My Activa is facing some starting problems. Even if the scooter isnt started for one day the battery gets completely drained. Even after multiple manual kick starts the battery does not get charged. Its been 2.5 yrs of ownership, does this call for replacing battery or a visit to the workshop should solve this?

if your electrolyte sp gravity has dropped to 1.1 or below the battery's gone

please get it checked at a battery center

I would suggest you take a look at the Duro ; its earlier avtaar Nova135 was my ghoda for close to 8 years ; good experience and low on maintenance

I am saying this because I got hold of a decent technician who was recommended by the Kinetic service engineer

OOPS MODS lease merge this with the earlier post

The main problem with the mahindra engines is the low FE. Whether its Duro,flyte or Rodeo, all have the same heart and thats where the problem lies. The 125CC motor is not at all fuel efficient and wont give you more than 30 kmpl! I find even the power to be quite less when compared to a 110CC Wego. I felt better throttle response and pickup in Wego than Flyte.

My Honda Dio got serviced recently.
The engine sounds nice and the FE(Approximately-50 Km/L!) is brilliant as usual!
Really happy with the vehicle and it's performance (It is a joy to use, especially after riding the bike!).
Odo Reading:15369.

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No offence to you but my experience with my Mahindra Duro has proved your opinion partially wrong. I had been riding one since 8 months and initially my thoughts were "Oh gosh!! What am I stuck with?" because of issues such as self-start problem, main stand trailing off, grabrail nuts wearing off and thus rendering it useless & mileage (as you pointed out around 30km/l).....But after I ran it to my bike mechanic who serviced it efficiently and did a few changes, now I am extracting a mileage of no less then 48-52 km/l (YES, believe it or not ).

I would like to highlight the few things which I carried (carry) out leading to less tension with the scooter:
1. Engine oil top-up after every 1000-1200 kms.
2. Replacing battery with Karizma batteries (around 1550/-) to solve self-starting problem.
3. Instead of welding the main stand repeatedly, I got a new one fixed (375/-) and a new grab-rail for 650/-
4. NOT riding above 50 km/h. I do 45-56 max in the Noida Expressway.
5. Revving - a strict no-no. To get the most out of the engine's fuel efficiency, you just need to squeeze the throttle and brakes gently. Sudden braking & acceleration should be avoided at any cost.
6. Inflating tyres every 2-3 days. This is esp. necessary in summer season. I agree, keeping the max air pressure in your tyres always can make the ride a bit stiff, but considering what is at stake, I am prepared to compromise on that.
7. Killing the engine in traffic lights and in queues where the wait is more then 20 seconds.
8. Starting out from home well in advance which eliminated high speed riding and any accident.
9. Keeping a check on which petrol bunks I get my fuel from as 3 out of the 5 petrol pumps in my area use nefarious means to cheat the customers from the amount of fuel provided vs. the amount paid for. I know when one is cheating 'cause my mileage immediately dwindles considerably.

So, yeah the maintenance is a bit on the higher side but I am not complaining as I am left tension-free and getting a healthy mileage. This may not be agreeable for all riders as majority will not be prepared to ride a scooter at 45 which is capable of doing 90....but this is what works for me

Regards!
SJD.

Same problem that I encountered with my Duro! All these gearless scooters are bound to face this battery aka self-start problem at one point of time esp. in winter. I ran to the service center a number of times and they replaced and charged the battery a number of times but always lead to the same problem. So, finally I got a Karizma battery installed for 1550/- after consultation with my mechanic and now no problem at all. So, I guess you have the solution in hand now..!

I was surprised to see this happening in a Honda product which is otherwise known for its quality. I guess the monsoons are playing a truant too, a couple of heavy showers are enough to make the battery go to sleep. Seriously I have developed some leg muscles with the manual kick start these days.

I can't seem to kick start my access. :-(
It just doesn't start .
Automatic starter works with out any fuss.
Any suggestions ?

Is this the case even with the choke on? If yes,then there is an issue with the manual kick system, contact the service guys. Is the scooter still under warranty?

My wife experienced the same problem with her Access this morning. Button start worked fine. Then the kick start worked after that.
Maybe she needs to use the kick more often (since it is never used).

Access will complete 5000 KM in 18 months of ownership (soon).

Happened with me too !! Took it to the mechanic who at the first instance cleaned the plug; when the problem reappeared, he changed the plug and did a top-up of the engine oil; adviced me to use the kick more often and start it in the morning by kick-starting it; not with the self-starter and if possible then let it idle for a couple of minutes. So, not a big deal - you'll get it sorted out easily

And yeah ghodlur, my legs are more stronger then they used to be !!

You are quite right not only about riding at 45kmph but also having access to capable independent mechanics to suggest about the upkeep of this engine. You are lucky to have both. Otherwise, if maintained at the ASC, its a nightmare to own and will leave one wondering about the bad choice they made by going for Mahindra Scooter.

Thanks, Abhinav.
I had read your RTR 180 ownership previously. Great work there. The thing is that - I am also getting the RTR 180 (Non ABS one) on or about the 15th of next month. Had took the TR (100% satisfied) and discussed about payment related stuff with the dealer. Booking period is 5 days. Now from your experience, would you like me to ask/ inquire about anything more relating to the bike or service....and 'anything' means anything here. Would love your feedback.

Cheerz!
SJD.

My wife is 5' nothing, so seat height is of great importance. unfortunately no spec sheet has this
Same here. Need to check out between pep+, streak and pleasure. anyone with similar problem can point out pros and cons.