BikeAdvice.in

TVS Apache RTR 180 Ownership Review by Vikram Mahadev

ram — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 07:00:34 +0000

I bought a TVS Apache RTR 180 White in mid of December ‘09. I have been very happy and satisfied with the purchase and I definitely believe that this bike is worth each and every paise of the three-quarters of a lakh that I spent on it. I wish to thank Prashant, my bikeadvice.in buddy whose advice greatly helped me decide on this purchase. Not to sound humble but I really a no bike expert. I am writing this only to share my views and also hoping that it may help someone like all the other articles have been doing till now. There are already a lot of articles in bikeadvice itself about the pros and cons of this bike but I believe that there are certain myths about this bike prevailing among public and I am attempting to disillusion people about whichever isn’t actually true. Also I am writing about whatever I think could have been better.

Apache is not for tall riders?: I have to award this as the biggest myth of them all.

I even read this in some magazine reviews of this bike that it is ergonomically uncomfortable for riders 5 feet 10 inches and over. I wonder what made them say so. I am 6 feet tall and I am 110 percent comfortable riding the Apache. I haven’t come across any one personally with that complaint. All such I read is on line.

I believe this is being a major set back for people who otherwise love this bike. Again I am making it loud and clear. This bike is very comfortable for tall riders.

Bad Tyres? : This is not very true with the 180 CC version. The tyres have increased in width in comparison with the 160 CC versions. The tyres may not be the best in comparison with the competition but it is not true that they are bad. They are the best among all of TVS bikes at least and in general have improved and are good.

Vibrations? : The bike does vibrate once you cross 50 kmph on the speedo. This doesn’t concern me much. It still handles well. The Hero Honda’s and the Unicorns are definitely very stable in comparison. However the Apache more than compensates with its awesome power, great pickup, awesome brakes to mention a few. In fact the nerve tingling excitement that you get when riding the Apache could not be matched by the Unicorn or the competition. Vibrations? Who cares anymore?

All these said it would be unfair if I fail to mention what I like about this bike and whats so good about it. I wouldn’t wish to be a sinner. So here it is, the 3 things that are really so impressive about this bike.

Smooth Gears: The gear shifts are real smooth that you don’t hear any clanks when shifting. I have trouble finding neutral though. At times it seems like finding extra terrestrial life forms. That was actually a pardonable exaggeration. I have trouble finding neutral but I assume that 90 percent of you riders must be better than me and this should not be an issue at all for any of you.

Awesome Brakes: The petal disc’s that this bike has got is the best. There are only 3 other bikes that have got dual discs, the Bajaj Pulsar 220, the Hero Honda Karizma ZMR and the Yamaha YZF R15. Downright this is the cheapest bike you get with dual discs and braking is just awesome. You think of braking and the bike immediately halts and you wonder if thats telepathy. They are very effective and has got awesome stopping ability.

Amazing Throttle Response: This bike has got great pickup and the throttle response is really great. A slight twist in the throttle and the bike speeds up considerably, instantly. The TVS Apache RTR 180 is the lightest bike in the above 150 CC category and thats a thing worth mentioning too. It is quite simple to move maneuver in city traffic as well as highway cruising.This bike has a toe shift gear lever. This means that you cannot be stamping down with your heel to shift upwards for gears 2 to 5. Instead you will be using your instep to lift the lever up. This is quite convenient but I have a problem with this. Not a real problem actually. On workdays that I wear formal shoes I wouldn’t ride my bike, alt east not with my shoes on. This is because using the instep leaves marks on the shoes which I don’t like. Summing it up all this bike is one masterpiece from TVS and I thank them for it. Also my sincere thanks to bikeadvice for the great opportunity they are offering to readers like me. If it wasn’t for bikeadvice I would still have been trying to narrow down on my list of bikes to consider. Also special thanks to Prashant for his advice. My intention throughout this article was never to argue if this bike was better than any other bike in the market. Each bike is best in some regard of its own. My soul intention was to convey to future buyers of this bike that their choice is worthy and wise. I saw several people hitting it out at the Apache in favor of other bikes. Its purely a matter of personal preference. I would stay away from anything like that. All comments are better being constructive and informational than hurting.

