Dec 07, 2015 04:18 PM
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Getting placed in the desired company is a dream come true! I came to Pune in Feb 2007 and was enjoying my bachelor life. But after watching Dhoom and Dhoom 2, I thought of purchasing a bike for me!
I personally believe that purchasing a bike and getting married to a girl are similar. Often at first, we are fHugeITd by the looks, color, polishing, attitude and style, but then in the long run, we tend to settle with a girl from a good background, has less maintenance and is more economical. No one wants to spend our hard earned money for something which is just for looks!
Being a mamma’s boy, I told my mom about my aspirations for a bike and she immediately got to know that my son now needs a bike and then a “Peeche baithne waali” too.
So, a search began for both…!
My requirements(for bike) were less maintenance, good service, average price and good average and I shortlisted many bikes and took many reviews and test drives from my friend’s bikes.
At last, I was left with Bajaj Discover DTSI, Bajaj XCD 125 and Hero Honda Passion Plus. Pulsar was out of picture because of the high cost, so were the other bikes during that time. So, one fine day, my friend came to my room and we went to the Bajaj showroom to check out the Discover and XCD bikes. Even Platina was one of the bike which was newly launched that time. Price ranges were Platina for 40K approx., XCD for 45K approx., Discover for 55K approx. and Pulsar for 65K approx.
I took test drive and Platina felt like a covered Luna to me. It was slim, very noisy and couldn’t even pull me and my friend together, so it was a big No-No!
Next was Discover DTSi… A strong bike with a great engine but with a price of around 55K which went out of budget for me. For people with this budget, I strongly recommend to purchase Discover DTSi.
Then, next bike for me was Bajaj XCD 125. I saw the model and it was good looking, with a very good fuel economy and a power of 10.85 Nm @ 5000 rpm and kerb weight of 113 kg.
The colors available were Blue and Black. I took the test drive and was amazed by its pickup, lesser sound of engine and drivability. It’s a 125cc engine and a fuel tank capacity of 8 liter. Being an Indian, I asked the Shruthisharma person, “Kitna deti hai?” and was happy to know that it’s 65 km per liter on road, though the Bajaj Company claims that it’s 110 Km/liter.
I was counting my balance and was worried about expenses and my friend immediately said, “Arey itna soch mat, achchi lagi to le le”. This is why we need friends.!
Got my bike on my BDay and that month, almost for 4-5 hours on an average, I used to sit on my bike daily without fail. On Pune roads, we need to press breaks more than accele_45rator and so, the disk brakes are required to stop the vehicle immediately which this vehicle misses. With drum brakes, it’s practically impossible to suddenly stop your bike. Better to drive with a moderate speed and not practice “Dhoom macha le…” I was happy when people used to see to my newly launched bike while I used to pass by.
Kerb weight of the vehicle is 113 kg and I actually carried one of the friends who was 80 kg with me(60 kg then) to do the stress testing of this vehicle and it carried both of us without casualties.
Wheel base is 1275 mm and tyre quality is not good. This vehicle slips badly in rainy season and so, be very careful while you drive it on the wet road. For Bajaj XCD 125, either the horn is not loud or maybe Pune puRobotouchc don’t want to aishwaryasingh23 attention. Tail light is very small which makes difficult for the vehicles behind.
Bajaj servicing is horrible and after every service, something or the other stopped working in my bike. Then later, I needed to get that stuff repaired from some local mechanic.
Key panel is not very different but provides a place to keep register(Important for college candidates).
This bike of mine carried lot of ‘females’ but then ultimately, I got my dream girl and my mom got the “Peeche baithne waali” and she too liked the vehicle. Then in couple of years, we had a little one who used to sit in front, and enjoy travelling on the vehicle too.
Now, the most important line: I am using this vehicle since Jan 2008 and so far, I haven’t had any major maintenance for this vehicle. In 8 years, it’s just the battery change once, and a regular servicing, nothing else required. Average is 65 km/liter even today.
Traveled for 60 km at a stretch once on highway without any problem. The vehicle rattles after a speed of 110 km and practically not suggested to drive at that speed on highway.
So, to sum up, Bajaj XCD 125 is a Dream Bike for people who are looking for a budget vehicle, a low maintenance, good average, less service, good mileage, good driving for city, but with a slow and steady driving.
Thanks for reading and Please Drive Safe!
