[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by BulZire

I really appreciate your responsible thinking.

Amidst top luxury car reviews, your CD Deluxe review is very catchy with some detailed information and pics. I had learned to ride bike in my dad's CD 100 some 15 years back and i know how reliable and economical it is. You had made a right choice of going to a Honda family.

I wish you have a hassle free ride in it for thousands of miles. Good Luck

Thanks a lot for that. I don't understand much of the technicality aspects of bikes apart from basic specifications. But I like to clean my bike on my own and do my best to keep it in an immaculate condition as most of us BHPian's do. This being my very own bike - solely for me without it being shared is very precious and dear. And as I read here so many of us have our first bikes as HH. And the reliability being such that one just wants to share the emotions and stories attached to it for years to come.

[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by coolmel

Congrats on the purchase matey. Upgrade to better rubber, preferably the same size as upsizing wont help as your bike doesnt offer more horses to pull. Always always always wear a helmet and other gear, and to make up for the stiff suspension, get your seat redone at one of the many good folks right before the Andheri flyover(heading towards Bandra) on the left hand side. Alternately, get a pair of non branded nitro-shocks and replace the stock ones. Being a light bike, it is a stiffer ride on mixed patches.

Since yours is a mileage driven bike, stick to sane speeds of upto 60. Will enable you to get good fuel efficiency. And, get some reflectors pasted on the front shocks and at the rear. Will improve visibility for others.

And PS: Always edit out your no plate when posting on forums.

Ride safe!

Thanks for the important suggestions Coolmel, will carry out the same when time and budget permits. Could you pl explain more on the nitro shocks? Googled it, but don't seem to grasp much.

[ciddharth]

Hi. I actually have better snaps that are more clear, however can't upload them due to forum limits of 1 mb, and these pics tip at 1.14, or 1.2 mb. Hence had to suffice for the less good snaps. Still figuring it out.

[coolmel]

Originally Posted by ciddharth

Thanks for the important suggestions Coolmel, will carry out the same when time and budget permits. Could you pl explain more on the nitro shocks? Googled it, but don't seem to grasp much.

The ones on your bike are regular, nitrox ones use gas to combat uneven terrain along side the springs which result in a more confortable ride than stock ones. You will have to see which other HH bikes shocks will fit on yours, but try measuring up a ZMR or a Hunk and see which fits.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by ciddharth

I liked the chrome parts in the CD 100 SS. It's great to know that you still have your bike from about 23 years and still running! I feel if one maintains well with care it stays

The funny part was i waited and waited for something to go wrong on my CD 100, but i only had to change pistons twice ( since first one changed was a bad quality one, hence had to change after 1 year ) , gearbox is still as slick as it was, tank has been changed once, exhaust pipe changed twice, rear rim changed once.

Hence to be frank i never had a big issue on my bike ever and i waited and waited for things to fall apart and go wrong but that did not happen

It still gives me around 50-55kpl and runs ok till 60kph.
Planning to change the entire block-piston to give it a new lease of life , sometime next year.

All my friends have very good memories of the bike and it has been my lucky charm.
She will be 24 this April and i hope to bring her back to glory before her 25th birthday.

[ciddharth]

The mileage test!

The bike lacks a trip meter, hence one has to calculate manually. Not that it really matters, but tried for the sake of it. My math is poor. So spare me if this whole thing is wrong.

At 2621 kms ( Pic # 1) - the tank shows halfway at the reserve.

I refill 100/ - which is 1.3 litres. So the fuel gauge rises a mark up. (Pic # 2)

The meter reaches the same half reserve level as before at 2715.7 kms (Pic # 3)


So for 1.3 litres , 2716 - 2621 = 95 kpl.

Thus for about a litre it manages a good 73 kpl. If this is it, then that's good. Running costs are so cheap in this, people should buy a CD deluxe for themselves and chuck the exorbitant ricks.

I do not remember any recent HH ads that claimed their fuel efficiency, however Bajaj was campaigning heavily for their Platina claiming a 100 kpl or something some years back . Perhaps could be true. It's a good bike but i never considered one anyway. And most Platinas that I see on the roads are poorly maintained.

