I went and checked out the Honda twister today, specifically so as to judge whether it would be a ’buy’ for me, and also to place a review as there has been a great response to my other reviews on mouthshut, to the bike then- styling is great- its all edgy and raw nerved like the new ktms and of course Honda’s much larger cbrs.
Simply sitting on it makes you want to ride the pants off the thing. Too bad its got such a puny engine.
The styling reminds me also of the Yamaha fz in miniature, with the handle done up in black and the over the top front cowl.
The tank/front cowl is double extra large and looks enormous from the front, it will definitely give bigger bikes a very Freudian complex, seating is very comfortable, and would be ideal for city rides, as it allows for maneuvering easily without being unwieldy like the larger pulsars you cant fit a box on it, the bike itself might vomit in disgust if you do so. Coming to the engine, it looks rather like a tree stump and looks disgraceful in contrast to the bike, however, it feels much smoother than the shine’s engine and should be like the unicorn in feel. Engine runs well even at low rpm unlike the shine which vibrates your balls out. Only four gears, so much the better to reduce shifts in the city, classic 1 down 2, 3, 4, up, though the shift returning to neutral from first is sticky.
The sound is glorious to the extent permitted in the new ’green’ era, and the stubby silencer sounds like the apache 160 engine. Very good, in fact i have chased Apaches to kingdom come just to hear the sound! The engine note is very important to a biker - did you know, the Harley Davidson’s sound is so coveted that they have patented the sound to prevent the Japanese rice rockets from imitating it?
Its a bit expensive at rs 48500 for the kick-start /drum model, rs. 51500 for the self/drum model and a whopping 55, 100 for the self/disc brake model. Some models of shine are cheaper and shine would be better for doubles/hill driving so important for our middle class because of its enormous slow speed pulling power.(torque). For another 9000 rs. A new unicorn would be a more ’mature’ choice with a single concealed rear shock and smooth engine. Anyway, you pay your money and make your choice.
All in all, the decision is a "buy", specifically because it is lighter than even the ’light’ pulsar 135! Now, to find the money.