Honda have been making scooters for over 20 years now, how ever in India it is around 4 years. The Activa is the budget level commuter scooter, which was launched back in 2001 by Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India, where the Honda Gurgaon factory churns out about 40, 000 Activas every year.
We bought activa around 3 years back this was mainly for my father, who feels it difficult to ride bikes in the still growing b’lore city traffic.
OK, what made us buy activa ? because of its low cost features, like metal panels drum brakes, air-cooled, 102cc, Single-cylinder, 4-stroke engine and its dinky 10 inch wheels.
So what’s the Activa like then?
The bodywork is made of metal, rather than plastic and the reason is that andy dents can be fixed by a scooter repair shop. In fact the entire rear section of the Activa can be flipped up like the bonnet on a car, or detached completely via its patent CLIC mechanism, so that rapid repairs or maintenance can be carried out to the engine and transmission unit if needed.
The power unit is a 7bhp, air cooled single cylinder, four stroke, with the auto gearbox (variomatic). It takes a second or so for the drive to engage from tickover, then chuggs up to an indicated 80-85kph maximum speed, about 55mph flat out.
You can feel some sort of ignition limiter device working as you take Activa downhill . It won’t rev too hard - no matter what you do - but at least you get a chance to admire the b’lore town and gals!!
That said, it does the job that any commuter could ask, especially when it comes to miserly fuel consumption. The 6 litre fuel tank has a reasonably accurate fuel gauge and filling it from well inside the red zone took a fraction over 5 litres. The mileage which I get is on Highways 46 City 44 Overall 45 kms/ltr.
For something so cheerful, the Honda Activa is generally well made and its ride and handling are certainly up to the job of tackling bumpy city streets. The small forks at the front were set pretty firm, which give decent feedback when you fancied leaning the thing over, or hitting the brakes late coming up to a junction.
The single shoe front drum brake is a good stopper, with the rear drum allowing a bit of extra help when harassing your way through jammed up traffic. B’lore drivers, like most, love changing lanes and jockeying for position, but a scooter is one of the fastest ways to nip down the commuters any day of the week.
There’s a huuuge grabrail at the back of the Activa, which must be a useful anchor point for all kinds of unfeasible luggage in India. But the luggage space is disappointingly small - I couldn’t fit my wife’s shopping inside it, although a helmet can easily be kept inside.
It also lacks a small room in the front section of the bodywork, although there is an optional front box available - plus a bag hook located just below the front of the saddle. On the upside, the mirrors are good, the saddle comfortable enough for two people and there’s an electricstarter, very use ful for women and old age people.
The Activa needs full choke and no throttle first thing to fire up, plus a minute or so of warming up, before it can operate without stalling at junctions.
Otherwise, it just keeps chugging along with no problems at all. One useful extra the Activa has is the `Tuffup’ tyres, which contain a kind of mousse, inside a double-skinned inner tube, which - Honda claim - seals a puncture automatically, allowing the rider to continue home.
The scooter also has a sturdy centre stand and also a side stand, which allows me to park it on the wet ground, which is where you can play cricket with your friends on the week end.
The only disadvantage is its weight of 110 Kg’s, it is quite heavy for women to handle on the busy and conjusted roads.