Looking for a pillion-friendly & fuel-efficient 125cc scooter

I was slightly inclined toward electric scooters, especially the Ather 450, but ruled them out considering the recent fire incidents.

BHPian RaghavEvoX recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

I need your suggestions to help me buy a scooter.

I'm 36 and never owned a scooter in my life. I currently own a Hyundai Verna 1.6 P AT (4.5 years) and a Honda CBR250R (10-year-old). Till now, I never really had any requirement to buy a scooter. But now with my daughter's school starting next week, (school to home is 14 km) I am contemplating buying a scooter.

As of now, I use my car to pick up and drop off. No, I am not using the school bus as I feel she is still young (6 years) to go alone. Maybe after a year or two, I will think about it. I don't use CBR250R as that is used only when I go alone. My daughter and wife are not too comfortable on it.

2 main reasons to buy a scooter - Mileage and Parking near the school.

Mileage

Distance to school from home is 14km and I drop in the morning and then pick up in the evening every day. So every day, it is 56km just for school pick up and drop which roughly translates to 6L petrol consumption (my car averages 8-9kmpl in the city) which is a minimum of Rs 660 per day. And monthly roughly translates to Rs.15200.

Now my plan is to go by car in the morning for drop and in the evening, go by scooter for pickup. I can reduce the fuel expenses by almost half (around 7k).

Parking

It is hard to find a parking place near the school in the evening when picking up (mornings are still better) and I park half a km away from school and I walk down to pick up.

So having a scooter really makes sense for me now. And generally, I keep my vehicles for the longest time possible.

I am considering only 125cc + scooters. Had a slight inclination towards EVs, especially Ather but with recent fire incidents, a definite NO at least in the foreseeable future.

My requirements for the scooter:

• Decent performance
• Decent mileage
• Should be comfortable for the pillion
• Should be reliable

Here are the ones I have shortlisted.

Mileage source - Bikewale.com

Amongst the ones selected, I am more inclined toward the NTorq 125 but not sure about the comfort levels.

Here's what BHPian  akhil_007 had to say about the matter:

I m not judging you and the situation you're in but 14 km on a two-wheeler for a 6-year-old is definitely not a good idea. The kid is too small to bear the journey, especially after a tiring full day at school.

She might have to go through dust, dry eyes, potholes and uneven road conditions on a daily basis. Secondly, the pillion seat is too wide for a 6-year-old to sit comfortably for a long time. Also, the kid cannot move around and has to be sitting in the same position for an hour at least.

So,

• Better to change the school which is closer to your home
• Move your home closer to school
• Drop and Pickup via car daily
• Send her via school bus

I will assume options 1,2 and 3 are not feasible immediately. The best bet will be to send her via a school bus. It provides a good social environment for her to be with her friends. She can sleep, stand, read, play and move around on a bus. It's also less dusty, and protected from elements of nature.

Here's what BHPian Cyborg had to say about the matter:

For comfort and very decent power (scooter segment) the Suzuki Avenis should be perfect for your needs. It’s smooth, has excellent suspension and has the tried and tested engine from the Access 125. The NTorq 125 has more power but will suffer in the comfort department comparatively.

14 kilometres (one way) on a scooter with your daughter is your call if you chose to do it, but unsafe in my books.

Happy shopping.

Here's what BHPian KPR had to say about the matter:

Considering that you will be the only rider at home, why not a 110 or 125cc comfortable bike like TVS Raider, Shine or Splendor? They are great on mileage, to own and maintain, and would provide better comfort for a 28 km ride than a scooter any day.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.