The Keeway RKV200 as Simple Commuter Bike

Bangkok is called the 'City of Angles', but anyone living in the capital today will tell you it's far from an ideal metropolitan. During rush hour our sky trains and buses are overcrowded, a good amount of the roads could use some maintenance, and the metro/subway seems to go to places I never need to go.

I live at one end of the city and for work I sometimes need to travel to the other end – my daily commute is 70km loop. Catching a bus means reaching work drenched in sweat, driving down daily means emptying half a tank of fuel and my wallet, and if I took the air-condition bus, I'd never reach on time.

So last month, I rode down those 70km on the Keeway RKV200, which, design-wise, is the most sorted looking below 250cc commuter motorcycle on sale today. I need a smooth, hassle-free daily ride without hurting my backside or my wallet. And the Keeway RKV200 obliged. The single-cylinder, air-cooled with additional oil-cooler, 200cc engine felt pretty smooth and responsive and things have only improved after its second service.

There's enough grunt in all gears and you don't have to downshift to get that extra surge of power. The Keeway RKV200 is lightweight (120kg), and with its impressive turning circle, it can get you out from most tight spaces.

The seat offers great comfort even for journeys beyond two hours in peak traffic. My girlfriend, who is my pillion rider most of the time, is all praise for the Keeway RKV200's seat comfort.