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-   -   Black Honda Activa 11175 Kms Owner's Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/44334-black-honda-activa-11175-kms-owners-review.html)

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HONDA ACTIVA 11000+ Kms OWNER'S REVIEW
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Make : Honda Activa

Kms on odometer : 11,175

Colour : Black

Mileage per litre of petrol : 40-42 Approx.

Vehicles considered before buying : Dio , Blaze

Bought at : Didar motors , Chennai.

Serviced at : Kun Honda , Chennai.

History:

We had a 1990s Red coloured Kinetic Honda before getting this black beauty.Fortunately our 2-Stroke Ki-Ho returned us 42 kmpl of petrol and used to give a variety of small problems like battery fuse blowing out ocassionally and failing to start on cold mornings using the self-starter.But Ki-Ho was easily repairable anywhere and in our personal experience, roadside mechanics were better than the Kinetic's service centres ! Dio was rejected for its higher price and fiber body while Blaze was rejected for Kinetic's service , fit and finish and engine refinement.I think the Blaze engine sounds like a mini flour mill while on the run !

Engine & Transmission:

Super honey smooth ultra-refined 102cc engine is just like a cat - it purrrs when the speed crosses 50+ Kmph :) After living with the KiHo for ten years,it took some time to adjust to this 4-stroker.While one can coast in a KiHO,Activa just doesn't allow you to do that - But letme be happy and say it offers good engine braking ! The engine become more smooth after logging 100 + Kms and after the first free service.While it was my habit to top up 2T oil every sunday in my KiHo, I hardly even check the level of engine oil in my Activa.(Honda has provided a dip-stick for this purpose).No surprise that this very same mill does the work in Aviator.Transmission in automatic,CVT and complements the engine well !
With the help of the choke(placed below the handlebar) the mill comes to power at a single press of the starter button.Though I prefer using the kick starter early in the morning to help the battery live longer.

Styling & Design:



Conservatively painted.The saree step is perfectly placed while driving ergonomics are top class.Sadly ,Red colour was discontinued by the time we started shopping for a honda.Infact I like the Dio and Activa over Aviator when it comes to styling.Feels solid,looks solid and is solid !

Brakes:

Whats the need for a ventilated front disc when people don't touch the front brake at all? I was also one who used rear brake *only* everytime I wanted to stop.But recently I have cultivated the habit of using the front one too.In city speeds of 40-50 kmph,130 mm stock drums are more than enough to reduce the speed.I also use 'engine braking' to the maximum extent before touching the brake levers.

Instrumentation:



Basic yet attractive.Analog speedometer marks 30-50 kmph range as "economy".Fuel gauge and odometer provided.Trip meter absent.Tell-tale lights include turn signal indicators(one for L and one for R and they light up in green colour whereas in very old Activas this was orange) and high beam indicator.Low oil and Low battery(this one is present in recent scoots like Kristal) are absent.Theres a notice that says "CAUTION do not accelerate while braking".I first wondered why honda put it there but was convinced of their decision when I saw some Women 2-Wheeler riders.Some men too had the habit of slighty squeezing the brake lever while driving(the brakes won't apply but the brake light will come on) !

Switchgear & Lights :





Better than KiHo.The style is as followed by scooty pep,suzuki access and Flyte.The push-to-cancel indicator switch is real easy to use but feels poorly built(I can move the lever up or down by holding it with two fingers).Like to see a more sturdier indicator switch like in HH slpendor or Bajaj Pulsar.

Pass-light switch missed.I switch on and off the headlamp when required ! Parking light too missed - Kinetic on the other hand provides/provided a pilot/parking/marker lamp on 4S,Nova 115 ,Blaze and Marvel 110.

Then one day comes the chennai monsoon.The high beam-low beam switch now feels tacky and doesn't operate with a precise, quality-sounding click :(

Mileage:

We get about 40-42 kmpl.My Brother drives at 35-45 kmph while I have taken her to 60 kmph (I max out around 45-50 kmph in the city)on deserted main roads.Highway trip pending !

HMSI Service:

There are over 2 million Activas and lots in chennai alone.But dealers and authorised service centres are very very less.You are served on first-come first-served basis if you didn't fix an appointment for your scoot beforehand.Kun honda's parking lot(which is actually a service lane) is ultra jam-packed with new factory arrivals battling for space with ones that have come in for a service.Every service adds a scratch to the metal body.

