Honda Aviator - review

Honda is looking beyond the Activa. And that’s where the Aviator comes in - to fit in as the perfect replacement for the company’s best seller. But, Honda isn’t saying that as yet, not with the Activa still garnering tremendous sales, of course!

The Aviator meanwhile is a stark departure from the Activa in the way she looks. She is a lot more contemporary, and though it takes time for the styling to grow on you, it is anything but dreadful. In fact, the lines are pretty soft and pleasing. But for a scooter that’s targeted at men (according to Honda’s presentations), the Aviator could have done will a little more muscle and oomph.
Honda has nonetheless increased the seat height (by 30mm) and changed the seat’s contours to suit the average man. She also boasts of huge underseat storage (22 litres) that can comfortably hold a large full face helmet.

Changes have been made to the 100cc engine as well compared to the Activa. Even though the power and torque figures have not changed, the Aviator still manages to return a peppier feel. That’s down to a weight loss of almost 8kg courtesy good use of plastic and metal for the scooter’s body. An example is the construction of the front apron - the sides of it which are subjected to suffer most under a fall are of metal, while the central part is made of plastic.
The change in the power and torque curves has helped too, to add that extra zing to the Aviator’s performance. The scooter is quicker than the Activa to 60kmph, and offers better driveability too.

The most significant difference though is in cycle parts. The tubular underbone chassis again is similar to the one on the Activa but has been subjected to minor changes. There’s nothing minor about the change in the suspension of the Aviator compared to the Activa though. The former now uses telescopic forks upfront instead of the basic leading link suspension. The end result is better stability over bumps, and around corners, but most importantly, the ride quality has improved drastically. Straight line stability has improved as well but not without the helping hand of the increased wheelbase (up by 20mm over the Activa).
Honda is also offering a front disc as optional on the scooter; a must buy feature really, cause for the feel, progression and bite a disc offers, drum just feels too rudimentary.

Aviator is a good option for short commutes then. She generally never feels out of place unless you hit a long open stretch of road. And in the everyday hustle bustle of traffic, pot holed laid roads and mandatory helmet rules; the Aviator offers just the solutions one would need. She is a little expensive of course for the disc version retailing at Rs 45,500 on the road (OTR) in Delhi, but given the proven engine, good build quality and the resale Hondas command, it certainly seems worth it.

Specs

Engine
Engine capacity: 102cc
Max power: 7bhp
Max torque: 7.8Nm

Chassis
Frame: Tubular underbone
Suspension F: Telescopic forks
Suspension R: Monoshock
Tyre F: 90/90-12”
Tyre R: 3.50-10”
Brakes F&R: 190mm disc

& 130mm drum
Fuel tank: 6 litres

Cost
Price: Rs 45,500 OTR, Delhi