– Vikram Mahadev

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

TVS Apache RTR 180 Ownership Review by Vikram Mahadev

Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTSI UG3 : Ownership Review by Vinodh

ram — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:49:09 +0000

Hi all, I’m Vinodh Kumar from Bangalore, one of the proud owners of Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTSi UG 3 manufactured in the year 2007. I bought the bike last Dussehra, since then my biking life has taken a whole new turn. Formerly, I had been riding a Hero Honda CD100 for almost a year, which is one of the most solid entry level four stroke bike I have seen in the Indian market after the RX series from Yamaha.

Reason for Upgrade: Feeling a lack of punch in the engine power, I decided to upgrade to a 150CC bike. When I bought the bike back in October ’08, the 150 cc segment was very competitive. Newly upgraded Unicorn had come out at that time, Apache from TVS, and the CBZ Extreme from Hero Honda. I rode & compared all the bikes for almost three months; I was in total confusion.

When I rode my friend’s UG 2 version of Pulsar, I was totally impressed by it. That day I decided that I would go for the Pulsar UG III version. I am lucky that one of my friends had a Bajaj showroom near to my home, so I finally booked the bike and got it delivered on 25th Oct ‘08.

Biking experience: In the beginning, it was very annoying to ride within a speed limit because of the engine initial running-in period. After completion of 1000 kms on the odometer, my brother and I, went on a long trip to Mysore, which was almost a 350 kms round trip in a single day. It was superb experience for me, as I had never gone on long biking trips before. From then, my touring experience became never ending, as each weekend my friends and I used to go to the places around Bangalore. The best experience was the trip to Tumkur and its surrounding places for three days non-stop. On the trip we rode our bikes on all kinds of zigzag roads with hair pin bends! that too inside the forest area.

Goodies for my Steed: I have not done any modifications, like up-jetting, K&N or free flow exhausts. The bike is in stock condition except engine oil. After I had finished 5000 kms on the odo, I switched my engine oil from Veedol Super Swift to fully synthetic MOTUL 300V FL. From then, the engine is butter smooth, gear shift is just a matter of touch and pulling is awesome. Now, after one year, with 8500 kms on the odometer, it returns me 35 to 45kmpl in city conditions, and above 50 kmpl on the highway.

Exclusivity: I’m not worried about that Pulsars are everywhere! Because they are the best that one can offer. It may have some +ve or more –ve factors in them, but it depends on how you maintain them.

– Vinodh Kumar

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTSI UG3 : Ownership Review by Vinodh

HMSI to Set-up Second Plant in Rajasthan

ram — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:17:12 +0000

Recession had bad effects on Honda Motor Company, Japan. Ironically, both of its Indian arms, Hero Honda and HMSI played a prominent role in resurrecting the Japanese automobile giant. The parent company Honda Motor Company, Japan is betting big on its fully owned subsidiary Honda Motorcycle and Scooter in India (HMSI). And why not, since its first launch, it has always seen an upward swing.

HMSI is currently the dominant player in the scooter market and is focused on setting its footprints deep in the motorcycle market as well and the launch of a volume based 110cc Twister is a testimony towards the same endeavor.

HMSI has plans to sell 1.25 million units in the current fiscal (2009-10) and further increase the figure to 1.5 million two wheelers in the next fiscal (2010-11). The launch of the volume driven smaller capacity commuter bike, Twister was in line with the same targets and HMSI expects to sell 2,20,000 units of the same bike. Honda currently has a single plant in India which is located at Manesar in Haryana which has a capacity of producing 1.5 million units per year which HMSI plans to ramp up to 1.6 million units by next year. Due to the same production constraints HMSI has announced to set up another plant in the country to manage its future prospects smoothly. This intent is further strengthened by the recent labor spurt which costed the company a wholesome loss in the range of 300 crores. Back down the memory lane in 2005 also, the firm had faced similar issues which turned violent and tarnished the image of the company.