Suspension:



Leading links on the front leave a lot to desire.Suzuki access,Aviator and kinetic flyte excel here.But stay out of those craters or drive real slow on them - then you won't get to hear those nasty 'thud' sounds.Single rear shock absorber at rear.Bajaj Kristal has SNS at rear !

Underseat storage :

This compartment is not fitted with an illumination lamp like the flyte.Can gulp a medium sized helmet easily but this compartment gets little hot after long drives.Petrol tank sits underseat.Honda has provided a first aid kit and a-mini-tools-collection that are neatly integrated into this compartment.Seat opened by a seperate lock.

Problems Encountered till now:

1.Brake binding : The scooter would deaccelerate very sharply when the throttle is cut(Sometimes on straight line,Sometimes only when the handlebar is turned).Rectified at 1st free service.

2.Butter mill switching off when throttle is cut : This happened just after 5th free service and was corrected within 10 minutes at Kun.

3.high/low beam switch tacky.Sometimes makes the headlamp flicker.Sometimes normal !

Pros and Cons:

+Bullet proof reliability
+honey smooth engine
+solid build
+good driving ergonomics
+tuffup tube
+stock horn and lights good for city use
+decent mileage
+good ground clearance

-side stand was an option !
-switchgear lets down this honda
-no pilot lamp
-no pass light switch
-no low fuel/low oil indicator
-no front fuelling
-ancient leading link front suspension

Overall :



Activa - A great scooter for city use.Go for Dio if you o.k. with fiber body (and your pilon is o.k. with those stupid footrests).Go for the aviator if you are o.k. with the styling - Its has the 'Activa engine' and telescopic forks at front !

Thanks for reading !

Cya
Ashwanth.

Hi Ashwant,

That was a fantastic review of the Active, summarising almost every aspect of the scooter. I own one as well, and yes it's a very reliable scooter. I still like the looks of the Activa, compared to the new model they have bought out now, I think it's the Aviator.

Very good review. I had written something similar on mouthshut. Its a very practical, comfortable, reliable and economical scooter. Although its on the roads for sometime, its as good as launched today ! Even I had used Kinetic Honda few years back, it comes nowhere close to Honda Activa in terms of style, performance and appeal ! I use mine for most house shopping in the radius of 5 kms from the house (saving petrol, no time waste for finding parking). Mine is 2 years old and it has clocked only 4000 on the ODO, it is as clean as a new one (thanks to the covered parking), never given me any troubles on road so far!

A very honest review.:)
I too hold a Activa and done 15K now. Yes, getting it serviced in the Hinda showroom is really big game. Initially I did this in Chennai, but in bangalore only once I could manage to fix appointment and give. Somehow I felt that the quality of service is not good and then on I give it to normal mechanics. He does a decent job.
Not sure of mileage now, but in chennai I used to get around 50kmpl.

OT: Btw, the avatar pic is great. :)

Thanks man ! That was taken long back.After that my Digicam went kaput and had to rely on a Nokia phone to take those pictures.



I liked the 2-stroke KiHo actually.Even tough the engine was little noisy,it wasn't harsh(i mean the engine was smooth).Kinetic 4S based on the original KiHo is a loser - No underseat storage(must for us chennai walas to dump the helmet) and quality is too low(you should look at the choke lever-how it is fixed and plastics)



Yes,reliability is one big plus.I too didn't like the aviator (the rear is ok but the front is non-appealing to me)but I see people taking it for a test drive whenever I walk past Kun honda.

-Ashwanth.

My dear friend,

Kinetci Honda was 4 STROKE from the launch itself. Anybody having more details, please correct me.

Nope it was a 2 stroke engine which was launched way back in 90's, which got transplanted with a 4 stroke few years back, when pollution norms killed 2 stroke sale in India.

My Dad owns one, clocked 35K kms in the Odo. He rides it 95%, I take it for short rides (within 3 km radius from my home)
In recent times, I have noticed the bike is pulling to the left if I reach / go beyond 50 kmph (My dad's range is 35-40kmph). More over wobbling is also felt at 40 kmph.
Need a good service mechanic around Velachery / Adambakkam (Chennai). Authorised service centers quality isnt that good.