[Xaos636]

I would also suggest the Yamaha Ray. My sister is using one from the first lot which was bought back in 2012 and it is running absolutely perfect even today. Light weight, better handling and easy reach to the ground due to lower seat height did the trick for her to chose the Ray over Access and Activa back then. I think these are still the USP for Ray even today. The most ideal way would be a test ride for her to decide, and due to our road conditions and her height, I believe the Ray might be the better bet since she can plant her feet on the ground without stretching.

[Maverick1977]

I was in the same predicament as you a few months back. I had shortlisted the TVS Ntorq and the Suzuki Access, took test rides of both and liked the ntorq more.
This was followed by taking my wife to the TVS and Suzuki showroom and surprisingly she found both heavy. She also wanted to try the Activa, so I reluctantly took her to the Honda showroom. She checked out the Activa and then her eyes (and heart) fell on the Dio. She loved it so much that we finally ended up buying the Dio.

My suggestion - take her to the showrooms and let her try what she wants. You might be surprised what she ends up choosing. But you can be rest assured that she will choose what's best for her - just remember that you were also one of the most important choice she made in her life.

[Sk8r]

Originally Posted by aargee

Not really!

You can lease the vehicle for 60K down payment & pay Rs 3K per month (covers maintenance, insurance & electricity charges) for 3 years & choose to return the vehicle or pay Rs 10K more to own the vehicle. Regarding the charger, you can get it fixed even with an electrician (or DIY), it isn't that hard

For a budget of 60K OTR, you can get Hero Pleasure, that's the reality. NTorque is Rs 84K OTR, Activa, Access, Maestro are all nearly 70K OTR in Chennai. That's the ground reality

Thanks a ton !! You have increased my appetite for Ather !!! I will definitely take a look at it now and work on the financial calculations and see if it makes sense to get one

Thanks a lot guys. The magnitude of diverse views in this forum amazes me everytime !
I read through multiple reviews online and going just by that I have shortlisted TVS Wego, Suzuki Access 125 and Yamaha Ray so far and open to all other options post my wife takes a test drive of all mentioned above !

I am definitely ruling out Honda after I got a call from the SA yesterday ( Their attitude just pisses me, it's like they are doing me a favor seling the bike ) and also to avoid the over crowded service centres

As a wild card entrant I will also test the Ather 450 ( Very exciting for this one )

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Should I go Electric ? I am really tempted to get the Ather 450 even though it is way out of my budget ( I get to ride over weekends ), but one issue back of my mind is the charger installation. Considering we might relocate in a year or two maximum, will installation be required from Ather once again? I really wish they had a provision to remove battery and charge at home !

Handling Charges : We visited Honda showroom the other day and got a quotation for Activa 5G which included Handling Charges for INR 1600 and Accessories worth INR 5700. Is it legal to mandate these ? Have sent an email to honda, awaiting response

Considering the many options revealed by friends I would not go into the details of the right choice. Please also consider the Activa 5G. It would be a tough workhorse.

Coming to electrics, I would say no. Not because of the hassles regarding charging. But because the electrics are evolving and their time has not yet come. We need not offer ourselves as guniea pigs for their further research. The price tag is unrealistic and merits an outright rejection.

Next coming to the accessories, the dealer is looting hapless costumers. In fact, all compulsory fitments like SVM's, footrests, indicators are all provided as OE. No vehicle without the mandatory fitments can leave a manufacturer's factory. Accessories with the dealer are to be decided and are optional at the hands of each individual customer. It is an unfair trade practice and if he insists, he can be dragged to the Consumer Court by any alert citizen.

I am not able to comment on the handling charges but can guess that these include the bribes they may be paying to the RTO etc.

[theexperthand]

+100 to what Maverick said. What matters most is the comfort level of the rider - quality-wise, most offerings are more or less the same.

If it helps you, this is my thread about buying a scooter for my wife - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...hite-swan.html (TVS Scooty Zest - The story of our White Swan)

/Br
Anoop

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

My suggestion - take her to the showrooms and let her try what she wants. You might be surprised what she ends up choosing. But you can be rest assured that she will choose what's best for her - just remember that you were also one of the most important choice she made in her life.

[The_Motorist]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

My wife is in the market for a two wheeler for daily commute. Having never owned or purchased a gearless scooter, I have no clue of what I am looking for or what should I look out for. I just have the requirements and trust BHPians to provide me the answer. Also if current owners in this segment can give a heads up on recurring issues on certain models, it will be of great help ! Thanks in advance

Requirements :

1) Budget - 65 to 75 K
2) Mileage - 40 to 45 KMPL
3) ABS - Desirable
4) Daily commute : 30 KM
5) Height - 5'4". Legs should be reachable ?