[ciddharth]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Nice bike there! These bikes have a good bottom end, so pick-up with even two onboard will be surprisingly good! They will run out of steam after 70 KMPH, but that is ok. Top speed is not their forte - mileage and durability are! They hold up well even after years of usage.

I would not suggest an upgrade to 3.00X18 size tyre at the rear. I did it but it not only reduces the mileage by a few KMPL, but also eats in to the engine and clutch life. So I switched back to stock size after the recent engine overhaul, even though the tyre was good to go for another 20K KM. The stock tyres are good enough for normal riding and even the occassional panic braking. Just don't be very adventurous while riding - this is not the bike for it! And change the tyres while they still have about 20% of tread life.

And as soon as you are out of warranty, switch to a good 20W40 oil. That is the spec in my owners' manual, before they switched to "one size fits all" 10W30 oil, which considerably reduces engine life. I am currently using the Shell AX-5 after the engine rebuild of my Splendor. And will switch to the AX-7 after a few thousand KM. That will be more than enough.


Happy riding!

Thanks Gansan, you are a BHPian whose Splendid Splendor has crossed more than a lakh kms. I don't think I will manage to cover that much anytime soon, but will always follow your thread for the maintenance and service schedules. As I mentioned earlier, I do not understand much of the technical aspects or the routine engine check ups, I will ensure I inform this to those who understand. Glad to be on T BHP.

[ciddharth]

Some more pictures of the CD Deluxe. Note that the overall stance is way lower and skinnier than most other bikes in the current market, but looks a size larger than most bike of the early to mid 90s including those of Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki Shogun and the likes.

[ciddharth]

Some better pictures of the same, note that the bike has a small stance and looks visibly smaller than most other bikes in the market. But compare to this to the bike of the 90s such as those from Yamaha (such as RX 100, Crux), Suzuki and Kawasaki - this looks a size larger a.

[ciddharth]

Admins, kindly delete this particular post.

[ciddharth]

Some more pictures of the bike. A typical Japanese design. Note that its a size larger than most bikes that were sold in the 90s from that of Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki that seemed to resemble each other with a thin, small tank, square or round shaped headlamps, bare rear grab bars. They were light, small and sometimes noisy and were reliable but were a sort of unrefined overall (that's what only I feel).

Now it's changed, each company has a distinct design sense of their own. Hero/ Honda follows evolutionary design updates.

An overview of the commuter bike range designs..

Yamaha bikes look good but are heavy and have a forward looking wave stance with a high tank - low seat - high rear seat pattern in most of their designs. I really wish they upgraded their commuter bike ranges than the outdated Crux and Libero which look from the 80s.

Bajaj makes real fancy looking bikes, a mish mash of many other companies and sometimes they overdo. But they lack any emotions, some users that I have seen ill treat them. To that they update their designs soon that don't suit all palates. They lack subtlety and look like clones.

TVS and the likes such as Mahindra follow a contemporary styling. I do like the clean design of the Star City. Unlike HH which sometimes borders to boring, they lack any distinct feature in any department and probably aren't that great sellers.

[(Alok)]

To measure the fuel efficiency follows this.
1. Get the tank full (up to neck) tank petrol & note the odo meter reading.
2. Ride the bike till it comes in reserve then again go to the pump and get the full tank petrol again & note the odo meter reading.
3. Calculate the mileage (km)/ ltr with 2 time quantity of fuel & difference between both odo readings.

[Tassem]

It's refreshing to see a review on such a product. Especially from a student's point of view.

Looks clean, simple and utilitatrian. Though I would've preferred it with wire spoke wheels.

One suggestion is to change the velvety seat cover to something that is water resistant. I've seen people with soggy bottoms because these seat covers tend to absorb a lot of water if it rains.

And when budget permits, get better rubber. This is usually one of the best upgrades.

Also, the side luggage carrier - if you don't use it, lose it!

Here's wishing you several troublefree years with it.

Tassem.

