[hellmet]

Ten years. My TVS Victor GL 110 had served me for almost 10 years. But the signs were there. Increasing traffic, and decreasing road safety. Long distance to office and back. Long distance to anywhere in the city. The bike had no 5th gear or disc brakes, so it meant slow progress at 40-45kmph, and a lot of honking by impatient drivers. Puny tires and commuter handling also meant less stability.

Almost 3 years ago I was on the upgrade mindset and I opened a thread here asking for options and almost unanimously received "Unicorn" as the answer. I didn't like buying a dated vehicle although I knew it wouldn't disappoint me. I test rode a few vehicles including the Dazzler but was it was a boring vehicle. And no kick rod. TVS Apache felt like I was sitting on a grinder and my back was on fire in a few min of riding in that position. Not a fan of front-heavy Pulsars. The Karizma was awful on F.E. The FZ was for "teenagers", I thought (until I test rode it, though :-D)

So, I went back to fixing my ride and riding on. I had put another 20K+ on the Victor and it was mostly issue free. However, I decided that this was it, that I wouldn't be riding the Victor anymore.

I started exploring options and pretty quickly narrowed down to the CB Trigger, thanks to parry's thread which showed that it was a modern and practical ride. However, the attitude at Honda encouraged me to visit Yamaha, and what a difference in attitude between the two showrooms ! I fell in love with the FZ after test riding it - the suspension and the road grip were brilliant.

However, due to practicality reasons such as FE (among others I will discuss) I decided to tolerate Honda's sales (royal pain) and buy the Trigger - in Black. I'm a huge fan of dark blacks (can black be any darker?) and I like black on my vehicles too! So "Black" it was !

The vehicle came home last Wednesday and I'm liking it increasingly by the day - I've covered 110KM already.

Pictures:

I really like the flat headlight design. Plus, the light throw is powerful and cuts out at a level to prevent glare to oncoming drivers. Also equipped with a DRL for that extra visibility. I'm impressed.



The CB Trigger comes with six-spoke alloy wheels and a very effective disc brake. The brake has been tuned by Honda to not "bite" abruptly.



The Honda does not come with a crash guard and is offered as an option. It got me confusing and eventually led me to this thread which convinced me to get it asap and I did!



+1 to Honda for the gear-rod bliss. I don't like digging my feet under a rod to change gears. This was one of my most important criteria for choosing this bike - practicality. After all, I have to wear office shoes.

The gear-shifts on the Trigger are fuss-free and silent.



Honda gets more points from me for the closed chain. Without the cover all that dirt you see on the cover would have been on the chain. My idea of a Sunday is not "cleaning my chain". This was also my priority when searching for a replacement bike.



Indicator plastics not of the best quality. Also, why not LED, Honda? However, they are flexible, leaving you with one less thing to worry about in traffic.



I chose the STD version of the Trigger which comes with a rear drum brake. Works quite well when applied along with the front disc. I use the 70/30 front/rear brake ratio when braking.



The silencer is huge. But looks well integrated to the bike when looked in full.



The huge sculpted tank is nice to look at. +1 to Honda for using almost NO stickers on the bike. Simple and elegant.



Kick rod, yay! Practical indeed.



The famous mill, in metallic gray paint. The engine is very torquey, power delivery linear and vibrations at a minimum. However, I would rate the Unicorn's engine slightly higher in terms of NVH.



The dash unit is an all digital one with a pale orange backlight. It has two trip meters and a clock. The dash is easy to read under all lighting situations and the backlight has just enough brightness for the dark without producing glare.



Lamest engine-start switch ever. Poor quality switch. However, it works, and doesn't need a clutch (unless in gear) or brake depressed to fire up the engine. It will also start the bike in any gear.

Also -1 to Honda for lack of engine kill-switch. Anyone know if that's an expensive addition?



The LHS switchgear. More poor quality buttons. The headlight switch gets a middle setting which turns on the DRL, tail-light and number plate light. Notice the crappy low/high beam button.



The Pass light switch - flashes both low and high beam when depressed. My Victor had a pass switch but it did not flash both beams.



The RVMs are typical Honda and are not large enough at all. They don't cover enough of the background action - poor design.



Where did this come from? The saree guard - I had neither seen it in pictures of the Trigger on the 'net nor had I purchased it. But it was there on my vehicle. The stupid thing, though, doesn't have a step for ladies to place their feet on. It will have to be replaced with a practical one if I have to carry saree-draped-ladies on the vehicle.



