| Dio vs Flyte Comparo
I have had the opportunity to own both the Dio and Flyte in the family and get to ride them for fairly long distances in the city. Hence posting the comparo! Both the vehicles are used only in the city in bumper to bumper traffic conditions and during relatively less congested times of the day/night.
Model: Kinetic Sym Flyte
Year of Purchase: May 2008
Services so far: 4 Free services & 1 paid service [i think, not very sure as bro is maintaining the scoot]
Kms on the Odo: 5089 kms
1. Stability at high speeds - There are no vibrations and inspires confidence upto 80 kmph speeds as indicated on the speedo.
2. Convenient front fuelling system - Self explanatory as it saves the hassle of getting down from the bike everytime you have fill fuel [specially with such a small capacity tank which is elaborated below]
3. Telescopic front shocks - Very big advantage on potholed roads as it soaks up the bumps and does not allow the shocks to travel to the handlebars and in turn to your hands.
4. Handling - Handles very well both at slow as well as high speeds.
5. Build quality - Though the scoot looks small, its very sturdy and takes the pot holed roads with aplomb. Though you enter an unexpected pot hole at high speed [50 kmph is high for scoots] it does not judder with various sounds or does not feel as if its going to fall apart.
6. Refinement - The engine feels very quiet right from the beginning and even after one year of use and abuse at times by my bro, its held up well and the engine is still as quiet as it was at the beginning. No coarseness or dramatic vibes from the engine.
7. Fuel tank capacity - The fuel tank capacity is so less that it can hardly hold 4 Lts of petrol. This is really a pain as you need to visit the petrol bunk frequently.
8. Mileage - The only time the vehicle returned a good mileage was before the first service which was 37 kmpl. After that it has always been below 30 kmpl. The best is 30 kmpl and the worst is 25 kmpl!!! Adding to the agony is the small capacity tank which ensures that i have to visit the bunk every 3 days since my commute involves atleast 40 kms travel per day to office.
9. Horn - I know this is a very minor issue, but still the horn is non existent. It can hardly scare a fly let alone pedestrians and other vehicles.
10. Pulling power - With 2 people on board, it struggles to pull in not so inclined roads. Runs out of breath very soon and mileage drops even further!!! After getting it rectified at the service center, it is fine for 2 months and back to square one again.. Phew!!
11. Seating position - Somehow both me and my brother have not been able to find the right seating position. Both of us are 6 footers and are lean. Each time we use Flyte, we get elbow pains due to poor riding position.
12. Visits to service center - The Kinetic service center is pathetic. After the first service itself, there was leakage in the fuel tank which was replaced under warranty. The scoot refused to go above 30 kmph with a single person on board after the first service. Numerous o-ring seals have been replaced in the last one year [IIRC, one every 45 days]. It has been diagnosed for mileage issues countless times. No luck!
13. Fit and Finish - Though the external body paint is good, the fit and finish of the plastics leaves a lot to be desired. The gaps where the screws meet the body panels is very evident and give a cheap look on the whole. The plastics started looking aged and worn out from the 4th month of ownership itself though its parked in the basement well shaded from rain and sun. The switchgear also is not robust.
14. Lights - All the lights including the turn indicators are decent enough for city riding. No complaints in this area.
15. Brakes - Brakes are a weak point of the scoot where in it does not stop at the time you expect it to which is very dangerous given the speeds upto which this scoot can go.
16. Cold Starts - Sore point of the bike. Takes atleast 10 kicks with choke and takes atleast 2-3 kms of warming up before it rides normally.
Model: Honda Dio
Year of Purchase: April 2009
Services so far: 2 Free services
Kms on the Odo: 3018 kms
1. Stability at high speeds - Somehow Dio has not inspired confidence in me to go past 65 kmph whereas in the flyte you can keep pushing it till 80 kmph after which it too runs out of breath. Both the speeds are as indicated on the speedo.
2. Traditional Under Seat Fuelling System - Get down every time you visit the petrol bunk for fuel.
3. Suspension - Bottom link front shocks are not really that good on the dio and all the road undulations are passed onto the handle bars which in turn lead to aches and pains in the hand if you ride it on bad roads for extended durations.
4. Handling - Handling at slow speeds is pretty good but as mentioned in point 1, handling past 60 kmph does not inspire confidence to push further.
5. Build Quality - The entire body is of fiber and hence it gives a delicate feel to the Dio. Infact a cyclist who brushed the scoot when my wife was riding it broke the fiber panel near the tail light. But going thru potholes and bad roads does not induce any vibrations or weak body panels yet and hence would suffice to say that its holding up well for the last 4 months.
6. Refinement - The engine felt noisier than the Flyte right from the beginning when the bike was new. Even after crossing 3000 kms, its still on the higher side compared to the Flyte. But no extra sounds or vibes from the engine.
7. Fuel Tank Capacity - The tank has a decent capacity of 6-6.5 lts of petrol. This coupled with a decent mileage give the scoot a good riding distance.
8. Mileage - The Dio has been returning a decent mileage right from the day one of ownership. Before the first service as it was being ridden sedately, it consistently returned 45-47 kmpl. After the first service due to spirited riding, it started returning 41-43 kmpl. But even after spirited riding it returns figures above 40 almost always.
9. Horn - Much better and louder compared to Flyte.
10. Pulling power - There has never been an issue with pick up and pulling power with 2 people and sometimes 3 people over short distances over fairly inclined roads as well. Has a good amount of pulling power and pick up.
11. Seating position - No aches and pains!! Spot on seating for both me and my bro.
12. Visits to service center - Though i had heard horror stories of honda service centers, the one in domlur is pretty good and the vehicle has gone for the 2 free services and only once for the panel replacement of the tail light which was our fault. Apart from this no other visits so far to the service center.
13. Fit and Finish - The plastic is a tad better compared to Flyte but still some panel gaps are evident. Switchgear is definitely better than flyte
14. Lights - Very good illumination for riding in the city at nights.
15. Brakes - Sufficient braking power for daily city commute. No complaints here.
16. Cold Start - Has not been a problem since day 1. Takes max 2 kicks without the choke. On extremely cold days when it has not been used for more than 2-3 days, it takes 2-3 kicks with the choke.
I have tried to cover all the aspects that would be encountered by an everyday user. These are purely my opinions of both the bikes after using them for the above mentioned duration!! | 
25th August 2009, 21:39
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