Let me begin my review with the much expected (!!??!), monotonous
line....I wouldnt want to break a tradition....So here we go ----- I
have 2 activa’s in my family, a 2001 model and a 2007 model. If you
think through, the opener makes lot of sense. It just goes to tell you
that it lives upto its tagline, "Designed for everyone". A
product/service in order to attract repeat purchases really needs to
perform upto its promises and the buyers’ expectations. If that is the
case for the cheapest of products, then no one is going to invest
almost 44K if the product is not worthy. Activa’s performance has
definitely made it a household name with statistics suggesting that it
captured more than 50% of the scooter market in 2004.
Lets boil down to the basics -- What is required to buy an activa?
Liking and desire to buy
Ability to buy
Economics holds that demand is a function of the above 2 factors only.
But people at Honda seem to be in a fit of mind to prove otherwise.
People management is the most important element required to buy any Honda product.
You step into the showroom and there is no sales person to welcome you
or rather even give a smile. The success of the product and the
attitude that people will anyways buy it seems to have gone to their
head.
Things, definitely haven’t changed much since the 6yrs to my new Honda.
You move from counter to counter asking the whereabouts of the
salesperson and where to place the order. You got to keep repeatedly
pestering the person at the counter for him to confirm that you are a
prospective buyer and then he lifts his head to guide you further.
That was my experience 6yrs back. By this time around, I had developed
some contacts with the supervisor on the service floor and I approached
him directly and he put me in direct terms with sales incharge of the
showroom who immediately booked the order and I paid him the booking
advance of 1k after which he told me that it would take 3 weeks to get
the vehicle delivered. Upon insisting, he said that he’l get it done in
4 days on full payment of cash immediately. The very next day I
remitted the full cash and sure enough in 6days I had my vehicle.
There seems to be a visible difference in the build quality over these
years. The body metal sure appears a lot lighter. Infact my 2001
Activa’s weight was 133Kg as opposed to this 110Kg in 2007 model.
The sturdiness of activa, stability at the maximum speed of 78kmph and
the minimal noise sure make me like it. The pickup from 40-60Kmph is
pretty fast say 3 Secs as against the grueling time from 0-40Kmph. This
sure seems a pain during stop-and-go at signals.
One more thing that I admire is the engine which starts with ROARRRRR
with electric start as against kinetic’s KRRRRIINNNG...(almost a
doorbell...Heehee :D). With Honda you can feel only the engine start,
with Kinetic you can hear almost all parts starting___to rattle with
the start. This is where the sturdiness play a big role. *But, always
remember to kick start in the morning to avoid potential problems with
the kicker which gets stuck and hard within months of non-usage.
Kicking it in the morning is a big pain as it gets very cold and would
take around 6-10Kicks to get it going.
I was in Manipal for my education for 2years and it is really cold at
nights there and I have had bad experiences when I was stuck in the
middle of that deserted place where neither the kick nor the electric
start could help. This experience is unavoidable in cold climates with
an activa. Further, this also happens when the vehicle is unused even
for a week.
As regards the tuff-up tube it sure worked for me. I heard sounds of a
deflation in the back tyre on a downclimb (Manipal is a hilly area...)
and the time to fill air used to take a lot of time. I suspected a
puncture and went to the local mechanic (Honda serice center wasnt
nearby there).He said there aint any such thing. During the next service at the Service center I was told
that there was a puncture and that the tyre did not give way due to the
tuff-up. Btw it was over 100kms from the time I suspected a puncture!!!
Do not expect such stuff if u run a big or sharp object -- Tuffup aint
gonna help u there...
The quality of service here in Chennai (Didar Motors, Greams road) is
sub-par. My new activa remained rough as before after the 1st service,
the mentioned spot jobs like vibrations werent corrected. At the same
time, I noticed another customer pick up an argument with the
supervisor on the same grounds!!..The worst part was that they made a
deep, long scratch on my 2mnth old activa. (Thanks to it being driven
to the workshop on the 4th floor along a narrow curvy climbway!!) I had
to leave it in the service center for 3 more days to get it painted,
but it never happened and frustration got the better of me before I
decided to take it away!!
It is worth mentioning that the Honda Matrix in Udupi did a better job
and after every service I used to feel like driving a brand new bike --
Tightened throttle, vibration free sturdiness, zero noise engine -- a
dream ride...which I think will remain a dream with Didar, Chennai :-(
On a casual chat, the Chief Mechanic said that
these days the engine burns out at 40K kms coz of bad driving habits.
Never drive your new Honda at more than 40Kmph for the first 1000Kms
atleast. This would keep in the engine in proper shape. Even if you
have to speed at 60kmph, never mind but never try to rip the engine by
sudden bursts of acceleration. There is nothing that can do worser
damage.
Remember to change break shoes at every 12000Kms, tyres at 20000Kms and
engine oil at every service to ensure a good overall performance.
Oh!! Mileage...It just slipped my mind...I get a constant 40Kmpl+ of my 2001 Honda--Thanks to some good maintenance!!
Final word, Pls do not compare its performance with a bike...Its a scooter and will remain so afterall...!!