Should I go Electric ? I am really tempted to get the Ather 450 even though it is way out of my budget ( I get to ride over weekends ), but one issue back of my mind is the charger installation. Considering we might relocate in a year or two maximum, will installation be required from Ather once again? I really wish they had a provision to remove battery and charge at home !

Handling Charges : We visited Honda showroom the other day and got a quotation for Activa 5G which included Handling Charges for INR 1600 and Accessories worth INR 5700. Is it legal to mandate these ? Have sent an email to honda, awaiting response

We had bought an ACTIVA 3G almost 3yrs back. The main purpose of buying it was to provide my wife with a two-wheeler to pick & drop my daughter to school (which is around 1km from my place) & some weekend ride to buy veggies & fruits. etc.

Its been 03 years of absolute hassle free ownership. Given travel is not too much, one service every year suffice in maintaining the scooter in mint condition.
From RELIABILITY & peace of mind point of view, Activa is a good option - Tried & Tested.

[CarBot]

@Sk8R, I have a Dio, Access 125 and bought a TVS NTorq last week. My Sis in law uses Suzuki Access - build quality is excellent though it is outdated design. My wife uses Dio - light weight and agile. Dad uses Ntorq. I would say check out Ntorq as the ride quality is good for 30 kms per day. Sounds fantastic and you would be happy to find reasons to ride it. My Tenant has a Jupiter. I like that too.

[Sk8r]

Next coming to the accessories, the dealer is looting hapless costumers. In fact, all compulsory fitments like SVM's, footrests, indicators are all provided as OE. No vehicle without the mandatory fitments can leave a manufacturer's factory. Accessories with the dealer are to be decided and are optional at the hands of each individual customer. It is an unfair trade practice and if he insists, he can be dragged to the Consumer Court by any alert citizen.

I am not able to comment on the handling charges but can guess that these include the bribes they may be paying to the RTO etc.

True that, we are really hapless considering that all the OEM's dealers are following the same practise. In my case even after my conversation with Honda I haven't heard from the dealer on the Handling charges removal, he said it includes smart card charges. The way these guys bluff is pissing me off, but as rightly said above we are hapless consumers and we can't do anything much about it !

Originally Posted by CarBot

@Sk8R, I have a Dio, Access 125 and bought a TVS NTorq last week. My Sis in law uses Suzuki Access - build quality is excellent though it is outdated design. My wife uses Dio - light weight and agile. Dad uses Ntorq. I would say check out Ntorq as the ride quality is good for 30 kms per day. Sounds fantastic and you would be happy to find reasons to ride it. My Tenant has a Jupiter. I like that too.

Thanks Mate, I loved the Access and Wego, but it's all in the hands of my wifey post the the test drive

[UK07Rider]

Suzuki Access is the most practical day to day scooter in my opinion. I own one and it is a no nonsense machine. It gets the longest and widest seat in the segment which is the biggest factor to ensure that you and your wife feel comfortable riding it.

Get the alloy wheels disk brake version as it is a better alternative to the drum brakes version. It gives 45-50 kmpl easily and can also easily climb the hills here two up. Test ride it and you'd see that it has the smoothest engine of the lot. Suzuki has worked a lot on the engine and has changed it completely compared to the older version of the Access.

The latest version came out in 2017 and looks great if you are into the retro looking scooters. The biggest advantage is the weight which is less by about 4-5 kilos compared to a Jupiter and Activa.

Suzuki has recently come out with the special edition matt red color and it looks dope. My wife loves it for the ease of riding it and all the practical elements like the biggest underseat storage of 21 litres, hanging hooks, and the confidence that it gives her since it is a light scooter that doesn't miss out on power.

Activa's don't have anything new to offer now which is evident in their decreasing sales figures. Best of luck for your search

[vijayshouree]

I did a lot of research on automatic scooters a couple of months back while deciding on one for my wife who is even shorter (even I am from that short and sweet height group, at 5'2'').

I was able to manage most of them except for Suzuki Access. Most of them have the seat height of 765mm. As some guys said above, Activa's front trail link suspension is pathetic. I have one at home and I don't like it, period. And the service experience at Vaishnoi Honda, Kondapur is too bad to even mention about. They have the volumes and they don't care much .

Out of all, I shortlisted Yamaha Fascino, TVS Zest 110. She found both were not comfortable for her and we finally bought a TVS Scooty Pep. Believe me, even I am so fond of it now that it has become my favorite for those errands and short rides. It rides even better than Activa. I don't even remember when did I last took my FZ16 out .

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

1) Budget - 65 to 75 K
2) Mileage - 40 to 45 KMPL
3) ABS - Desirable
4) Daily commute : 30 KM
5) Height - 5'4". Legs should be reachable ?