The tail-light is all LED. Finally, from Honda. The light is bright yet is directed slightly towards the road to prevent glare for drivers behind.



Overall, this is a minimal and practical, yet modern looking bike from Honda. The Dazzler was a flop, but the CB Trigger might just turn their fortunes in the aggressive-looking 150CC market.

I'm sure I missed several more aspects of this vehicle. This is my first review so excuse me, I'll add more details with time. The Beat I purchased (and sold away) never excited me enough to open a review thread in the three years I owned it, but this two-wheeled black wonder has got my adrenaline rushing.

[Octane_Power]

Congratulations hellmet! It has won the "Bike of the year" award, if I am not wrong?

That switchgear originally was on the Stunner then Honda also used it in the CBR150r, and now it seems to be used on all new bikes.

Good that Honda made some design changes to the indicator and gave it some "flex", cuz the current indicators seen on the Unicorn and Dazzler or the baby Ceebers look good but just a flick is enough to break its neck (which reminds me of my bike's rear signal light which I will have to fix with Araldite )

Finally, not all that dirt would have come on to the chain. Open chains have a partial covering on their top. So, mud or dirt from the wheel does not get to the chain. Only something directly from the road can come in contact with the chain.

-Bhargav

[parrys]

Congratulations on your purchase.

Why did you not consider the combi brake version?

That saree guard might not be practical for women with that missing foot-step, but it sure looks good.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by parrys

Congratulations on your purchase.

Why did you not consider the combi brake version?

That saree guard might not be practical for women with that missing foot-step, but it sure looks good.

Hi Parrys, I didn't feel the need to purcahse the combi brake version because I've always applied both brakes simultaneously even from my early days on the Victor. I felt the CBS was more inclined towards riders who only use the rear brake. Also, it felt, unlike with ABS, CBS was taking control of the machine away from me, instead of me being in control of the machine. If it had come with ABS I'd have purchased the variant blindly.

[saket77]

Good choice! Hondas are generally as reliable as the word reliable can literally mean. I have been riding a Honda Stunner for last 4.5 years & 20K kms now with zero issues. Not once any problem cropped up, if you discount 1-2 bulbs going kaput. I must also add, that these commuter mills produced by Honda are very fuel efficient too.

Enjoy a long and happy ownership of this machine.

Regards,
Saket

[polopm]

Originally Posted by hellmet

Ten years. My TVS Victor GL 110 had served me for almost 10 years. But the signs were there. Increasing traffic, and decreasing road safety........

Brilliant review, thinking that I have done the same thing 2 weeks back. Yup sold off my old 2002 TVS Victor and bought myself a black STD Trigger at Honda. What can I say, I nodded my head so many times seeing the same feeling shared.
The saree guard was not in stock and so will get it added during the first service. The enhanced driving stance is definitely a plus and more comfy compared to the other 150 cc mills around.

[W.A.G.7]

Hellmet, nice review of the Trigger. I have noticed quite a few of these on road in Pune now. Overall it's a nice looking machine, and you've got the Honda reliability with this one. What I liked the most was that they have provided both the toe/heel gear shifter, instead of only the toe shifter on the Unicorn and also giving both the kick/button start. Somehow I always feel uncomfortable when there is only the button start provided.

The only odd thing I feel, is the placement of the choke, apart from that everything is just perfect. Thanks for sharing this nice review. What about your showroom experience? Here in Pune, I always felt that the salesmen are more in a hurry to close the deal rather than being patient, and also for the first half an hour, no one pays much attention to you.

[rock18]

Congrats on your excellent purchase. Trigger is indeed a very good bike.
I own the "flop bike" Dazzler ;-) and i like it except for some small niggles.
All the flaws in the dazzler like "heel toe shifter,kick starter,Poor indicator design,etc has been rectified in trigger.
Closed chain is a big advantage really..I changed the open chain twice already in 43000kms.
Its quite noisy as well as maintenance heavy.
Happy and comfortable mile munching!!!

[a4anurag]

Ah, Olden days recalled, A unicorn in better clothing.

I had one from 2006 to 2009, here is the picture:



I just loved the engine + gearbox combination on the Honda. Refined, silent, ultra-smooth (One must ride this bike to understand the usage of 'Butter' for gearshifting). No other bike gives that feel till date. Though it was underpowered as compared to the competition then but now I feel it is OK for daily commute.

