Hi all, am looking for suggestion on motorcycles for commuting. Have a B Full license.

Am considering between a Honda RSX or a Dominar D400 for commute however am worried that the D400 might be hard to squeeze through traffic in KL. Besides these two, are there any other recommendations < 20k?

Don't mind second hand motorcycle however the brand/model should have a good reliability record.

How far is your commute everyday?

rsx is good enough for daily commute
can consider raider too for extra power

get big bike if you want to have fun
under 20k you can find used kawasaki z650 with abs, bigger than kapcai and not as heavy as d400.
still easy to squeeze through traffic also

if you dont care about abs can find old yamaha mt07, size similar to z650

Suzuki Raider is a very poor choice for commute lol

If you're concerned about weight just get an RSX or even a second hand RS150 v2, you could also get Kawi z250s for less than 10k

whats wrong with the raider?

tried it a while ago and didnt feel anything weird

Around 20km only around kl area. mainly dealing with heavy traffic that requires lane splitting easily

thanks will consider z650 or mt07. surprised that d400 is heavier than a z650

well z650 and d400 weight isnt that much of difference, but weight distribution z650 feels more flickable and lighter in that sense

make sure to test ride the bikes before you buy them, who knows maybe you'd like the d400 more than z650

If work horse, just get a kapcai. Your distances is not far away. Big cc useful if commute through highway.

Yeah commuting through highway for about 5-10km. Kapcai for stop and go is amazing but on the highway it starts to lack in speed. Might consider a big cc scooter instead as substitute

Rsx speed should be sufficient for highway with that distances. 10km just 5 to 10 minutes ride only.

Anything is flickable with enough practice on clucth and throttle control
I personally find the d400 is very easy and fun to filter like a pelesit.
Not an advice, but i did watch those indian street racing vid for inspiration and reference.
Just specifically to cilok on a d400.

This post has been edited by cursetheroad01: Mar 22 2024, 05:29 PM

do take note big bike doesn't have space for luggage like raincoat or helmet

kapcai at least have bakul

Posture, just get a 150 gixxer if you have the cash and really want a budget suzy or buy an RS150, back will thank you in the long run

Raider also runs on thin tyres compared to it's other 150cc competitors, spare parts also relatively hard to find.

This post has been edited by iambryan1234: Mar 23 2024, 01:50 PM

No problem will be installing a rear box regardless

Interesting, will have to give the d400 a test ride

It actually depends on your preferences , For me i've been riding D400 with side boxes since I bought it (my first and current bike). Used to ride 40km daily in peak KL-PJ traffic jam with no issues. Now I'm riding 100km daily through also. It'll be harder than kapchais but still manageable for me.

A box will solve that issue ~

this is now one of those things that makes me curse in life.

just use a small bag.

sport touring bike got box what

any bike also can install box. depends on whether you like the look of the bike after or not

Agree. I think it's a grave sin to add box on bikes that not supposed to have it

Haha... whatever floats your boat. Whos to say what is nice or not as long as the owner deems it necessary to fit luggage to his/her bike. Afterall, not everyone needs or can use, or can afford a dedicated touring bike for longer trips. The most common and popular bike now is a naked bike. They are cheap, plentiful options, sporty and fun, but lacking in luggage capacity. We just make do with what we have.

We do have pannier kits for the Ninja 650 sportsbike that bolts into stock mounting locations on the bike, so whos to say that panniers dont belong there as the manufacturer already makes an allocation for it? Hehe.

In fact, i'm very happy to see people outfit thier bikes sometimes to the point of being a pack mule, as it just means, they are riding the bikes and making trips, instead of being a garage queen.

exactly what i did, my back seat dem kecik so now it fighting me for seat space lol

at what speed will the panniers be unsafe to ride on on a naked bike you think? since it creates quite alot of drag compared to a top box hence lifting the front up more?

soon it will take over the rider's seat and the bike eventually

AMEN ! XD

I've been riding my D400 with full pannier + 43l top box ~ , before I put my panniers the top speed can reach 160km/h , after i slap everything now is about 153-155km/h top speed. no significance apart from slower speed.

Really depends on the setup. I have 3 boxes on my dominar. Will do 160 with no effect on stability....partly due to the long wheelbase and heavy weight of the bike

I hink the more pertinent issue is how you load the bike. Most people will over pack and overload the bike..when you have storage to spare.... weighing the rear down and cause the front end to go light.

I max out my rear preload and drop the front forks 1/2" to mitigate this...as very often my travel weight is an additional 30kg with gear and the weight of the racks/boxes. More importantly is how you pack them. Put the heavier items low on the panniers and the lightest things in the top box.

Seriously, this is no difference with travelling with a pillion.

really depends on what bike and how its setup as well as the weight load on the bike.

ive done up to 227km/h with empty Shad SH36 panniers on my z900...no issue...yes it does create some noticeable drag at higher speeds, but ive never noticed any noticeable lift of the front.

fully loaded, ive only done up to about 190km/h iirc.

for most nakeds, despite the "upright" position, ur in truth still leaning forward a little... so ur weight will be pushing the front down. plus. at higher speeds (especially 160kmh above), ur definitely gonna be tucking in coz of the wind. so more weight up front. ur gonna balance it out urself.

Pannier hardly make an aero drag, Top Box yes.

See those GS with Putu Mayam alloy boxes stacked? further more its a box, less aerodynamic.