Honestly , i do not recommend Activa anymore. It was Good. But no longer. The engine has cold starting issues, the suspension is utter crap, handling is so so. It is selling more out of the brand name than anything else.

If your wife is riding, ensure you get a bike with low seat height. She should be able to put both her feet on the ground comfortably. Weight is also a factor that you should consider. I would suggest Yamaha Ray/Fascino, TVS Wego,NTorq. Access , though powerful is bulky and heavy and your wife may not be comfortable with it. Since daily commute is 30km, one should be completely comfortable with the scooter. So TD all the scooters and go for the one your wife is most comfortable with.

[NiInJa]

Since the rider's height is 5ft 4in, I think it would be better to check how comfortable it will be with Access. My wife's height is the same and she would sort of struggle with Activa. No such problems on the Hero Pleasure or TVS Scooty Pep+ though.

One thing that I would say is, along with seat height, do compare the wheelbase as a longer one makes the bike stable (Jupiter has larger compared to Activa). And if you are more of a DIY guy, see youtube videos on how to service the shortlisted scooters. For e.g. To remove Jupiter's air filter, one has to remove the assembly from the intake pipe or remove the side panel to access all 4 screws properly. In case of Ntorq you will see all four screws are exposed and can be removed easily without removing the panels.

Also, TVS does not offer maintenance free battery so you will have to maintain it (my brother's conked off in just 2 years and the warranty was just one year)

[90Horses]

I am using my wife's Suzuki Access (Pre facelift model), I drove 26,000 Kms solely & my daily driving distance is ~44 Kms. I will list down the pros and cons, hope it helps in your decision making.

Pros:
+Fuel Efficiency (Driven hard: 35-40 kmpl, Nicely Driven: 50-60 Kmpl)
+Handling
+Pickup (Best in class)
+Excellent Brakes (Until they worn out)

Cons:
-Strictly for 1 person, more than 1, handling becomes unpredictable and tiring
-Max distance doable comfortably is ~15kms, more than this on a daily basis , rider will have fatigue ( I have a stiff right wrist and lower back issues)
-Potholed roads will send the vibes into hands and back.
-Pickup loss happens as the scooter ages, my scooter doesn't pickup as it used to, service center denies any pickup loss.
-Maintenance schedule to be adhered (2000kms or 3 months), else, bike will show some problems here and there.
-Paid maintenance comes ~1500/- I feel it's high, I am unsure of other brands.
-Front and rear wheels lock frequently upon hard braking and while braking in less friction surfaces (Slight water or sand on the road), there by, it skids, I have umpteen instances where I was saved by the almighty. ABS is not available yet in Suzuki range of scooters.
-Once you crash, you fall flat on floor, there's no crash guard etc...

Verdict:
> I am not scaring you, it's my experience, and still my daily ride.
> I won't suggest a Scooter (Skids and unpredictable considering the distance of 20KMS).
>Vespa and Aprilia SR150 have single channel ABS, why don't you check, it's worth the price.
>If you can extend your budget, and if your wife is ok travelling in a car, then please buy an automatic car (Kwid AMT?). Be safe.

[vijayshouree]

Originally Posted by vijayshouree

I did a lot of research on automatic scooters a couple of months back while deciding on one for my wife who is even shorter (even I am from that short and sweet height group, at 5'2'').

I was able to manage most of them except for Suzuki Access. Most of them have the seat height of 765mm. As some guys said above, Activa's front trail link suspension is pathetic. I have one at home and I don't like it, period. And the service experience at Vaishnoi Honda, Kondapur is too bad to even mention about. They have the volumes and they don't care much .

Out of all, I shortlisted Yamaha Fascino, TVS Zest 110. She found both were not comfortable for her and we finally bought a TVS Scooty Pep. Believe me, even I am so fond of it now that it has become my favorite for those errands and short rides. It rides even better than Activa. I don't even remember when did I last took my FZ16 out .

So finally I recommend Yamaha Fascino for your wife.

Your Requirements :

1) Budget - 65 to 75 K - CHECK
2) Mileage - 40 to 45 KMPL - CHECK
3) ABS - Desirable - NO ABS but it has UBS (similar to CBS)
4) Daily commute : 30 KM - CHECK (pretty comfy)
5) Height - 5'4". Legs should be reachable ? - CHECK

[pcpranav]

Hi,


if this helps :


for my wife, we had purchased TVS Wego exactly 6 years back. Primarily wife and sometimes myself use for local small commutes. I have been regularly getting it serviced, maybe more proactive services to not let it down when wife is using it ! The vehicle is a fun to ride, no fuss. Earlier I used to get serviced at ASC, but these days I have found a good FNG mechanic to get all work done. The current ODO would be about 11K (I know its very low!), its just working fine.


The TVS Jupiter is also a very good scooter.