Wake up to a dream. Review on Honda CB Twister

Hi friends, Being tempted by brochures & advertisements( as usual) I finally decided to pour my hard earned money to M/s Honda Two wheelers India. I also own an Aviator scooter with discs and was comfortable with Honda quality & reliability. I first bought a R15 when it was launched in India and went on a ride to ooty and came back very tired & weary. Principally so because I still am pretending to be as young and agile as though I was during my college days when I used to ride japanese bikes like RTZ, RX etc. Gone are those wonderful days and am currently nearing 40 years now. R15's riding posture did not suit me well and left me with a terrific back ache. I sold it for about 20K less than what I bought.

I was looking for a bike again to kindle that youth within me as I was beginning to get bored with my Aviator. My options were Honda, Suzuki, Bajaj, Yamaha & TVS. I ruled out the two Indians in my list straight away sighting quality issues. I was not convinced by Suzuki's inconsistent sales of Slingshot plus & had my own doubts about spares, service, aftersales & resale. Though the test ride bike felt very good & the bike is excellent Value for Money. I was hesitant about the Yamaha SZ-R because it felt very bulky. So I was compelled to buy the Honda CB twister with disc brake at front. The bike is surely overpriced but that is offset by the contemporary looks, styling & the brand itself. The fuel economy is no where close to what the company claims( 70 kpl), instead it returns somewhere around 45 plus in average city conditions. One important feature missed out is the Engine Kill switch! Cant imagine why Honda did not equip this bike with one! The engine is super smooth, trouble free & very reliable. The power output is very linear & the bike is extremely comfortable to ride in city limits. On highways it surely could have had a 5th gear as the engine is very torquey even in the 4th gear. Riding posture is good, quality is good too & the skinny tubeless tyres offer a very good grip contrary to their looks. Braking and in-line stability is fantastic. The only thing that sucks is the Gearbox & the 1 down three up pattern which leaves me fuming. Add to it is the stupid gear lever without the heel operation. The gear shifts remind me of my friends Yezdi Roadking! It sucks. Shifting from 1st to 2nd requires a Mike Tyson effort and from there on you are not sure in the gear that you are on. At times the bike is stuck in between two gears and produces a cranky noise. Luckily I tried fitting a Honda Unicorn gear lever with heel & toe operation and it actually fits! The gear shift is somewhat better now. Am too tired to type anymore & am going in for a nap AND AM NOT GOING TO WAKE UP TO A DREAM anymore.