Top 500cc Plus Bikes In India: 5 Excellent Big Bikes For You

Buying a 500cc or even bigger bike is something we all dream about. That’s when we finally enter the ‘big bike’ space and get a premium looking machine that excites us with its performance. If you feel like you’re finally ready to upgrade onto a nice big bike, here are 5 bikes in the 500cc+ world that would make for great purchases and can be used for everyday riding: 

500cc: Kawasaki Ninja 500

The Kawasaki Ninja 500 is an excellent bike. In fact, it’s almost perfect as a sportbike. For a bike that looks as racy and sporty, this Kawasaki Ninja’s riding posture is delightfully comfortable. The handlebar is pretty high, meaning you won’t end up breaking your back while getting in the sportbike position. And the footpegs are reasonably low set, meaning even 6-foot tall guys have a decent amount of legroom. 

Then there’s that engine. Kawasaki has shown why it’s such an admired brand because the Ninja 500’s engine is a gem. It’s very easy to ride in the city and under 4,000rpm, the bike feels nice and docile. But when you start getting on the throttle, the bike starts coming alive. After 8,000rpm the bike feels properly exciting and post 10,000rpm, you’ll have your hair blowing back as you hold on for dear life (inside the helmet that is). Yes, the Rs 5.29 lakh ex-showroom price is quite high. But if excitement is what you’re looking for, it’s hard to beat the Ninja 500 in this class.  

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500-650cc: Royal Enfield Continental GT 650

If the Ninja 500 is all about performance and excitement, the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is on the opposite end of things. This beauty is all about easy riding. The sheer torque on offer means you could be 2 or even 3 gears higher and the GT will never complain. Just get on the throttle and it’ll roll ahead like a steamroller with that melodious engine growling in the background. 

And don’t let that ease fool you into thinking that the GT’s a lazy thing. Be a bit more liberal with your right hand and you’ll see the GT 650 has more than enough performance. In fact, in our performance tests, the GT 650’s 0-100 figures were close to something like the KTM 390 Duke. And then the way this Royal Enfield bike looks. The sheer charm of a retro cafe racer is hard to beat and if it’s one brand who makes retro bikes look good, it’s this Chennai-based bike maker. There’s a reason the GT 650 is one of India’s best-selling 650s. 

650-800cc: Honda XL750 Transalp

If you think the Honda XL750 Transalp looks good online, wait till you see it in person. In an era where bikes are getting sharper and more edgy than ever, the Transalp’s old-school design with its flowing curves is refreshing. Fit and finish levels are excellent and the Transalp turns heads wherever it goes. Premium big bike feel? Check! 

And then it’s that engine. The 755cc, liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder engine from Honda is happy to potter around gently at low speeds. But what it loves is being revved and ridden hard. Wind the bike up and you’ll see that this sweet looking bike can be a lot of fun wherever you take it. And while you do that, every time you encounter bad roads, you’ll be reminded why adventure bikes just work in India. With the sheer amount of suspension travel and ground clearance on offer, the Transalp rides through bad roads like it owns them.  

900-1000cc: BMW S 1000 XR

Now, some of you might’ve not expected to find the BMW S 1000 XR on this list. But here it is and it’s for good reason. Sport tourers like the S 1000 XR give best of both worlds. It’s tall, has comfortable ergonomics and more than enough suspension travel to deal with our broken roads. But then the 17-inch wheels mean it handles pretty much like a road bike and if you feel like some of the above mentioned ADVs with their big front wheel are an overkill for your riding, the S 1000 XR might be a nice fit for you. 

The engine? It’s a gem! Pick any speed and the S 1000 XR is happy to cruise at it. You’ll run out of roads way before this BMW bike comes even close to running out of steam. And since it’s a BMW, it’s expensive to buy and maintain, but at the same time, the premium and feel-good factor is high. Be it the premium looking console, excellent fit and finish levels or even just the overall big bike feel, the S 1000 XR ticks all the boxes you’d expect a bike in this class to tick. 

More Than 1000cc: Ducati Multistrada V4

If asked to pick one bike to tour the world on, most people in the BikeDekho team would pick the Ducati Multistrada V4. With its new V4 engine, this Multistrada V4 is easier to ride at low speeds. But open that throttle and you’ll see that this engine has the relentless pull of a steam train from back in the day. And that means it’s exciting while providing you sofa-like comfort on two wheels. Heated grips, radar assisted cruise control, storage options, blind spot monitoring systems, this Ducati Multistrada bike has every piece of tech you could ever want from a motorcycle. We’re talking about way more than Ladakh now. If you’ve always wanted to ride your bike across countries, this Ducati bike makes for an excellent choice.