[ciddharth]

It has been a fairly long journey with my little beauty - CD. And I have tried my best to maintain her with utmost care. So here is my update after completing a little more than 15,000 kms of trouble free ownership.There has been some minor irritants too..but this understated beauty has been ever reliable.



I have discontinued the routine services for my bike from the local authorised dealer (Iceberg at Goregaon) as to my astonishment they were manhandling the bike, left grubby grease marks everywhere, revved the bike to insane limits and had multiple scratches on the front fender. It was too much of an inconvenience and hampered my peace of mind.

Found a reliable if not the best mechanic around home for the routine check ups.

The bike being at the lower rung of the Hero range of motor bikes - mainly the CD Dawn caters to a lot of utilitarian based customers such as delivery boys, milk vendors and farmers, at least here in Mumbai.

It pains to me to see the neglect and abuse on their bikes - loud engine noise, poor pick up in traffic, peeled off paint, broken fenders, no headlights!, crappy stickers with cheesy captions and turn indicators hanging like ripped off ears - which is a complete put off to me on any bike.

I treat my little CD like my child. There is this emotional connect.

Well so this is a brief post on the maintenance of my CD Deluxe post the discontinuation of the routine services at the Hero outlets.
The bike is extremely pocket friendly - almost negligible.

Initially I would be put with the manufacture recommended Honda 10W30 oil. Though satisfactory, it didn't bring out the best on the bike. Soon after the engine noise would become louder and coarse. To be on the safer side I used this at every 2,000 - 3,000 km interval. But it's effect would wane after the first 500 kms. FE also dropped to 48 kpl at its worst.

I switched to Castrol 20W40 and I must say it has brought a consistency on the bike. Engine and exhaust notes are considerably quieter. On being revved to higher speeds, the bike does manage to touch a 80 - 85 kph. Is quick off the blocks at start stop traffic too.

The bike obviously feels best at 50 - 70 kph only.

The stock rear MRF Zapper tyres are extremely prone to punctures. I have been stranded in the middle of nowhere 3 - 4 times with these punctures and have been the only times when I felt extremely helpless with the bike.
At 9,000 kms I changed the stock rear to tubeless Michelin Sirac Street series and have only faced one prompt single flat due to an inch size nail lodged perpendicularly.
The stock front is still going good.

Ah! The wonders of having a covered chain.. the chain required a tightening at 8,000 kms as it made clattery noises and is due for one now again. Though the open chain system looks amazing on bikes, I feel the engine is susceptible to damage with the mud getting stuck on the chain.

All electrical parts have been working perfectly fine. No battery failure yet.

Changed the seat cover immediately on the insistence of Bhpians and apart from a neatly torn cut at the center of the seat by some miscreants, it's been serving well.

As the bike neared the 15,000 km mark, the bike started showing its age.
Unfortunately I have a semi covered parking. The monsoons took its toll and I was unable to unlock my bike. The key wouldn't budge. It would be extremely difficult to turn the key lest I would break it. The mech had to remove the front headlight and after an hours effort did it finally work.

Rear tail lamp bulb also replaced for 20 bucks only!

Turn indicator chime has gone off and for good. Don't think I will repair that.

Coming to its FE, the bike when ridden sane returns not more than a 55 - 60 kpl. It has decreased but is consistent now.

Paint quality is holding up well and there is no rust on the tank and exhaust though a little on the handles.

Serving me well, frugally and mentally. And definitely well than some bikes thrice its price which I have seen can be a little unreliable.

Boredom does creep in and I wish to upgrade in a while to a a more stylish bike yet with the peace of mind as the CD. Suggestions are appreciated.



PS :- Suggestions to keep the plastic parts more shiny?

[Ricci]

Man, that's a lot of pics for a 100cc commuter thread ! Hats off, you love your little bike as much as others love their big bikes.


As for the oil, my colleague has a HH and he was saying, the stock 10W30 oil used by dealers gives him pretty good consistent performance. There's a lot of pilferage and adulteration going on in India , so that might be the case.

For the black plastics - have you tries using car care stuff, the dashboard shine sprays should work the same here.