 lakh purchase (390/650 twins..), why not a single owner 20k-30k used first gen 390s? My question here is, if that purchase (listed at 1-1.5 lakhs) satisfy my needs, why go for a bigger purchase? Requesting your valuable inputs Keep in note: 1. Purely an itch for an upgrade 2. I can keep my SF 250 also (no need to sell) 3. Major expense/very unreliable makes the whole situation meaning less 4. Specifically asking for Duke 390/RC 390 to get maximum fun at a affordable cost. Here’s what BHPian b16h22 replied:First gen 390s are now more of a collectible/project bike than a daily. Some of the parts are permanently discontinued and not shared with later models. And they require constant upkeep and a knowledgeable owner. You should know which parts can be switched with Bajaj’s and alternate ways to source the OE parts. I don’t think it is the right upgrade for you from a Gixxer 250. Spend a little more and get the 2017+ gen 2 if you are really locked in on the 390s. Why not look at the updated NS400 as well, if you are looking for maximum bang for your buck.Here’s what BHPian BullettuPaandi replied:I’d recommend going for a new <4L bike instead. Used KTMs might not be suitable such low running third bike; it will be difficult to find a well maintained Duke/RC. Newer bikes will require significantly less up-keep. Given your current garage, an ADV like Himalayan 450 will be a nice addition. While it won't particularly be a substantial upgrade in terms of power-to-weight from an SF250, it'd enable long distance touring and off-roading. There's also the 390 ADV X if you're not interested in off-roading as much, and would like a little bit more power-to-weight ratio on the upgrade. And if/when you get a bigger itch, the resale value from the newer bike should more or less offset the added upfront cost, compared to buying a cheaper used bike and spending on maintenance, parts, etc.Here's what BHPian GT390 replied:Buying a used bike from a premium brand is a pain since genuine spares and reliable mechanic is not that easily available. The older bikes will suffer from E20 fuel and end up with expensive repairs if the bike is not used regularly. Your running is way too low so I would suggest u to go ahead with a brand new bike like a TVS Apache RTR 310. Perfect blend of high performance and reliability. Maintaining it will be easy on pocket and you can easily own it for more than 5 years without any major maintenance and company warranty. SF 250 has rusting issues and keeping it idle with less running will increase its maintenance cost and you wont find a good deal if you plan to sell it later. So I would suggest you to get rid of it and invest some money on good helmet, riding jacket and bike accessories like panniers and auxiliary lights.Here's what BHPian camitesh replied:I moved from 250cc CBR 250r to the latest gen 3 Duke 390 and while I did enjoy the journey for 6 months or so, the upgrade didn't take away "the itch" completely. I'll suggest to stick to your SF250 for 1-2 more years, increase the budget by couple of more lakhs and look for a proper upgrade to a good recent vintage 600+ cc (not talking about RE 650s) sports or touring bike. That should keep you happy untill you are 35 or so before you revisit "the itch" to upgrade towards a litre class Whatever you do, like others suggested dont go for very old KTMs unless you know the history very well.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
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