Before jumping into the selection of one bike, I would like to share the bikes that are available in 250cc segment right now in Nepal.
• KTM’s Duke 250
• Yamaha’s FZ25
• CF MOTO’s 250NK
• Suzuki’s Gixxer 250 (Naked Street)
• Bajaj’s Dominar 250
Currently, these 5 bikes are available in Nepal that you might be considering for buying any one of these. However, there are some others bike too, they also fall in the 250cc segment but they do not fall in the standard street category, so we are omitting them from our comparison. In this comparison, we are not going deeply into technical and specifications that you may find in some other articles rather we will be focusing on the riding and handling quality of the bike; moreover, how practically these bikes are better and easier to use in comparison to each other.
When we talk about a 250 cc of standard street motorcycle, obviously, the KTM’s duke 250 comes ahead. Its sporty design, technology, power and light weight (169 kg) are the advantages, as it produces max power of 30 PS. Many young riders love this powerful bike, but what about for a matured rider? Well, if you ask me, probably, I wouldn’t choose this bike as an all-rounder bike. It doesn’t mean that I do not like this bike. In fact, I love this bike, but I do not prefer this bike for long touring, occasional off-roading and carrying a pillion. It has smaller rear seat, harder suspension, taller seat height (830 mm) and higher price (NPR. 639,900) push many riders to think of its alternative.
In 250 cc segment, the next highly popular motorcycle is CFMOTO’s 250NK, which carries almost the similar DNA of KTM’s Duke 250 in terms of power, technology and design. This bike looks very proportioned and attractive because of its compact design. Many youngsters consider it as a worthy alternative to KTM Duke 250. It produces the max power of 26.51 PS, which is comparatively lower than that of the Duke 250 but it has got some weight advantages, as 250NK weighs only around 151kg. Furthermore, this bike has priced very competitively, NPR. 525,000. However, the same question arises, is it a perfect bike for all-round use? Sadly, it has got quite low ground clearance that might be a little upset to those who are looking for riding in off-roads. Similarly, seats are not much spacious and comfortable. Comparatively 250NK has low seat height (795 mm) than other 250 cc bikes, so short height riders may feel comfortable, but pillion seat is very small, so it will be very difficult to take pillioin for long rides.
Now, we are coming to the serious contenders to be the best 250cc segment of bikes in Nepal, and the list goes to Suzuki’s Gixxer 250 (naked street version). We all know the durability of the Japanese brand, Suzuki but let’s dive into Gixxer 250 as what it offers. This is another similar single cylinder 4 stroke engine, Fi with 6 speed gears box that produces max power of 26.5 PS. It has very competitive price, NPR. 465,900. It is quick and accelerates well. In terms of looking, it is a very compact bike with decent looks but still I do have some questions marks? Why the seat is very small for a rider and as well as for a pillion? The seat height is 800 mm, which is good for all height; however, I found the suspension is quite stiff. Considering power and performance, this bike is good but I do still have some hesitations to choose this bike as the best all-rounder bike in the segment.
Well, now the time comes to dig a little bit deeper, as Yamaha’s most popular bike FZ25 is the one of the highly chosen and mostly preferred bikes in the segment. Although it is a popular and the cheapest bike, NPR 442,900 in the range, it produces less power 20.8 PS and consists of 5 gears box only, as these are the major disadvantages of this bike. However, we do not feel the necessity of 6 gears either, but could have been much smoother engine in high speed with the addition of 6th gear. When we talk about riding quality, seating posture, seat quality, seat height and suspension, there is no doubt that it is the best of all in 250cc segment. It has got spacious seat for a rider as well as for a pillion. Furthermore, Fz25 has quite good ground clearance and soft suspension, which help a lot while riding in off-roads.
Last but not least, there is a twist to this story as the Bajaj introduces its brand new 250cc Dominar in the Nepali market. I got an opportunity to take a ride on this Bajaj’s Dominar 250 and found it is a proper mixture of everything: power like that of KTM Duke 250, Dominar 250 produces max power of 27 PS, Engine like that of Gixxer 250, very smooth, and suspension like that of Fz25. Furthermore, I like its spacious seat for a rider as well as for a pillion. However, I have quite a few suggestions, as this bike should have a little higher ground clearance and lighter in weight (180 kg). The price of Dominar 250 is NPR 489,900, which is more expensive than Gixxer 250 (465,900) and FZ25 (442,900). But I still prefer Dominar 250 despite its heavy weight.
In conclusion, every bike that I have mentioned above are excellent in respective parts, so there is no comparison in that scenario. However, still according to the price, all-rounder performance, riding quality and comfort, I would be very happy with Dominar 250 and FZ25 for riding all day and every day.Best bikes in Nepal for 250 cc segment for all-round performance
