Honda Activa 125: Pros and Cons

[CarLoverJosh]

Hi all, we are contemplating buying Activa 125 not now but somewhere in August. My main reason for upgrading is the bigger engine, better ride quality, disc brake and that nice looking speedometer. Now, I haven't been able to find any ownership reviews online except for 1 or 2 which haven't been updated in a long time so kindly tell me whether it is a good upgrade from a Honda Dio new shape 2012 model. Also I have driven all the scooties now and my best experience has been with the Activa 125. Here are some short one liners to describe the experience with each one of them:-
Honda-
Activa 3g- Nice to drive but still feels the same old one. Also the engine was same. But it did feel more powerful than rest of its 110cc brothers, selected.

Aviator- Nice seating position especially for my height. But old design and lack of newer engine made me reconsider. But still it was selected.

Activa i- To small for me, rejected without riding.

Activa 125- Perfect! The only word which comes to my mind when i try to remember the test drive. The engine was amazing, great power,the brakes were really good too, that speedo left a lasting impression on me. Nice sophisticated looks.

Vespa-

We only drove the S since that was the only one under consideration-

Great engine though didnt feel as punchy as the Activa 125. This was the 150 cc version which had a lot more HP and torque but still failed to impress me. Also it had a very bouncy ride quality but it had one thing which sent it to the finals, looks! This was the primary reason why it went to the finals!


Yamaha-

Fascino- Too small, feminin and basic for me. Rejected

Ray/Ray Z- They were a bit too small for me. Also didn't feel too punchy when I drove them.


Suzuki- Never been a fan of suzuki but since my bro insisted in trying out Access, I agreed.

Access- Old, crude and basic with crap brakes. But the engine was really nice. But one +ve point doesnt overshadow so many negative points hence rejected.



The Finale!- It was an easy decision for me because I thought to myself that which was the scooty which put a grin on my face, I remembered it was blue metallic in colour, had nice alloys and also had a disc brake. When I opened my eyes, one name flashed across my mind- Activa 125.

Hence it's the one. So kindly tell me its negatives and positives.Thanks guys!

 

[Nairrk]

Re: Activa 125, negatives and positives

Why dont you try/test drive the Hero Duet or Hero Maestro Edge and see if you find any positive on this one?

Further, you want to buy a Scooter during August and I hope by that time there will be more new models coming to the market and then you will have more option to select the right scooter

 

[CarLoverJosh]

Re: Activa 125, negatives and positives

Ok guys, here is an addition to my experience, Hero Maestro Edge and TVS Jupiter and Wego

Maestro- Nice scooty, it looks very attractive, has good features, decent engine with good pickup but I felt that the quality was definitely lacking and that with 2 people on, it got bogged down quite badly. Also the refinement levels were nowhere close to those of Honda scooters.

TVS-

Wego- This is one scooty which I have liked a lot since I started riding and getting to know about scootys so I was really looking forward to this. Looks wise the new one in black looks really good but its small. Anyways I started it and the first thing that I really liked was that digital speedometer. As soon as I started riding, the scooty was very easy to ride and felt extremely nimble. The brakes werent too good and when I asked them about it they said that many people have braked really hard in it. Showed a typical characteristic of drum brakes. Anyways I liked it but when my bro showed me a pic of me riding it, it felt as if I was doing that circus stunt in which a bear rides a tricycle. All was good except the brakes and the size.

Jupiter- This scooty has been doing really well and the main reason was the price and the features it packed in for it. The speedo was quite simple and seemed worse then normal because I had just got off the Wego and onto the Jupiter. Started riding and the first thing was that this is perfect in size. Also it was quite light and felt a little bit more nimble than my Dio. But the quality was very low grade and it felt more like a commuter scooter. I liked it especially in red but it didnt pull the strings of my heart. But it is selected for now.

Why dont you try/test drive the Hero Duet or Hero Maestro Edge and see if you find any positive on this one?

Further, you want to buy a Scooter during August and I hope by that time there will be more new models coming to the market and then you will have more option to select the right scooter

What a coincidence sir, i was just riding the Maestro Edge today. I have written the experience above, kindly read. Yes, I expect some new launches but at the Expo, there wasn't anything special except for the Maestro, Duet, New Access, and Navi.

 

[Nairrk]

Re: Activa 125, negatives and positives

What a coincidence sir, i was just riding the Maestro Edge today. I have written the experience above, kindly read. Yes, I expect some new launches but at the Expo, there wasn't anything special except for the Maestro, Duet, New Access, and Navi.

I have been using TVS Wego since last one year and no doubt a good scooter, but am not satisfied with its break especially when I have a pillion on board. Also wish they should have given a ''pass switch'' which is missing, otherwise the scooter is smooth. (The latest model Wego comes with Combo breaking).

I wanted to buy one more scooter and I approached TVS showroom first to see the Jupiter. Ofcourse no doubt Jupiter also run with same engine of Wego and bit of muscular looking style but again the breaking is the problem. Nowadays scooters are equipped with combo breaking (Honda Scooters) or Integrated Breaking system(Hero scooters - Hero duet and Edge) etc..

After some comparing and reading various reviews, I have short-listed Hero Duet, Hero Maestro Edge (for their advanced features etc) and Honda Activa 125. However, Activa 125 is not of my best preference because it lacks some features (which I prefer most) like 'rear break lock, pass switch, external fuel filling' etc. I am still waiting because Hero Maestro Edge is not yet launched here or if any other new brand/,model (I heard Honda likely to launch a 150cc scooter??) coming in the near future....

