I had a chance to use it in 2002 when Passion was first launched on Indian roads. I was simply stunned by the misery outlook of Hero Honda which used a filament headlamp at a pricey bike. For the Indian roads with potholes, pathetic headlamp may be a killer thought then. After the passage of six calendar years when I got it in April 2008, I watched that the company rectified and went for better electrical for the headlamp.
The amazing part of the bike is its balance. Though it is heavier than my previous TVS Samurai by some 5 kilos, it is far easy to haul up at the narrow passage of our flats. The seat is very long - suitable for a large family. The shocker is too stiff and hard. On this point, lowly-placed Bajaj Platina is miles head of Passion. This is a high-bike specially suitable for persons with long legs (for the shorter, I recommend Hero Honda splendor)
The fuel efficiency is satisfactory @60 kmpl in city conditions - I usually get 80+kmpl at longer journeys. The pick-up @7.2 bhp is decent even at the highways. In a nutshell, this pricey bike is targeted to the middle class segment. But I think @48K on road (in 2008), the bike was over-priced by at least 2.5k. The company used the electrical from the starting model to keep the inventory the minimum.
Despite this, I like and recommend this bike for an average user.