HMSI is in the process of acquiring 6 acres of land in the Alwar district of Rajasthan which is only 40 kilometers from its current production plant in Gurgaon and has already got clearance from the state government. According to the company’s estimates, the new plant would get an initial investment of Rs 500 crores and would go operational during the second half of 2011 with a production capacity of 6,00,000 units per year ensuring HMSIs annual production capacity increases to 2.2 million units. HMSI also has plans to enhance its capacity to 12 lakh two wheelers per annum in a span of 5 years with an additional investment of Rs 600 crores spread over different phases.

The various offers given to the company by the government of Rajasthan includes land at concessional rates, cash subsidy on VAT, 50 percent subsidy on stamp duty, 50 percent concession on electricity duty and special rate of 0.05 percent on central sales tax. Presence of their own Honda Siel car plant nearby also comforted the company for the same venue. With record 11 percent increase in sales during 2009 to 1.1 million units and considering the fact that the company exports scooters and motorcycles to 35 different countries, a second plant was the inevitable solution to cater to the growing demands for Honda products.

– Saad Khan

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

HMSI to Set-up Second Plant in Rajasthan

Hero Honda Launches Special Edition Pleasure

ram — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:58:49 +0000

Red, as they say it, it’s the color of love and emotion that signifies a woman. Paying a rich tribute to todays women, Hero Honda, the world’s largest manufacturer of two wheelers, has launched a special edition of their flagship automatic scooter, the 102cc Pleasure on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Hero Honda has always advertised the scooter pro-women and the tag line “Why should boys have all the fun?” has made it quite a hit among the young girls of our country. The changes are majority cosmetic but executed with heart. The special edition scooter sports a dual tone paint job with half of the scooter blazing in fantastically finished pearl white and other half in cherry red color.

Seeing the pictures one would definitely agree that the new edition looks simply superb and epitomize feminism. A fresh new set of decals gelling well with the overall combo which goes along with red colored rear view mirrors and exhaust heat guard further add to the oomph factor. The grab rails are body colored in pearl white and the tail has also gone a slight modification for the good of it. Another noticeable feature in the new edition is the inclusion of a fantastic looking new elliptical meter console.

Apart from these cosmetic changes, it also gets a maintenance free battery for lesser hassles and absolute peace of mind. This fresh new edition will be available at Hero Honda dealerships along with exclusive ‘Just 4 Her’ outlets at a price tag of (approximately) Rs. 40,000 on road in Delhi which is around 1500 rupees more than the standard variant. With its distinct new styling, glamorous body graphics and a fresh new appeal, this special edition Pleasure ensures to garner enough attention wherever it goes.

– Saad Khan

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Hero Honda Launches Special Edition Pleasure

Safety Gear Review : KBC Tarmac Radiation

ram — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:01:18 +0000

Our readers have time and again requested us to put reviews of riding gears like jackets, helmets, gloves, boots etc. Here we start with our different section dedicated to that cadre of people. So in line, first we talk about the KBC Tarmac Radiation Helmet.

KBC has two helmets under the ‘Tarmac’ range: Radiation and Hammerhead. I would be talking about the Radiation in this article which were launched in 2008 and are still as popular as they were when they first made it to the streets.

Design and Quality: The overall designing of the helmet could well be called as either hate it or love it combo. The radiation graphics make this one look fantastic to some and drastic to the others. I, for being the owner, belong to the former cadre. The helmet has a matte type semi rubberized finishing with three color combinations, Black, Grey and sparkling yellow. Contrastingly, I am not a person who likes too much of graphics on a helmet but this one seems to somehow make me melt for it. Especially the radiant yellow circular radiation graphics, two ‘danger skull & crossbones’ protecting the ‘KBC’ logo upfront along with stripes swathing all around the helmet makes it even more noticeable and spunky. On the other hand the other variant in offer is absolutely same in graphic design the only difference being the absence of yellow color which makes it a little ‘getting-lost-in-the-crowd’ type. The helmet also has a metallic ‘V’ type of design element towards the top which has been peeling off slightly since the time the helmet made it to my home. Observe more metal chips just above the helmet visor.
The Hammerhead is slightly brighter in colors but heck, we are not talking about it any further now. The finishing of this helmet is top notch with no noticeable flaws anywhere on the core.