 

[CarLoverJosh]

As of right now honda will not be launching any 150 cc scooter, also try the maestro edge only, the duet is a waste of time. One more thing, i prefer the fuel cap to be inside since it is hidden and then it gives the scooty a clean look. I have a brake clamp lever on my scooty and trust me you will barely use it though the flash to pass is a use full feature. Trust me, ride the activa and you won't forget the performance easily. Also the brakes on the deluxe version are awesome.

 

[Nairrk]

As of right now honda will not be launching any 150 cc scooter, also try the maestro edge only, the duet is a waste of time. One more thing, i prefer the fuel cap to be inside since it is hidden and then it gives the scooty a clean look. I have a brake clamp lever on my scooty and trust me you will barely use it though the flash to pass is a use full feature. Trust me, ride the activa and you won't forget the performance easily. Also the brakes on the deluxe version are awesome.

Any reason for saying Duet is a waste of time as understood the engine/suspension/ Breaking/ Meter console are almost same in Maestro Edge and Duet. In addition Duet comes with full metal body whereas Maestro comes with some fiber parts like Jupiter.

As far as fuel cap: In Maestro Edge the fuel cap not visible and it is covered with a flap cover. See here:

(fuel cap at the rear, when the flap cover is open)

(fuel cap not visible once the flap cover is closed)​

All the scooters driven by me so far (last 8 years) have external fuel filling (first one was Kinetic sym Flyte which has front fueling feature, then TVS Jive, normal Bike fueling feature and now TVS Wego external/rear fuel filling feature) and I used to the feature which gives me some easy handling of fueling requirements. (I know still there are many using the Suzuki's, Honda's, Yamaha's etc which all have under the seat fuel cap and they dont have any complaint either, but once used for some easy practise then people tend to follow or expect same features again and again )..

 

[CarLoverJosh]

Any reason for saying Duet is a waste of time as understood the engine/suspension/ Breaking/ Meter console are almost same in Maestro Edge and Duet. In addition Duet comes with full metal body whereas Maestro comes with some fiber parts like Jupiter.

As far as fuel cap: In Maestro Edge the fuel cap not visible and it is covered with a flap cover. See here:

image
(fuel cap at the rear, when the flap cover is open)

image
(fuel cap not visible once the flap cover is closed)​

All the scooters driven by me so far (last 8 years) have external fuel filling (first one was Kinetic sym Flyte which has front fueling feature, then TVS Jive, normal Bike fueling feature and now TVS Wego external/rear fuel filling feature) and I used to the feature which gives me some easy handling of fueling requirements. (I know still there are many using the Suzuki's, Honda's, Yamaha's etc which all have under the seat fuel cap and they dont have any complaint either, but once used for some easy practise then people tend to follow or expect same features again and again )..

I actually haven't liked Duet since I saw it for the first time. I didn't mean to write that it is a waste of time for you, I meant for me since I was never interested in it. Oh yes, the fuel cap is concealed very well. But, I personally have no problem at all. Anyways each to his own. Do tell me which scooty you decide on.

 

[Nairrk]

I actually haven't liked Duet since I saw it for the first time. I didn't mean to write that it is a waste of time for you, I meant for me since I was never interested in it. Oh yes, the fuel cap is concealed very well. But, I personally have no problem at all. Anyways each to his own. Do tell me which scooty you decide on.

Thanks - Yes you are correct, each one has their own likes and dislikes..

I am still waiting for the Maestro Edge to be Launched here which, according to an email received from Hero Motors, will be around end February or early march.

Auto expo just over few days back, so wondering any new Scooter will be introduced/launched in the market during this month or next?

As of now, my decision is for Maestro Edge.!!

 

[CarLoverJosh]

You know, if you dont have a budget constraint you should consider the upcoming Liberty s. It is a hoot to look at and will be a pleasure to drive. Also, try out the gespa range.

 

[Nairrk]

You know, if you dont have a budget constraint you should consider the upcoming Liberty s. It is a hoot to look at and will be a pleasure to drive. Also, try out the gespa range.

Piaggio/Vespa scooters - No showroom/service centre in my place. The nearest one is about 40kms away (one way) from my house which is not convenient for me to follow up Service formalities.

In the meantime, I have received another email today morning from Hero motors Kerala region head advising that the Maestro Edge likely to launch in kerala only by end march or 1st week of April 2016 which means I need to wait another 2 months. I think they are trying to sell maximum number of Hero Duet before launching Edge here to avoid competition among their two scooters

 

[Nanofreak]

You know, if you dont have a budget constraint you should consider the upcoming Liberty s. It is a hoot to look at and will be a pleasure to drive. Also, try out the gespa range.

Hi Josh,

Please do provide a link to this Liberty you are talking about?

thanks

 

[Music_Swift]

CLJ bro,please get Vespa S.It will be a proper upgrade from your Dio.Even I'm also considering a scooter,but confused with Vespa S or Dio.The only disadvantage in Dio is dual tone colour which I didn't like it whereas Vespa,service center is about 8-10 Kms away from home and when I pressed brake lever,my fingers pained.Activa and Access are meant for old people whereas Vespa and Dio are meant for people like us.I drove Dio and got impressed with it.Im not much impressed with Access due to its sloppy brakes and suspension.We own one at home and used by my grandfather,whose age is almost 75 and it's a 2012 one,which has run just 10000 Kms.