On the 3rd of April 2013 all my dreams of becoming a kick-ass sports bike rider were shattered. At the end of that day I ended up squishing lemons with a Suzuki Access. Anyway it has been 2 years since I bought this bike and this is a review of my bike after 12000 kilometres.
Before getting into the pros and cons here's an overview of how I use this bike. I travel 13 kilometres everyday which might be lesser than an average motorist. Most of those 13 kilometres are through horrible Bangalore traffic. Obviously no road trips apart from the occasional ride to the outskirts of the garden city.
The bike is completely stock. I was asked to replace the air filter after one year of purchase.
Pros
- The build quality of the bike is quite good. So far I haven't faced any problems with the fit and finish of the parts, I mean no loose screw noises.
- The plastics used are good and haven't faded at all. The body panels around the speedometer still look as good as new. The surface of the black plastics seem to have a scratch proof texture.
- All the electronic switches work fine and so far I didn't face a problem with them. They are rugged enough to withstand the wrath of any owner.
- The foot rest for the rider is flat. Transporting cake is a breeze.
- There acres of space for customising the bike with stickers because the body panels are plain and almost flat compared to the Dio. If you are a spy, this would be a perfect bike to have because it doesn't draw attention. Let me put it this way- your crush isn't going to be impressed when she sees you rolling up on an Access. But girls might like the simple design if it was their own. Generally speaking it is a decent looking scooter for any age group.
- The side mirrors are wide and can be adjusted easily. The handle grips are comfortable enough for palms of all sizes.
- The power delivery of the 125cc ( 124 to be exact ) is very linear thanks to its CVT transmission. The 8.5hp, 9.8Nm torque developed, helps to catapult the bike from a standstill. 60kmph comes up quickly and the engine is smooth at all speeds. Although it takes time to reach the three digit speeds, it can touch the 100kmph mark without a problem if you are skinny like me.
- The engine has never stalled in the last two years and has been quite reliable.
- The self-start never disappoints. Most of the time I can start the bike with the first kick using the kick start, even after a couple of days of inactivity.
- The seat can be unlocked at the same ignition keyhole which is very convenient.
- It has a 6 litre fuel tank and 1 litre as reserve. I have never been out of petrol.
- The seat is wide and comfy if you have a bit of flesh on your rear end. But in my case the seat has started to conform to the shape of its owners butt! like memory foam.
- The pillions' seating position is very comfortable. The fold-able foot pegs make it easy for the pillion to keep their feet in a chair-like position.
Cons
- The major problem I face is fuel economy. No matter how I ride, I never get more than 40kmpl. Even though my journey everyday is through bumper to bumper traffic, some higher capacity bikes give more mileage than my bike.
- On and off throttle transitions are a bit jerky and are annoying in traffic.
- The engine revs up a lot during 0-20kmph, which affects the mileage.
- The brakes on both the front and rear tires are drum type, which are useless in the rainy and winter seasons. If the nights are cold, the next morning for the initial 2 kilometres the rear break makes a squeaking noise.
- The tyres I got are square profiled which tend to slip when turning with a bit of an angle. I would rather have the MRF zapper tyres which all the Honda scooters come with.
- The ride is quite stiff and you can feel almost every bump on the road.
- The metal crash guard has started to rust in some places despite regular cleaning.
- The bag hook is under the seat which is kind of useless for big bags.
- Even without the storage box there is not enough space to fit a gas cylinder.
- If street lights are not there then you better have nightvision because the headlight is not good. But I guess you cant expect a lot from a scooter.
Verdict
The features that this bike has got going for itself are reliability and engine performance. The materials used are of good quality and look like they can take a lot of abuse. My verdict is that it is a very reliable scooter and the 2015 version is a good buy.
RIDE SAFE
Note- the problems I have listed could be different for other owners.
On the 3rd of April 2013 all my dreams of becoming a kick-ass sports bike rider were shattered. At the end of that day I ended up squishing lemons with a Suzuki Access. Anyway it has been 2 years since I bought this bike and this is a review of my bike after 12000 kilometres.
Before getting into the pros and cons here's an overview of how I use this bike. I travel 13 kilometres everyday which might be lesser than an average motorist. Most of those 13 kilometres are through horrible Bangalore traffic. Obviously no road trips apart from the occasional ride to the outskirts of the garden city.
The bike is completely stock. I was asked to replace the air filter after one year of purchase.
Pros
- The build quality of the bike is quite good. So far I haven't faced any problems with the fit and finish of the parts, I mean no loose screw noises.
- The plastics used are good and haven't faded at all. The body panels around the speedometer still look as good as new. The surface of the black plastics seem to have a scratch proof texture.
- All the electronic switches work fine and so far I didn't face a problem with them. They are rugged enough to withstand the wrath of any owner.
- The foot rest for the rider is flat. Transporting cake is a breeze.
- There acres of space for customising the bike with stickers because the body panels are plain and almost flat compared to the Dio. If you are a spy, this would be a perfect bike to have because it doesn't draw attention. Let me put it this way- your crush isn't going to be impressed when she sees you rolling up on an Access. But girls might like the simple design if it was their own. Generally speaking it is a decent looking scooter for any age group.
- The side mirrors are wide and can be adjusted easily. The handle grips are comfortable enough for palms of all sizes.
- The power delivery of the 125cc ( 124 to be exact ) is very linear thanks to its CVT transmission. The 8.5hp, 9.8Nm torque developed, helps to catapult the bike from a standstill. 60kmph comes up quickly and the engine is smooth at all speeds. Although it takes time to reach the three digit speeds, it can touch the 100kmph mark without a problem if you are skinny like me.
- The engine has never stalled in the last two years and has been quite reliable.
- The self-start never disappoints. Most of the time I can start the bike with the first kick using the kick start, even after a couple of days of inactivity.
- The seat can be unlocked at the same ignition keyhole which is very convenient.
- It has a 6 litre fuel tank and 1 litre as reserve. I have never been out of petrol.
- The seat is wide and comfy if you have a bit of flesh on your rear end. But in my case the seat has started to conform to the shape of its owners butt! like memory foam.
- The pillions' seating position is very comfortable. The fold-able foot pegs make it easy for the pillion to keep their feet in a chair-like position.
- The major problem I face is fuel economy. No matter how I ride, I never get more than 40kmpl. Even though my journey everyday is through bumper to bumper traffic, some higher capacity bikes give more mileage than my bike.
- On and off throttle transitions are a bit jerky and are annoying in traffic.
- The engine revs up a lot during 0-20kmph, which affects the mileage.
- The brakes on both the front and rear tires are drum type, which are useless in the rainy and winter seasons. If the nights are cold, the next morning for the initial 2 kilometres the rear break makes a squeaking noise.
- The tyres I got are square profiled which tend to slip when turning with a bit of an angle. I would rather have the MRF zapper tyres which all the Honda scooters come with.
- The ride is quite stiff and you can feel almost every bump on the road.
- The metal crash guard has started to rust in some places despite regular cleaning.
- The bag hook is under the seat which is kind of useless for big bags.
- Even without the storage box there is not enough space to fit a gas cylinder.
- If street lights are not there then you better have nightvision because the headlight is not good. But I guess you cant expect a lot from a scooter.
Verdict
The features that this bike has got going for itself are reliability and engine performance. The materials used are of good quality and look like they can take a lot of abuse. My verdict is that it is a very reliable scooter and the 2015 version is a good buy.
RIDE SAFE
Note- the problems I have listed could be different for other owners.
