My dad bought me this bike when I got my first job. As with most middle class people, his main goal was fuel economy. This was a Hero Hondo bike and people were claiming that it was giving them a mileage of 80 kmpl. So here I was saddled with an apology of a bike(so I thought) when all I wanted was to buy an old Bullet off my mechanic and service it properly.
Alas that was not to be and it was with some dislike that I rode the bike at first. My ignorance of all matters mechanical was no help either. But as the days progressed, I fell in love with it. It was an ever dependable bike. After the free services were over I started having it serviced at my local mechanic’s. Murugan mechanic was very methodical and I never had any major problems, apart from never having reached the so called mileage of 80kmpl:-)
As I said before the main quality of this bike is its decent ride quality and mileage. Also, it is a bike that never gives up. I had a friend who used a Yamaha RX100 and was very proud of it, but time and again, my bike has saved me the blushes. Take these following instances
We used to work all day till 4 in the morning and when we tried to kickstart our bikes in the early morning frost, mine used to start at the first kick, rarely at the second. While my poor friend had to first kick for 10 minutes to get the engine warm before he could start off.
Also during a freakish summer shower, all of the arterial Guidy highway was blocked by kneedeep rainwater. There were massive traffic jams all around. But I was able to drive my vehicle through each and every gap in the traffic and then I saw this massive trough of water. There were many stalled cars floating in it. And many poor bikers who had rashly driven their swanky bikes through the water until their engines sputtered and died, leaving them in a sea of murky water. However, I had an odd confidence in my bike and ploughed on. The going was tough with only second gear being possible at most places. But my bike held through and I reached home safely, while others were left to call mechanics and make costly repairs.
Another time, I had a nasty accident and my handlebar was ripped off with the clutch being in tatters. All I had to do was patch the clutch wire and I could drive across the city to my mechanic’s.
This is what I mean by dependable.
I still hold a torch for the Bullet and other macho cruisers.
I will definitely build my modified Bullet someday.
I will not buy this bike again given the options available and my current status in life.
But still I think, its time to give this workhorse of a bike, its due.
Three cheers for the CD100SS. Hip Hip Hurray.