A bike made for the segment that doesn’t want to drive Mopeds, want to have the pride of driving a Motor Bike. But, this segment is afraid about the fluctuating Petrol price and doesn’t care a damn about the pleasure of driving. But for the segment it is made, It’s a gift from the Lords Above. Its in production with Hero Honda for quite a while, and having made Hero Honda earn a big share of market, this bike have always stayed away from the lime light. Hero Honda is currently the biggest Bike manufactures and have the Largest Client Base, mostly because of its sale of Economy Driven Bikes in India.
During my college days at B’lore, my roommate bought a second hand CD100SS, in the year 1998, before that it was in use for 4 years, he bought it because of the mileage and engine condition, costed him Rs. 22, 000. We had it till early 2001. So this is what I thought about the bike from its age of 4 till 7 years. Though a lot of us know this is not the time to judge even the best of bikes, but still our MSM community does need to know what happens to a CD100SS after 4th year of its existence. For the first 6 months, I was not allowed to ride it as I didn’t know driving, and didn’t a Learner’s License, and cops at B’lore are quite greedy(Believe You Me For That). Though I knew all about driving like the shifting gears and all other things, my actual day, no it was night 11.0’ clock came. First attempt successful, believe me I’m not lying, my masterji, was sitting behind and He Was GOOD.
Anyway that was not all just because of my born abilities or so, I faced this reality when I mounted my Yamaha RXG(135cc 11BHP) with a Lot Of Confidence, but that’s another story, coming back to the CD100SS, after 4 and a half years it didn’t have any power left in it to give me any kind of jerk, so it started smoothly. The Clutch plate though changed recently was not doing good so the clutch-gear ratio, no matter what gear I put, still worked. After running around 40000kms its body had started to scream, which we usually got repaired once a month, so that it is not an embarrassment in front of my roommate’s G.F.. But whatever cost incurred in maintenance was well worth for the service(As in Help) it was providing for 4 of us(Roommates). All this things makes an old CD100SS the best bike to start your driving with. But please don’t jump onto to Yamaha after riding CD100SS for while, if you are doing so please call me, I will get the VideoCam.
But after all the maintenance, it could give. It never let us down on mileage front. It was more consistent than Tendulkar, delivering 84-86kms consistently. I don’t remember, during the 3 yrs. with us it ever ran on full, as far as I remember it was always on Reserve. Once, if ever did it stop due to lack of petrol all you have to do is tilt it once, towards left, then put your mouth on the fuel tank, and then pump whatever you have in your lungs to the petrol tank. Be sure, it will give you atleast 2kms, non stop. It ran on the smell of the oil.
After a 2year(6 and ½) we had to get its engine opened. That’s quite bad for any bike. After that the bike just lost IT. The funniest part was, once while kick starting, the whole of the kick broke. We saw that and just laughed, we laughed so hard that tears started dripping down our cheeks. We knew we were not laughing we were actually crying, we were really crying, we lost one our most trusted mate. That was it, my friend being a Baniya by birth and a management student by profession still got the bike sold for Rs. 19, 000, a 7 year old bike. Today its been of 9 yrs., I hear its still running in the happening city of B’lore.
For some reason with all its downfall and trouble, I still love that bike, I really do. But I have tried to be as fare as possible, if somewhere you feel I have let you down, Please let me know. But do remember it was my first bike, and from the moment I switched gear it didn’t trouble me. And, It did make me feel that driving is in my Blood.
Technical:
97cc, 4-stroke Air-Cooled, Manual Clutch, 4 Speed Constant Mesh Transmission, Telescopic hydraulic fork Suspension, Max.Speed 80 kmph.