BikeAdvice Score: 9/10

Fitting, comfort & Ease of use: This helmet is offered right from 2X-Small to 2X-Large and I went for the ‘Medium’ sized one. The recommendation as per KBC size chart is that a 57-58 centimeter head will fit in perfectly for the ‘M’ sized one and with my head measuring slightly more than 58cms this one fits me pretty well with a slight tighter grip on to my head. The internal shape of the helmet is more biased towards the oval shape and a head ranging from 57-59 cm will fit in perfectly on the medium size. The liner of the helmet is extremely comfortable and has huge piles of padding. Obviously, not compared to the higher Sparks, Shoie or Arais I have seen, but the liner has been fantastically constructed and the material used is also high grade. Moreover, the liner is removable and washable. The padding towards the facial side is on the softer side and makes sure that your cheek and skin get ample amount of comfort. However, towards either side of the back of the head, I feel they could have padded it a little more. Getting in and out of the helmet is also decently easy but I have to set my helmet slightly towards the back to ensure perfect vision. The breath guard is also not very comfortable and touches my nose. It could have been better designed; however, I always have the option of removing it! One important aspect of the helmet is the ease with which it gets cleaned, more so with rubber-matte finished helmets and let me say, this is the best and the easiest one I have seen which gets clean(ed) with a single wipe of a soft cloth.

Switching our attention to the ventilation system of this helmet, it has 6 air vents in all. The front has twin chin vents which have a switch to open and close the air flow. Just below these we have a couple of …well lets call them vents! Towards the rear, Tarmac has couple of air exhaust vents, however, there are no vents towards the top. Instead, KBC has put senseless metal plates in place of (supposedly) top air vents which are non functional and look damn odd! The helmet doesn’t have any provision of stopping breeze coming from underneath, which is an irritant on chilly winter mornings. Another funny feature of the helmet is the horizontal switch which opens/ closes the chin air vents and believe me, after owning this one for quite sometime now, I still cannot say with precision that whether the air vent is on or off specially with loads of air making way from under the helmet. A vertical switch would have been much better! However, let me admit that, so far the helmet has been pretty good with the air flow. But since summers are coming fast and harsh, I might have a different story to tell that time.

BikeAdvice Score: 7/10

Safety & Miscellaneous features: The Tarmac weighs more than 1600 grams which takes it slightly on the heavier side, however, the good thing about this helmet is that I have not felt any strain on my neck or any other part of my body till now, nor does it feel heavy after I am inside it. The finish of the helmet makes it look harder. Tarmac’s shell has been constructed using an advanced alloy resin which results in greater energy absorption upon an impact. This helmet also meets or exceeds SNELL/DOT safety standards and the helmet is also available in ECE and Australian standards. It does imbibe in you that extra confidence of safety when you are inside it and riding.Even after the absence of top air vents, this helmet has fair amount of inside air noise, when comparing it with any other foreign brand. However, they are far lesser than any helmet made by any Indian brand. The helmet comes loaded with an anti fog visor which I feel is not a very prominently concerning factor in India. The way the visor opens up is not authoritative but fairly decent. It has a small sized visor lifting tab towards the left side which is not very easy to find when I am wearing my gloves. The visor is pretty easy to remove and I perfected the activity at the first attempt only. All you need to do is flip open the helmet, pull down the lever and here comes the visor out. The view from the helmet is also fantastic and wide which ensures your eyes get maximum reach. The chin strap has a double D-ring attachment system that has a button for putting the loose end which I found a crappy feature, may be because I am not used to it. But it does take heavenly amount of time just to remove the helmet especially when fully loaded.

BikeAdvice Score: 8.5/10

Price & Verdict: The list price for this helmet is $140 and different sites run different closeout deals varying from as low as $79 all the way till its list price. I got this one just for…surprise surprise…$30 only from www.motorcycle-superstore.com. According to what I have heard from different people in India, this helmet retails starting from 8000 INR all the way to 13,000 INR at different vendors. Forget about what I got it at, at 8-10k in India this helmet is worth every penny and probably one of the best branded helmets you would get at this price.

