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Honda Activa i vs Yamaha Ray-Z vs TVS Wego

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We compare the new Honda Activa i with its competitors in the 110-cc scooter segment

The Honda Activa i is an Activa with a plastic body. What’s the point? You may ask, since the Activa’s built-to-last feel comes from its metal body. It does indeed, but it also contributes to the higher pricing of the Activa vis-a-vis its plastic-body alternatives in the 110-cc scooter segment. There are buyers who actually prefer the plastic body due to light weight and cheaper body panels.

Of course, Honda have the 110-cc Dio and Aviator scooters with plastic bodies. However, the Dio’s sporty design holds a lesser appeal for mature buyers looking for a utilitarian scooter, while the Aviator is a big scooter with muscular curves and costs more than the Activa. That’s where the Activa i comes in.

The Honda Activa i is leaner, lighter and faster than the Activa and also the least expensive scooter in Honda’s scooter line-up. But the TVS Wego and the recently launched Yamaha Ray Z aren’t going to make its life easy. Therefore, we compared the three scooters to put things in perspective.

The Activa i has a neutral styling with hints of the Aviator’s design and comes in four colours. The Wego has a wider palette of six colours and its design is angular at the front, but gets meatier at the rear. It looks fresh in spite of being the oldest one here while the Ray Z looks sharp and sporty. The Ray Z, unlike its sibling (the Ray), is aimed at male riders and has three dual tone colour schemes and sporty decals with carbon finish on a few surfaces. There is a small plastic screen over its head and it has an all-black theme for the wheels, engine and exhaust. It looks more aggressive than the other two scooters and also has a slightly better finish overall.

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In terms of features, the Wego is the strongest. It has a robust all-metal body, telescopic front forks, five twin-spoke alloy wheels, a 220-mm optional disc brake on the front wheel and LEDs in the tail-light cluster. Furthermore, TVS have smartly placed the fuel filler cap on its tail, so the rider can fill the scooter up without having to dismount. It has the broadest seat with a very soft cushioning and a foldable side-step for the pillion rider on its left side. We also found that the Wego can be kick-started without putting it on the centre-stand unlike the other two.

The Wego is followed by the Activa i, which has combi-brakes (front and rear brake are applied simultaneously via the rear brake lever) and tubeless tyres. It also has the best under-seat storage capacity and a brake locking mechanism for the rear brake lever.

The Ray Z’s feature list includes telescopic front forks, carburettor with throttle position sensor for better air-fuel mixture, best looking information panel and a couple of pockets below the handlebar to store small items.

New TVS Jupiter

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Utilitarian scooters like the Honda Activa and Suzuki Access have the highest market share in the segment in spite of the availability of many fancy options. They are less sensitive to age, gender and size of the rider due the unisex styling and roomy proportions. The Jupiter marks TVS’ entry into this sub-segment and, going by the above incident, looks like they have got the recipe right. Let’s dig in.
[Read more…] about New TVS Jupiter

LML – Freedom Resurrected

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LML resurrect the Freedom with the hope of offering commuters a greater choice. Has it everything it needs to take on the big boys?

The dawn brings with it many sights and sounds for those who are truly awake. Many laze around with their senses still in the snooze mode, while some others are up and about before the word ‘Go’. As with people, companies too wake up sometimes and need to go grab a bite from a freshly baked pie they had the pleasure of sampling before. While there are those who get a significant slice, others have to contend with what’s left. And no one wants that now, do they?

For those who remember, there was a company by the name of Lohia Machinery Limited, which had in its portfolio a selection of scooters that gave it much success. This company then decided to go ahead and introduce motorcycles from a brand named Daelim of South Korea, which actually went on to do not too badly for itself. These bikes were, of course, the LML Adreno and the Energy. Identical in specifications, the only distinguishing feature was the half-fairing which was offered on the Adreno. The company also brought in a number of firsts: a three-valve, 8.5-PS, 100-cc engine, an electric starter and eye-catching styling. These models were replaced with an even more competitive FX range, which brought in a 9.0-PS, 110-cc engine and dual-tone body colours. The company followed those up with a much-loved commuter, called the Freedom, in 2002, which spawned several avatars, including a 125-cc Freedom Prima, which featured LED running lights on the front crash-bar and also, later, the CRD100. There were two more performance-oriented motorcycles: the 150-cc Graptor and Beamer; the former being a re-creation of the Cagiva Raptor. All of those, however, bit the dust when the company wound up a few years later in 2006.

Fast forward to 2013 and LML is back into motorcycles with the Freedom. The re-born brand is looking forward to positioning their new motorcycle competitively in a demanding market. We rode the new bike and here’s what it was like.

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Look at the new Freedom and immediately you recognise the familiar shape and lines. From the sleek tank to the chunky rear flanks, the Freedom has not been spending much time in the design department. However, the styling department seems to have been working overtime as the new dual-tone paint scheme is something very different from the commuter motorcycles around. However, unlike some manufacturers who go overboard with sticker jobs, the Freedom simply features its colour scheme as its major distinctive factor. There are other additions as well. The 18-inch alloy wheels in matte black finish with a twin-five-spoke design are attractive and, for convenience, you also get an electric starter as well as a unique feature, which was also part of the old bike: a side-stand with a gear-lever lock. There’s also a substantial grab-rail and a matte-black exhaust with chrome garnish. The meter console gives you the readouts you want to see and also features an extra tell-tale light from the usual crop – a green low-beam light. We hope that it encourages those who wish to gain pleasure from seeing more console lights to use the dipped beam instead of the rather agonising high beam, which sports de rigueur blue tell-tale.