I ride a gen-2 KTM 390 Duke and want to upgrade. Should I move to a middleweight naked like the Triumph Street Triple R/RS or jump straight to a superbike in the Rs 15–18 lakh range?

 

Aditya Menon, Bengaluru

 

Autocar India says: Since you’ve mentioned a Rs 15–18 lakh budget, that does put you in reach of a full-blown superbike like the Kawasaki ZX-10R, a 200hp track-focused supersport. However, jumping straight from a KTM 390 to such a machine is a big leap — the learning curve is steep, mistakes are less forgiving, and you’ll rarely get to exploit its potential outside a racetrack.

 

A more logical step-up would be a middleweight superbike such as the Triumph Street Triple RS or Kawasaki Z900. They offer enough performance to keep you entertained, are excellent tools for the odd track day, and are far more usable and forgiving in everyday conditions. If you’d still prefer to stick to the litre-class tag, the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP is worth a look — it’s priced just above the Street Triple, makes over 150hp, and is currently the most affordable litre-class naked in India, backed by Honda’s reliability.

 

Also see:

 

Buying a superbike that is not E20 compliant