Comfortable bike for touring

Hello people. I have been following xBhp for a long time. Loved the tours taken by the good riders out there. Was stunned to see the beautiful landscapes of lesser known places in India.

This is my first post. So bear with me and my excitement :D


I'm on the lookout for a bike. My current ride, a 5 year old Apache RTR 160 is starting to feel long in the tooth now.

My budget is 1 lakh, slightly more stretchable. I mostly commute to office, and occasionally go for short 100 to 150 kms rides on weekends. Plan to tour more.

My requirements are-comfort, mileage, long term reliability. Based on this, I have narrowed it down to the Pulsar AS200. Should I go for it, or wait for the new Avenger with the NS engine?
I need to take my relatives for the occasional shopping trip, so I need a bike with a low seat height. Hence looked into the upcoming Avenger. The traffic woes in Bangalore means I'm a bit apprehensive of buying such a long bike. Have seen my colleagues suffering to take out their Avengers from the parking lot. I'm hesitant to go for the Thunderbird, as I'm a 62kg, 5 10' guy. I cannot handle that weight, and it's out f my budget nonetheless :D

So please advice. Do I wait for the Avenger, or go for the AS? Are there any flat seat bikes I can buy second hand and modify?

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