I’ve been using my honda aviator for almost 2 years now, and my overall impression of the vehicle is a good one. I test rode most of the scooters available at the time, and chose the aviator in the end.
Looks
Looks are subjective, and the aviator is one such example. Some find it good looking, some don’t. I for one, don’t put too much stake in looks, but in any case, the aviator is a pretty good looking looking machine. Especially the rear half. The alloy wheels add to the appeal, as do the front disc brakes and the telescopic front suspension.
Basic feel
The first thing you feel when you sit on an aviator is size. It’s pretty high compared to the competition, and shorter riders may have some difficulty in getting their heels down on the ground. Even so, it’s a breeze to balance, and even the act of merely resting your toes on the ground is enough to keep it in check, so even if you can get both sets of toes on the ground, you can manage the thing without any issues. It feels really light overall.
The switchgear is standard honda fare, and you can find the same on the activa and dio. 2 years into use, and the switches still work perfectly, and have retained that crisp feel.
The dials are completely new, and look really good. The Layout is neat, the lettering is very much legible, and at night, the dials are backlit in a beautiful shade of blue, and what’s more, the light distribution is perfect, with no dark spots on the speedo or the fuel gauge. The needles too are backlit, but in a shade of red.
I personally found, and still find, the dials a really nice thing to look at, especially at night.
The seats are comfortable for both rider and pillion, but some people may find the raised portion at the back a bit inconvenient if the like sitting back, with arms and legs outstretched.A point I share from experience.
Ride and Handling
The aviator offers the best ride quality and riding dynamics I’ve so far experienced on a scooter. The ride is on the firmer side, aiding handling, yet is compliant enough to handle bad roads with relative ease. The scooter overall feels a lot more stable than it’s counterparts, one of the reasons I went for it. While taking a turn, you can change the radius(for want of a better word) at any time, without feeling as if you’re about to fall off.
High speed stability is also commendable, and even at over 85kmph, the scooter feels rock solid holding it’s line with ease, although it isn’t completely immune to crosswinds, but it’s nothing to worry about.
In the city too, it’s simple to handle, and squeezes through traffic with ease. A lot of the handling abilities can be attributed to the telescopic front suspension. Braking too is impressive, and once you get used to the extra strength of the front disc, braking becomes easy and confident. However, on my particular scooter atleast, the rear brakes (drum type) feel inadequate. Overall, the riding feel of the aviator is good, and is thoroughly enjoyable.
Performance (Pick-up)
The pickup of my scooter of late is pretty disappointing. When you aggressively apply the throttle, the scooter kind of hiccups before responding, which can get slightly annoying in some instances. I’m yet to follow it through with the service center, so this issue may yet be resolved...
But in any case, performance in the city is a relative affair, and for the city, what performance you do get is more than sufficient to overtake almost all other vehicles on the road, except for some cars, and some of the better motorcycles available today.
Fuel economy
This is one of the very few negative points of this vehicle.
Right now, I’m getting around 30-35kmpl, which is a tad disappointing.
However, I’m pretty aggressive with the throttle, so that’s probably why my fuel economy is this low.
This, as well as the performance issue I mentioned earlier are the main problems I’ve been having, and a friend of mine who also has an aviator tell me he’s been experiencing the same issues too.
Overall Impression
After two years, I’m still happy with my decision of going with the aviator.
It definitely shows the legendary honda reliability, and has never, ever broken down. Not even once.
Whatever abuse or neglect is thrown at it, it still keeps on going.
i didn’t mention it earlier, but the underseat storage space is quite good, and can hold an average helmet, but it definitely won’t hold a large one.
Sure, it has some issues, but no vehicle is perfect, and if you can handle the minor problems this one gives, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t buy it.