Scoot free. Review on Honda Dio

The two wheeler segment in india has taken off with a huge bang with scooters,mopeds and motorcycles.out of which the motorcycle and the scooter areas would have the larger sales.in the scooter segment it would be the gearless scooters which are more popular.with increasing traffic conditions,changing gears has become a real problem and a irritation among the commuters.gearless scooters from kinetic ,tvs and honda are the new rage these days,especially among the college students.Honda made a splash in india with its introduction off the Honda Activa.a four stroke scooter which was not only zippy but cheaper to buy than compared to its two stroke counterparts from kinetic.soon four stroke engines were more in demand due to its fuel efficiency and environment friendly engines.the four strokes were the new buzz and there were buzzing around on the road pretty soon.but the Activa lacked one feature,the looks which would make heads turn.it looked more like a scaled down two wheeled version of the autorickshaw.

sometime later there were rumors floating around about a new scooter from Honda.a friend got the name too,Honda Dio but at that time he didnt know it was a scooter.he went around telling people that Honda was coming out with a deodrant.it wasnt hard to believe at first since ferrari came out with a cologne.but later the ads were all over the papers about the Dio.the scooter was more of a hit with the younger generation due to its unconventional looks,which strayed away from the traditional design of a gearless scooter.but there were a few disappointments when I first got a chance to ride it sometime back.

Its Heart-

the capacity of the engine is the same as that of the activa.since it was a new scooter I thought they would come out with a bigger engine.at 102 cc I thought that these companies were scaling down the size of the engines and upping the prices.but it really doesnt make a difference because it is zippy enough for our roads and the 7.0 bhp and 7000 rpm is good enough to scoot you through those gaps to get ahead.as it is a four stroke scooter the fuel efficiency of the dio is about 40 to 50 kilometers per litre.but I guess to get the best mileage depends on the way you ride it.that is basically riding it at 40 kilometers per hour or below.

the factor that did let me down was the pick up of the dio.compared to the kinetic zoom that I own I definitely say that once you turn that throttle it feels like those slow learning kids in school.there is a slight delay between turning the accelerator and the scooter moving ahead.that factor is also present in the kinetic zoom is not as significant as in the dio.

The Ride-

the ride on the dio is a big plus point compared to the two stroke zoom.the is large reduction in noise levels and plus the vibrations are to a bare minimum,giving you that feeling of comfort when you sit on it.but there are always downsides to things these days.the seating is what left me feeling uncomfortable.it feels like the dio was built for small built or medium height people.the seat slopes from the back of the scooter causing you to slip down when you brake and sometimes when you ride.i wasnt comfortable with the leg space in front as that too sloped downwards in a funny angle causing the handle bars to be wedged into my knees ever time I had take a sharp turn.being used to taking those sharp turns without having to put my legs down made me feel a little funny once I had to.i looked like one of those people who has just started learning to ride.sometimes pillion riders have complained about the uncomfortable seating at the back as the foot rests are too tiny to put your feet on.

the scooter is also very sturdy as compared to the flimsy designs of the kinetic,giving you that feeling of safety while you ride.but otherwise leaving out those factors riding down a straight road was very pleasent.no irritating vibrations that could probably re-align your bone structure and no loud noise from it to.i just wish that it was designed for people who are tall too.leaving out the cribbing of the seating position and the space,the scooter is a good buy.

Looks-

this is where the dio appeals to me the most.the design is very different from those traditional round edged designs.this scooter has some sharp features.the headlight in front has been shifted to a fixed position onto the main body than have it attached to the whole handle bar set.some rumors say that the design of the head light has been taken from a superbike.whatever it might be it looks very good and the shape of it blends in well with the shape of the front panel of the scooter.the scooter also has that nice look from the side where it tapers right to the end.the lights at the back are also very well designed into the curves of the scooter.

the instrumentation is basic with your standard speedometer,turning light,bright head light indicator and a fuel meter.the mirrors also have a nice design but according to me there isnt much field of view as it is restricted to giving you sight just over the rear end of the scooter.at times it is difficult to see if anyone is overtaking or not.

Overall-

according to my judgement the scooter has done fairly well leaving out the problem of seating.the mileage is fair enough,the looks are nice enough and the ride is good enough.if a few alterations could be done so as to fit a taller person I guess the scooter would be flawless in its segment.but otherwise the main question arises ,would I buy this scooter?.well first of all its mean to get me from one place to another.it will-

a)get me there quickly since its is pretty quick,

b)get me there in style with is good looks,

c) get me there without burning a up my pocket for its good fuel efficiency,

d)get me there safely due its sturdy construction ,

e)get me there with my bones in shape due to its minimal vibrations,

f) get me there in a good mood due to its smooth ride.

so you can pretty much guess the answer from the reasons above.well it looks like Honda is here to stay with a line of some good products.