[an edit has happened - see at bottom]
i bought this vehicle around 3 weeks ago, and have done around 895 kms till date - yes, a lot of traveling for a new bike.
(breaking tradition, a friend of mine and me took this vehicle long distance from bangalore to mysore - a distance of around 350kms roundtrip over crazy lost roads - maintaining the pre-first-service speed limits of 50, with occasional ripping till 65).
my rating in one word - superb. my rating in four words - superb, can be improved.
let’s analyze the rating:
01. looks - not the best(est) in its class, but something definitely worth more than a second glance. finish quality is pathetic - kinetic needs to tone up this department. while the honda activa has a ’bumper’ below an angled rear lamp assembly, the nova has no bumper below an almost vertical one. looks like more than one basic designer worked on this model. most of the plastic parts - footrests, handlebar trim - separated out even within this short period.
02. lights - wow! and wow! again. the most powerful headlamps i’ve ever seen in any indian scooter (and i’ve seen them all). very focused, very bright, very wide. convenient controls even for riders with small hands. indicators are not very well designed, though. tail- and brake-lamps are again pretty good, almost as good as the headlamps.
03. chassis and superstructure frame - feels good and solid. the vehicle runs true, and there is no nagging slide or sway, even at high-speed turns (with about 190kgs on the seat). well manufactured superstructure.
04. noise - the only irritant is the seat lock that keeps banging itself on any little rough road. no other noise. I did not believe that this silent powerhouse throws out 7.2 bhp at 3500 rpm. very well muffled, just a hint of a four-stroker roar. horn is a little weak for such a powerful vehicle, but adequate enough for city traffic.
05. power - 0-20 in god knows how many milliseconds. you can’t feel the acceleration take you to 20, but when you start riding, a little pressure on the accelerator and I didn’t believe the speed. above 20, even more responsive. i’ve touched a topspeed of around 75 and the vehicle does not scream. silent, muted, and obviously powerful.
06. suspension and ground clearance - smooth. probably a little too soft for offroader use. the day I bought the bike (within about 5 kms), I attempted testing its bend angle, and was disappointed. a little too much to the left, and your side stand scrapes the road, ditto for the right, only this time it’s the main stand. I do not believe that ground clearance is better than the average kinetic honda (yes, I had a KH and sold it before buying the Nova). most speedbreakers leave a scrape on the underside.
07. ride handling, steering - the best yet. absolutely smooth and comfortable. the design may not be ergonomic to all users (it isn’t to me, and i’m only 5’10.5’’ tall). the handle has a habit of slapping your thigh with the least bit of turning effort, but it’s apparently manageable. may result in a loss of control if you’ve not practiced riding the bike.
08. engine and transmission - now, this is one thing about the bike that I just love. smooth, powerful. these guys have taken variomatic transmission to new levels of smoothness (yes, I did have problems for the first 100 kms of jerky transmission, no issues after that). it shifts gear (or so I guess) at around 25, compared to the kinetic honda’s 20.
09. economy - as I write, the first service has not happened yet. mileage is around 52kms to the liter (primarily due to very careful and tuned driving) and I expect this to go up to a probable 56-58 later. honestly, I don’t care even if it drops to 45 or even 40 - the basic vehicle more than compensates for all that.
10. innovations - the superb handle grips, slightly oval and an excellent grip.
11. problems - ah, there lies the rub. 01, idling is something that’s got a third-world life of its own - unpredictable, though I suspect it’ll be ironed out after a good service. 02, noise from the seat lock, and i’m not too sure what kinetic can do about this. 03, badly focused mirrors - can never get them to work for me and have given up. 04, poor pillion footrests - or maybe we’re all used to plugging our feet onto a peg that juts out of the vehicle - whatever, this doesn’t work for me, my wife, my brother, my friend, my dad - anybody good I know.
that’s it then - one hell of a bike. definitely drivable. I would recommend it to all readers.
<EDIT START>
thanks to mskmsk100!
some points i’d missed out are the technical specifications. here they go:
displacement: 113.5 cc vs. 102.5 (honda activa, dio) and 92.5 (i think - bajaj sapphire).
bhp: 7.2 vs. 7 (honda activa, dio) and 6-odd (bajaj sapphire).
topspeed: 80 vs. 70 (activa, dio) and 60 (sapphire).
there are also some numbers on a couple of auto sites I checked out before the purchase, that talk of speedometer correctness (actual distance traveled vs. distance displayed). even in this measure, the nova is better by - if I remember right - about 2 or 3%. its speedo is more accurate than the honda breed.
by the way, the honda activa and dio come with the same engine - the body alone is different.
<EDIT END>