I was eager for my 1st ever vehicle and I had no hope
of getting a bike so I settled for a scooter. Incidentally the day before we
went to buy the vehicle the New Honda Activa was launched. I chose it because
it was and is the best performing scooter the only other competitor was Suzuki
Access but it produced almost identical power and Honda was much more refined.
Since I was their first customer for the new activa I could get the vehicle
delivered in just 5 days. My first two years with the activa was very normal
and I barely got to ride it as I still had not got my licence it was filled with short high speed
runs with fully open throttle and I managed to cover only around 3000kms.
THE TRIP
My first real experience with the activa was when I rode it
from Bangalore to Chennai. Many people were against the idea and suggested it’s
insane to drive a scooter on a highway and I would be stranded. I still had
made up my mind for it and on 20th July 2011 early morning I set off
from Bangalore I was quickly out of the city and touched the highway.
I had
decided not to strain the engine and was maintaining a constant speed of about
50 kmph. I travelled the 1st 80 kms to hosur wer I had stopped for
breakfast seeing the tank is still nearly full I set off and drove on. The best
thing about a two wheeler is you never have to pay toll.
I only had to stop near Ambur for quick refuel as activa’s
tank could hold only 5.5 litres of fuel. By the time I had so much of
confidence on the vehicle that I planned a detour to Elagiri and took the
diversion of the boring national highway onto the state highway and drove up
the hill. Since I was travelling alone the activa did not have any problem with
the steep incline.
After a quick tour of the hill I set back on my path towards
Chennai. I had reached the national highway near vellore and rode the last
stretch and reached Chennai around 4 in the evening with a near empty fuel tank
and an exhausted me. I had realised every vehicle has the potential provided if
care is taken.
STYLING, BUILD QUALITY & ERGONOMICS
As activa was designed to be a commuter vehicle it was not
designed to be aesthetically appealing but once you live with it you would learn
to like it and also it does not have any fancy digital console and still has
the analogue speedometer and I personally feel for a scooter it’s more than
sufficient. The new activa has better ground clearance and looks somewhat
bigger than the older version. Most of the panels are made out of metal except
the headlight cover and front panel and I feel Honda should have made them
metallic as well. The overall build quality is good and the plastics on the new
activa do feel rich. The only issue I had is with paint flaking off and it
exposed rust both undercarriage and on the body panels. Even the seating
posture is good and the leg space is excellent if you choose not to have the
front compartment.
COMFORT, HANDLING & BRAKING
The activa which I had purchased was the non-deluxe version
and hence did not come with the nylogrips and also missed the combi brake but
it handles brilliantly as long as you drive below 60kmph after which the activa
becomes nervous mostly because of its small wheels. I really don’t see the
point of a combi brake on activa as I feel it deprives the user of choosing the
brake force and is only suited for amateur riders. The new activa’s suspension
is more stiffer than the old activa but is still quite comfortable for both the
driver and pillion rider. Although it is a heavy vehicle it definitely does not
feel bulky when navigating through city streets and going through the traffic.
The brakes on the activa are as expected for a scooter and drum brakes are
always better as far as scooters is concerned. Although applying the front
brake would rise the front of the vehicle due to improper front suspension
setting it still is good but you could easily lock up the front wheel if you
apply the brakes improperly.
ENGINE & TRANSMISSON
As with all Hondas the engine is super refined and is really
smooth once the engine is tuned and the 110cc of Honda produces around 8 BHP of
power and 0.9 KGM of torque but in terms of performance its much ahead of other
scooters like access because of its refinement and the best part of activa is
that the acceleration is quite linear throughout unlike other scooters. If you
are willing to push it you can reach a maximum of 90kmph and it is quite
respectable for a 110cc scooter. The acceleration too is not bad it does 0 to
60 in 10 seconds and the best acceleration is between 40 to 60kmph. The
transmission used in activa is variomatic and is the best in any scooter so far
especially in terms of durability after my trip I was scared to give the
vehicle for servicing as I feared I might have burnt the centrifugal clutch and
the belt but I was surprised when the Honda mechanic said they were in good
condition. And there was no significant damage to any major component even
after my reckless driving.
MILEAGE
I was surprised to find out the activa returned 50 kmpl on
careful driving and during the trip it gave mileage of almost 55 kmpl but if u
drive in the city under normal condition you should expect around 45kmpl. The
reduction in mileage compared to bikes is because of the variomatic
transmission it saps quite some power.
POINTS TO NOTE
·
Honda service in most of the places is
unsatisfactory; mostly you get your vehicle back with an oil change and a water
service. They don’t bother to check your complaints.
·
The activa could do with a better headlight as
the one provided is not at all adequate.
·
The vehicle is really good for all those who are
new to two wheelers as it is easy to command in the city.
·
It is a very durable vehicle and can accommodate
any driving style.
·
Mileage is directly proportional to the
accelerator given.
CONCLUSION
If you want to purchase a scooter there is no better deal as
of yet and it is a vehicle which is very durable and can take in a lot of abuse
and if driven properly you can even expect a good mileage and while the
acceleration is good you would definitely feel the need for better top speed
but I guess that’s good too considering it has got just 110cc. The refinement
is fabulous and u can take it for long trips as long as you know about your
vehicle and don’t try to push it too hard. After driving over 14,000kms I still
feel the vehicle is as good as new. So overall it is one brilliant vehicle
which is truly the top of its class.
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ReplyDeletewell comparatively i dont think the pricing is sky high considering vespa which is at 25% premium over the rest also mileage in activa depends excluively on the rider and tuning of the vehicle along with regular services should ensure a good mileage of atleast 40kmpl which is commendable for a scooter.
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