BikeAdvice Verdict: 8/10

– Saad Khan

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Safety Gear Review : KBC Tarmac Radiation

TVS Jive – The Clutch Free Wonder

ram — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:34:56 +0000

TVS created waves in Indian Biking scenario when it announced its clutchless bike JIVE in November last year, although its India’s second after Hero Honda Street, being it as bike it sure did create a lot of waves. It raised many speculations as to how one can actually ride a bike without having to use a clutch. Finally the bike hit the market and bookings now open in all TVS showrooms across India. The bike looks similar to TVS Star city and its next variant, the Sport. It has 5 spoke black alloy wheels and all black treated engine. To be honest, the bike is not very eye catching in the looks department.

On the technology front, the Jive has become a boon to those stressed by frequent changing of gears and depression and release of the clutch in traffic. Same as the Honda Street launched in the 90’s. It boasts of an electric-start (a must have for all bikes these days) that can be used to start the bike regardless of what gear the bike is on.

Riding the 110cc Jive was not very different to riding a normal bike, but was initially pretty confusing in the absence of a clutch, being a person who had rode a bike with a clutch for many years. It did not take much time to get a hang of how to handle the bike though. One just needs to keep in mind that one is riding a Honda activa. The gear shift indicators which shows the current gear on which the bike is are very helpful during gearshifts. The first gear gives the maximum pull to the bike and is descending in order till the 4^th gear.

The ride quality is smooth and feels almost the same as the Star city version. But remember no clutch means no stunts. The only major advantage that can be seen on this bike is that there is no depression of clutch required while shifting the gears. Though one may start the bike on any gear and also accelerate forward on any, the higher gears may not have adequate power to start from a halt and need to be given less amount of throttle, otherwise resulting in lower mileage. Though there is an anti-knocking mechanism in place which prevents the engine from knocking while riding at low speeds on a higher gear and rpm, one may feel the need for power in traffic, which can be gained only through down shifting the gears. But the bike has rotary gears that allow one to shift directly from the 4^th gear to neutral by pressing down the gear pedal when on the 4^th.

The bike boasts of an on-road mileage of about 65 kmpl and is a clear competition to Honda’s CB twister, both falling in the same segment. The twister has killer looks and good mileage and power (9 bhp) adequate to the daily commuter, but the Jive has this clutch-free T.Matic technology for the first time on an Indian bike with 8.5 bhp from the power mill which speaks uniqueness of it’s own. The Jive also hosts an under-seat storage space enough to hold a bottle and also an umbrella. The fuel tank is huge like the performance segment, with a 15 liter holding capacity. Is this a winner? We’ll just have to wait and see how the commuter segment responds to either of these bikes, depending on the rider’s preferences.

- Anand

TVS Jive Tech Specs:

Engine:
Type: 4 stroke, single cylinder, Air cooled
Displacement: 109.7 cc
Maximum Power: 8.4 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Start: Electric and kick
Ignition: Digital IDI

Suspension:
Front: Inline Telescopic suspension
Rear: Hydraulic twin shock absorber with coil spring

Brakes:
Front: 130 drum
Rear: 110 drum

Electricals:
Battery: 12V, 5.0Ah
Headlamp: 12V 35/35W halogen

Measurements:
Fuel tank capacity: 15 litres
Ground clearance: 165 mm
Kerb weight: 105 kg

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

TVS Jive – The Clutch Free Wonder

Honda CBF Stunner Refresh Review and Ownership Report by Pranav

ram — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:47:03 +0000

Hi, I am Pranav Kelkar, from Thane. I own the New refreshed Honda CBF Stunner, and I am fully satisfied with it and this is my first ever bike review. After our Kawasaki KB100 stopped roaring like it used to do early, there was a purchase decision made in my family. Finally dad agreed to buy me a new bike! And most importantly, I was going to enter the biking world with that new bike. I was a beginner in biking about 3 months ago or so. I tried Bajaj Pulsar 150 and wasn’t comfortable with it at first hand itself.

