125 cc Comparison / 100 cc Comparison . Review on Tips on a Dream Bike

Reader Warning: Lengthy Review . Continued in Comments .

For 100 cc Comparison please refer to https://mouthshut.com/review/General_Advice_on_Bikes-115122-1.html

I recently purchased a bike in this segment and my purchase decision was spanned over a long time and made after a lot of thought. After having given the first review of the bike on Mouthshut I thought it best to guide people trying to make a purchase decision in this intensely competitive segment .

The 125cc segment is a bridge between mileage and performance where you get the best of both the worlds along with better looks. This segment also faces immense competition from the 110-115 cc bikes which give riders a similar experience at a lower price. But this lower segment is created by manufactureres only to increase sales and tempt buyers with prducts in all price range. A Discover 112 cc for example is the same bike as 125cc without DTSi and a marginally smaller engine power. Ditto goes for the TVS Victor 110 which is actuallythe base for Victor 125. The Suzuki Heat though having much the same engine(125cc) as Zeus is quite a segment under performer and is actually targetted(price wise) for the 110-115 cc segment where it can give fairly impressive numbers due to its engine capacity advantage. The 110-115 cc segment is not a good purchase decision segment until a person is on a tight budget and doesn't really want a 100 cc bike.

I will not be revelaing the ranking and making it available only at the end of the review .

First up we have the Hero Honda(HH) bikes and this is one brand I hate as they dont do anything innovative until forced by competition like CBZ(to face TVS Suzuki Fiero) and Glamour FI(dipping sales of Glamour and Super Splandor) and then demand a premium price without actually giving so much extra. Well a major ranking factor for me is Value for Money(VfM) . VfM not in ReSale(which HH offers best and in Loads) but in experince and satisfaction because if you are not happy with the bike then its not VfM. Well Super Splendor does not have anything special in it and we can say that though maintainence free and a bare bone bike its something good in the segment. It gives good mileage(as per reviews)but its not a machine which you can feel or have a connection with. And so for a person like me who thinks a bit with the heart this is a serious No-No. But it is definitely better in VfM than its more handsome brother Glamour which has the same heart but is priced a lot more with some extras. Well believe me you are much better off buying Super Splendor than Glamour because in some regards the Super Splendor does look  er . more sober than the freakish Glamour whose design can be labelled odd at angles. The Glamour FI is not VfM at all even when it gives better mileage and engine performance because its price tag is really high. It would get a higher rank than its brothers only for being a novelty and the first production bike in the country to have a revolutionary technology.

TVS Victor has been around for some time now without much changes but I would rate it more VfM in pricing, comfort, feel and experience than the HH bikes. It also has a descent resale value but is said to vibrate at higher speeds unexpectedly.

Suzuki Zeus is quite a good bike and has quite a few features which none of the bikes in the segment have like a Tachometre and a Gear Indicator. But the bike also has few glaring ommissions like a non adjustability in the rear suspension. But the overall build qulaity and good city drivability makes this bike a descent performer. It misses out on the looks and has a retro mod feel about it.

The Honda Shine though being exceptional in mileage(a colleague says it gives hime 75KMPL in city though I would not trust that figure) is not a very comfortable bike and not something you can feel good on. It is however a top notch Honda product and in keeping with the brand reputation has teriffic build quality and specs. Its only let down is that it is good only for city driving and the suspension is on the harder side. The bike cant be driven beyond 70KM/Hr and starts to give hard vibrations which wont make your experience at a cruise of 85 KM/Hr pleasurable in any way. It does look quite good and sharp contraty to popular belief and has a street smart look once you remove the odd jargon stickers attached by Honda. Honda really needs a pattern desing expert for their stickers because they even managed to screw up the looks of the Unicorn with that. I think they have a mind set that Indians like bright and streaking patterns. Well we do, but not when it makes you look completely dumb. I would say Honda Shine is the best for you if only want a replacement for public transportation in city as it has a good pick up and good low speed drivability in top gear. It is better than HH as it offers better technology at lower price. Forget about having any feel or experience and please dont expect anybody to sit up and notice you on the road with the Shine because the bike looks small and 100 cc like. The clear glass indicators and the beautiful tail and head lamps do give the bike a fresh sharp back and full frontal view. People may also notice you because of the odd out of color bright stickers though and you can thank Honda for that. The Shine is the best over all point to point commuter, nothing more nothing less.

Bajaj Discover is a well rounded package and with Alloy whells and a neat stickering job(Kudos to Bajaj whose designers should hold a class for "INDIAN HONDA DESIGNERS"). The bike has descent mileage and good support and parts availability as the brand is very popular in India. It also is comfortable and gives a pleasurable ride experience except for the notchy and twitchy gear box which is a glaring annoyance in the ride quality leading to lot of false neutrals. Bajaj is also doubtful of consistency and all products are not up to exactly the same mark. In short hand Bajaj Discovers in a show room are like five fingers of the hand rather than new straws in a sealed packet which are different only in colour. So even though you may be a good driver your bike may not give you that good an experience if you end up getting a lower quality build which you or for that matter nobody can find out until you buy it. Though very well styled almost like a 150 cc, the bike has become very common like most other Bajajs and does not quite stand out on the road.

Continued in the comments section .