Practically the worst switchgear given for a 150cc segment (IIRC it is borrowed from CB Shine). The older generations had a better quality switch gear so if you can get one swap it for the looks + feel but consult your dealer before you do so.

I am keen on the FE that you get subsequently on usage. Honda did promise me 60 kmpl and I jolly-well got 64 kmpl but want to know the current situation.

I wish you millions of happy miles and ownership with the Trigger.

Anurag.

[polopm]

My Trigger has to be started with the Choke for cold starts always. Even the self does not come on. While checking with the dealer he insists on the Choke. Is it something specific to my bike or Trigger/Honda in general on usage of Choke ?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by polopm

My Trigger has to be started with the Choke for cold starts always. Even the self does not come on. While checking with the dealer he insists on the Choke. Is it something specific to my bike or Trigger/Honda in general on usage of Choke ?

Most carb bikes need the choke to used for startup for the first time.

Nothing to worry as I having been using choke in my Karizma from 2009 till date for every first startup.

It doesn't need choke in summer season as the temperatures go up to 39-41C so the engine is warm naturally.

Winters yes, no doubt and I use the kick starter always as the battery gets drained if you use the ES for cold starts!

Anurag.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Most carb bikes need the choke to used for startup for the first time.

Nothing to worry as I having been using choke in my Karizma from 2009 till date for every first startup.

It doesn't need choke in summer season as the temperatures go up to 39-41C so the engine is warm naturally.

Winters yes, no doubt and I use the kick starter always as the battery gets drained if you use the ES for cold starts!

Anurag.

+1. Even I have to use choke in the morning in winters every day to start my Honda. In summers, it's not needed.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by polopm

My Trigger has to be started with the Choke for cold starts always.

For the first 100KM or so, I had to use choke to get it started. However, for the last 700+km the bike just starts on first crank (of the starter). Not sure if it's the heat of the summer or if Honda's fixed the cold-start issue.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

I am keen on the FE that you get subsequently on usage. Honda did promise me 60 kmpl and I jolly-well got 64 kmpl but want to know the current situation.

I wish you millions of happy miles and ownership with the Trigger.

Anurag.

Thanks Anurag. I've not yet measured FE but it feels like the fuel just lasts forever and ever. I'm sure I'm getting atleast 50+kmpl on this machine.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

What about your showroom experience?

The showroom experience was pathetic and I wasn't hesitant to pass that on to Honda through their website contact form. Someone called me and I detailed him on the experience - arrogance, and lack of regard for customer or his money.


--------------------------
Btw, my bike just returned from it's first service and boy is the engine smooth or what!! I always knew the importance of the first service but you have to see it to believe what difference it did to my machine. The gear shifts have become very smooth and the engine just wants to be revved to higher RPMs and I don't feel any vibes at all. Until the service, I was starting to feel disappointed with Honda for making a machine with higher NVH levels than the Unicorn. I had come to expect a lot from Honda. Now, I'm a happy man.

Honda service set the suspension to a lower (softer) setting on my request and tightened the chain (which had become just too loose and was making kat-kat noises last few days). The rear brake rod was rubbing against the silencer and was also fixed (not sure how or what they did).

Overall, the bike's completed 850+km, all in the city and is raring to go on the highway. I've a short 300KM trip planned for it next month this time so let's see how it fares on the highway.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by hellmet

Btw, my bike just returned from it's first service and boy is the engine smooth or what!! I always knew the importance of the first service but you have to see it to believe what difference it did to my machine. The gear shifts have become very smooth and the engine just wants to be revved to higher RPMs and I don't feel any vibes at all. Until the service, I was starting to feel disappointed with Honda for making a machine with higher NVH levels than the Unicorn. I had come to expect a lot from Honda. Now, I'm a happy man.

Congrats and happy to see you a Happy man!

I still remember the smoothness this engine + gearbox had from 1st service. One simple oil change and the whole bike is a different piece of machine and one needs to look at the instrumentation console to realise whether the engine is running or no!

Anurag.

[SJD@NewDelhi]

Congratz on the new acquisition, hellmet. Thats a nice write-up. Always liked the Trigger for its sturdy looks. Had the opportunity of reviewing the CB-Trigger in its pre-launch stage. Thread can be found at:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...b-trigger.html

Happy mile crunching, ride safe