Then my Dad came up with a rule: “No 150cc & above engines” I tried convincing him but resulted in no use. But, after that I agreed to that term, looking at economical side of the stipulation one must look at Fuel Efficiency also if you have someone ‘Dear’ as pillion. Being a young blood, I hesitated on sporty looks, and performance. Finally we decided on 125cc segment but with a rule to give Fuel economy near to a 100cc, but now my task was choosing a bike which comes near 150cc in performance and Sporty looks.

The options I had shortlisted were:

Yamaha Gladiator
Honda Shine
Honda CBF Stunner
Bajaj XCD125 & XCD135
Suzuki Zeus
Hero Honda Glamour and
TVS Flame

After Long research, I found Gladiator, Shine and Stunner worth buying, considering both my dad’s and my needs. I personally prefer Honda and Yamaha over other companies considering the Brand, Quality of parts, and almost zero maintenance. When I personally visited showrooms of Honda and Yamaha. I was in love with the beauty of ‘Honda CBF Stunner’. Then something struck me, why would I choose shine if I have similar 125cc engine, with awesome looks and add-ons? So, my dad took a test drive of CBF Stunner, and was quite comfortable with it (it was an old model but still loved it.)

Decision Time: As the competition was really tough, with both the stunner and Gladiator had their own pro’s and con’s. We finally chose CBF Stunner over the Gladiator for many plus points which will also be discussed in the review. After all I had to choose a 125cc which comes close to 150cc in performance, and looks sexier than regular day-to-day bikes! Finally I booked Honda CBF Stunner, and paid 2k more on the price what I’d booked it for. But it wasn’t a wrong decision for sure. I got the new refreshed Honda CBF Stunner which is the First bike delivered in the state.

Honda CBF Stunner Specifications:

Displacement: 124.7cc
Engine: 4 Stroke, Air Cooled, OHC Single Cylinder
Maximum Power: 11Bhp@8000rpm
Maximum Torque: 11Nm@6500rpm
Gears: 5 Speed (1 Down-4 Up)
Weight: 128kg
Ground Clearance: 173.00 mm
Fuel Tank: 10.00 liters
Suspension (Front): Telescopic front fork suspension
Suspension (Rear): 3 step spring loaded hydraulic shock absorber with box type rectangular swing arm.
Brakes (Front): 240mm Disc
Brakes (Rear): 130mm Drum

New Features:

Tachometer: Finally something that was only owned by Premium Bikes in the past!
New Engine cowl: Pure element of Attraction.
New Graphics: Made me keep drooling over my bike.
Half Chain cover: Sporty Trend amongst the Young Generation.
Sporty RVM’s: Haven’t encountered such amazing RVM’s till date.
Black Engine theme: That’s what I was looking in for old Stunner.
Bar End weights: less Vibrations.
No Kick- Lever: Again borrowed from the premium segment.
Maintenance Free Battery: No more electrolyte topping up or leakages in the battery.
Viscous Air Filter: Less maintenance

I was very much happy and satisfied with the features I got at the price of 59k OTR. I chose the best 125cc in almost every aspect. I have completed 1000 kms till date, and I think I am the first ever reviewer of New Stunner! Here is what I feel about my machine till date.

Styling: The best looking bike in its segment. Probably the best looking bike in Indian market. Though reviews are personal again and Yamaha R15, Hero Honda Karizma and few high budget bikes are better though, but what more you want in 60k? While riding I encounter lot of questions from various people asking; “Is this a new 200cc? From where did you modify your Stunner? And what’s the cost? Whopping 80k? And more questions. The bike is a pure reason for a Head turn! I have seen very few new stunner’s on road; it feels so unique to have a machine which most of the crowd doesn’t own one now. Overall Black theme attracted me the most added with the new Engine Cowl is a cool add-on. Overall Styling is the key feature of CBF Stunner. A must have for every college hunk!

