This is my 2nd review on my Fab Green Eterno that I bought in Dec 2004. 15100 kms later, it has been a troublefree story till now (after all it is a Honda).
Pros
a) Mileage between 65 and 68 kms per litre on BP Speed.
b) Very sturdy and comfortable for very long rides too.
c) Very comfortable ride position. Never get tired, even after riding 100 kms.
d) And VFM as there are no batteries to maintain and gives fantastic mileage. Very cheap to maintain. Just get it serviced every 3000-3500 kms or 4-5 months, depending on the conditions u use it.
Now for some cons:
a) It is very difficult to shift gears during rains (guess that is true for all hand geared scooters).
b) Front is very light and steering can be very tricky around turns and corners. So, riders beware.
c) I thought of switching to a fully automatic scooter recently for city ride convenience. But, honda wouldn’t touch this scooter. I live in chennai and there is no resale value for this scooter. I was offered Rs.7000/- !!! by hero honda (for their PLEASURE). So, buy this scooter only if u plan to run it to the ground. I suspect I will be dead b4 this scooter does (starts in one single kick in any weather and never stalls for any reason).
d) My single most big grouse is still is, why did HOnda make this scooter so fat, especially in the rear. Very very uncomfortable feet positioning for pillons. I fixed the body guard so that my wife could place her feet (also bought her a pair of shoes so that she could travel w/o the fear of her toes getting hit.....happened twice already and u can blame my poor judgement skills partially for that). But, the fact is that the rear is wider than the front....so watch out when travelling with pillion riders.
e) U will need a extra powerful horn as the original fitment is lousy and barely audible.
Inspite of all this, my wife loves this scooter as she can lean against the stepney while holding my kids in between.
So, eterno it is .....u will never need another two wheeler.