KL hor? haiya forget the touring/sport/big bike la.. you will suffer..
get scooter or kapcais.. u sure will no headache no stress no tired at all..

you can try piinjam 1 big bike from friend to use for a about 2 -3 days only..
then you will know la..
after that try use scooter or kapcai.. u surely will feel very very happy la hahaa

Currently plan to start use LC135 for daily work distance is 25 KM one way with 70% highway within Penang mainland. Have not been riding motorcycle for almost 10 years

Currently looking into change to Ninja 250 ABS.
Reason being new job need to travel to Ipoh maybe once or twice a month.

Currently not looking into higher CC as only plan to use the bike for work purpose and hopefully start with 250CC as a learning bike.

Not going to higher CC as currently only have B2 license and and plan to take time learn the ride again for now.

So now a bit dilemma if there is something else I need to consider

Upgraded my license to B Full after MCO as I noticed the worsening travel time, bought a used Vulcan S and used it for daily commute to work. Sometimes can’t cilok when traffic standstill but don’t have the clutch control issue i.e tiring or troublesome, find it more engaging as a rider. Used to have a Vario but find it lacking on highways or long trips and not confidence inspiring when cornering. Storing the helmet is an issue but i comfort myself that I’m carrying an alternative self defence weapon 😂

For tackling KL traffic, the Honda RSX could be a solid choice. But hey, don't forget about the Yamaha Y15ZR or the Kawasaki Z125 – they could surprise you! And if you're cool with used bikes, keep an eye out for the Yamaha FZ150i or Honda CB150R.

250cc ok to ride in KL jam what and still within rm 20k budget.

Get a used xmax v1

20km, city area.

Just get moped or scooter. why bother with big cc

250.. full fairing or cruiser.. u will headache to cilok2.. just stuck behind or beside car bas taxi la then.. plus kapcai rider behind you will yell at u due to too slow/cant cilok

unless 250 with slim slim shady body like gsx250 single bore maybe a little bit easier..

i agree, just get a scooter. 20 km only

That's why I install a top box

Imo it's the other way round. Panniers sticks out directly to the airflow while top box is blocked by my huge body so too box should be more aerodynamic.

Anyway, my commute to work is 10km one way and I ride a 999cc bike. My vote is to commute with big bike. The power makes overtaking lorries easily and can get you out of sticky situation if needed. Also big bikes usually have much better suspension, tires and brakes plus dual channel ABS so safety is much better than kapcais as well.

But then again, with great power comes great responsibility. The power can also get you into sticky situations easily as well if you aren't careful.

This post has been edited by Nightstalker1993: Apr 4 2024, 10:33 PM

Perhaps the bike design then come into the pictures.. not all bike has top box had turbulance, then not all the bike had side pannier create drag.

When I still commute with my old bike, top box make high speed cruising worrying.

im slightly a twig-ish fella at about 55kg commute is about 10km 1 way as well through usually heavy traffic and have no issues commuting on a big-ish bike. suka suka can lenjan (at the appropriate moments ofc).

also believe bigger bikes handle the rain better? more weight more traction i suppose?
tho if ur route is filled with traffic lights thats where the big bike is abit of a pain... slow stop go traffic = roasted calfs/ankles

I daily a Z650, travel from home to heart of KL back n forth is about 55km a day. I find big CC very helpful when going to SUKE highway. Z650 size same as Z250, have no problems cilok in town and jam, but it will be slightly more tiring than something like an NMax or ADV 150. Easy to control, good power, fuel efficient, cheap service, nothing to complain. Happy to share more if you have any questions about dailying a 650cc in KL traffic.

This post has been edited by darksider95: Apr 7 2024, 07:11 AM

Good bikes for daily in KL - AKLEH, jalan sultan ismail, jalan kuching, jalan tun razak - bmw r nine t, hypermotard 950, streetfighter v2.

i used to ride f800 gs shah alam to kl daily, started with NKVE cos konon big bike lagi powderful, then after two three incidents of idiots looking at phone in morning and coming into my lane, tot of taking safer route of using fed hiway bike lane...

then satu kali my fuel sensor got problem so while bike was being fixed i pinjam kawan kapcai to go work, balik i place order for maxi scooter and never been happier... then came mco and sold the GS...

I daily my 800NK. Previously my dominar with 3 boxes.

It takes getting used to and you won't be as nimble as a smaller kapchai or scooter and you might not be able to squeeze into smaller gaps in traffic. I still prefer the security and stability of a big bike over a smaller bike.

A 650 isn't any heavier or bigger than a normal 250 maxi scoot, and many daily on them.

Give the z650 or the 700CLX a try. They are quite nimble and does quite well in traffic

Z650 didn't have test ride but tried the Ninja 650, too much power for daily commute but was surprised at how small and easy it was to lug around. After researching, have decided to go with Dominar D400 as it checks all the boxes for the purpose of commuting.

Wanted to get a cb500x for daily commute/go adventure
Gotten an Xmax 250 instead due to convenience and the unavailability of Forza 250

Good for you then.

For the purpose of commuting, the D400 is decent, especially given the price. Fuel economy if you keep it around 80 to 100 is actually quite good. You could almost get 300km on a tank running 80. Its just not built for higher speeds.

top box can mess with the stability of a bike, more so than side boxes, it's usually mounted higher, and farther to the back, behind the rear wheel center axis, compared to pannier boxes which are closer to the cog, so a top box can reduce load on the front wheel which is not good - brake dive, corner slides, losing the front traction etc

i go with versys650. i travel about 50km from home to office and there are many tolls in between. for me i can speed and more stable on a big bike.
be sure to be gear up.