Handling: Only bike having separate Handlebars from dashboard in its segment.As I was very much in a need of a easy to handle bike and as Honda’s CBF Stunner 125 has proven it ability by winning the ‘Best Machine For New Riders award (14th Motor Cycle News (MCN) Awards.) It’s truly an easy to handle machine as both my dad and I found it very much comfortable. Separate handle makes it easy to ride in the traffic.One can turn the bike with the slightest force because there is no dead weight of the dash board and headlamps clinging on to the handle bar. Seating posture is sporty with those rear set foot pegs but even after continuous long runs the bike feels relatively comfortable. I have done a 150kms ride with pillion; it was a comfortable and joyful ride. Bike feels much planted while cornering. Both shocks are fit for their work and do their job pretty well. Fuel tank is well constructed for knee placement with which long rides are much more comfortable but being 125cc, bike isn’t much powerful, but is best in its class.

Performance: Highest bhp Churner amongst bikes available in market, in its segment. CBF Stunner roars 11BHP @ 8000rpm, with an acceleration of 0-60kmph in 5.2 seconds. Gears shift are smooth and gives exactly the same Roar I was looking out for. On the other side, the engine is not that smoother on high speeds, but for 125cc, its best one can get and I have managed to touch 105kmph.But being a new engine I’m not putting all that pressure as I feel it has to still run-in. Braking is excellent and works like charm. Another feature is the Tubeless Tires that made my Dad say yes to this beauty.

Fuel tank capacity is 10 liters having 2 liters of reserve. CBF Stunner has 5 speed-gears, which is rare in 125cc segment except the new platina. If you are at high speeds, you’ll surely think about having a 6th gear, but it’s better than having just 4 gears. As bike has a heavy-duty maintenance free battery, absence of a standard kick lever shouldn’t make you worry and neither did I. I start my bike without choke at morning, and it comes to life at first crank! Newly Added Tachometer helps in maintaining proper rpm getting utmost performance out of the engine at the right rpm. Tachometer is most wanted feature in old stunner, and Honda just got it at right time now. Stunner is basically categorized as a commuter bike, but I see nothing wrong categorizing it as a performance bike in its category. The bike comes close to gladiator in performance. But 5 gears, tubeless tires, maintenance free battery surely makes Stunner worth buying.

Mileage: My CBF Stunner has served me with about 60kmpl during city rides and very much satisfying of 65kmpl on highways. As I always try to maintain 45kmph when I’m low on fuel, I save 20% fuel by this method. Overall Mileage, though not best in its category, but is worth if you consider Stunner’s power and performance.

Few More Things about the Bike:

CBF Stunner has got an all Analogue dashboard, so if you are a digital Speedo-fan, it’s a big disappointment for you guys.
I’m quite ok with the conventional display, dashboard is all new due to new addition of Tachometer and lights enough at night.
Beneath the split seat, a small compartment is secured by a lock, which opens with the all-in-one key plus the compartment has a small space to accommodate, say a wallet plus a mobile which I’ve tried it. Additionally the compartment also has separate space for tool-kit and first aid kit provided by Honda.
Beneath the split seat, there is also a helmet lock. One doesn’t need to pay extra for a helmet lock.
Choke lever has a separate position.
Trip meter helps in calculating mileage with which I was very much impressed.
Rider’s seat just looks high, due to higher pillion seat, but actually is lower than Unicorn, and it ensures sporty position, which is not at all stressful.

My Verdict: CBF Stunner is a perfect blend of Style, Performance & Economy. Though it’s the costliest in its category by few thousands, but is worth a buy because of its key features. Honda has done a brilliant job by introducing this international model in India. Finally if you are looking for a bike that has awesome looks and great Fuel Efficiency (in awesome looking bikes) and great power (in 125cc category) then this one is for you, But be aware that this is not powerful enough for die hard power craver’s. If you are on a budget like Rs.60k, and want a truly great looking high performance bike in 125cc category. New Honda CBF Stunner is a must buy as I enjoy the quality!

- Pranav

This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog

Honda CBF Stunner Refresh Review and Ownership Report by Pranav