Buying a Superbike in India: Five Things You Should Know

• Published On: 30 June 2019
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Superbikes are the new cool in India. However, it is not easy to buy or maintain one in India given a host of factors.

The trend of superbikes seems to be catching up in India. For young enthusiasts and thrill-seekers, superbikes are an ultimate weapon. The bikes are priced at a much more affordable price than the similar cars and are much cheaper to maintain too. However, there are a few things that everyone should know before buying a superbike. 

Excessive heat

The modern-day superbikes are powered by massive engines that generate a lot of heat. However, in absence of adequate airflow, the cooling system will not work properly, making the engine area extremely hot. This makes riding the superbikes a challenge, especially in city traffic where roads are clogged and there are numerous traffic signals. Superbikes can be extremely harsh in the slow-moving traffic and one should be aware of this fact before buying them.

Handling

A superbike is entirely different from regular commuter segment bikes. A person expert in handling regular motorcycles might feel that riding a superbike can be a different ballgame altogether. Superbikes are extremely heavy and have a very aggressive riding position. At crawling speeds, the rider has to make a lot of effort to keep the bike moving and balancing. 

Fuel  

While most superbikes can run on regular fuel too, there can be problems of miss firing. Superbikes use high-compression engines that work under high pressure. To move the parts efficiently, at least 95 RON fuel is required, which is not available in India. The next-best fuel available in the fuel pumps is the 97 Octane fuel, which has very limited availability in India. Many superbike owners use fuel boosters to make up for the low octane in the fuel available in India but it can turn out to be an expensive affair.

Tyres

The tyres used in modern-day superbikes are made of a soft compound to ensure maximum traction. This in turn makes sure that power is properly utilized in the bike. However, these tyres are quite expensive and have a life of only around 10,000 km. This is quite low compared to the regular tyres available with the mass segment bikes. This is one of the hidden costs that can turn out to be an expensive deal for the owner.

Parking

Superbikes make head turn wherever they go. Since they are not very common on the roads, a lot of curious onlookers can become a little touchy with the bike. When these people see a parked superbike, they get super excited and try to pose with the bike and even sit on them. There have been many incidents when such parked superbikes have fallen down due to the touching on the onlookers. It can be difficult to find a safe parking spot for the superbikes in public places in India.