Hi this is Rohit from Bangalore. I bought my Hero Honda CBZ silver colour beauty 14 months back after doing a thorough survey of the market, which included the Fiero F2, Bajaj Pulsar & the Kinetic Laser.
Flaws of the competition:-
Fiero F2 best city bike in the country but if you need the adrenaline rush it lets you down, four gears 2 few for a 150 cc bike and high speed stability is worrying because of its weight.Although it is the most practical bike in the country.
Pulsar 150 cc tank too big, badly proportioned i.e. the front of the bike is a lot heavier than the back of the bike, which allows the bike to wobble and wander about at speed limits of 80 and above.Looks debatable, although I dont much care for it.The DTSI though looks a lot better with its fairing.Although power delivery is good, but frequent false neutrals and the all 4 down gear shift mar the ride and excitement of the bike.
Kinetic GF 170 Laser well never mind.
Hero Honda CBZ:- Best looking bike in its class if not in the country.Power 0-60 in 5.31 seconds 0-80 in 9.56 secs, registering a top sped of 113 kms which is the best in the 150-170 cc class.Even the new Pulsar DTSI & LML Graptor cannot match its speed and power and top speed even both registering a top whack of 111 kms. Build quality - Its a Honda for god’s sakes. The bike has a lovely and sporty gear box using its 1 down 4 up shift is a lot more fun than the all down boxes of the competition, also the gearing is incredibly flexible in 5th gear it can go from 30-113. Tank recessors are the only ones capable of accomodating the tall rider. The nagging folding the footpeg in kick starting the bike has been eliminated by the electric starter. Stability top notch even at high speeds.Wide rear tyre gives it a grip of a kind simply unavailable on the competition. Earlier vibrations of the engine between the 5000-550 rpm mark has been removed with improved engine refinement.
All in all it has the best Ride, Handling & Performance in its class. Flaws:- Mileage around 40-45 kms to a litre compared to 50-60 of other bikes, but honestly who would buy a 150 cc bike for its mileage.But still it does matter. This is the only bike in its class which sets its sights squarely on performance.
Flaws:-
Minor starting problems during cold conditions Costly spare parts After sales service I guess common to all companies. Lower end torque is too low, hence riding in congested city traffic a bit of a problem which requires frequent gear changes as compared to Fiero F2. All in all its an excellent bike to possess compared to the existing competition. Price of the bike is equivalent to the Pulsar 180 cc. Performance of the bike varies according to conditions. Sometimes is a little too rough to ride. Headlight non effective in on coming traffic.
Riding this bike has been a truly pleasurable one and is totally MOTORCYCLING UNPLUGGED.