honda – Mileage Reviews

Yamaha Ray Z Vs Honda Activa

With the launch of the Ray Z, Yamaha has created a variant of the Ray 110cc scooter targeted at men. This scooter is extremely similar to the original Ray and comes with more ‘masculine’ features that includes new exterior shades. One of the biggest competitors to Yamaha in this segment is the evergreen Activa from Honda. This is a scooter that has been in the market since 2000 and has seen consistent new upgrades and improvements made over time. In this article, we will review the features and mileage of the Yamaha Ray Z and the Honda Activa to see which has a better deal. Read on.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Both the scooters we are studying today fall in the 110cc segment. The Honda Activa has a 109cc single cylinder 4-stroke engine that is capable of delivering close to 8.1 PS power and a torque of close to 9 Nm. In comparison, the Ray Z comes with a larger 113 cc single cylinder engine that delivers a power of just about 7.1 PS at 7500 RPM and a torque that is close to 8.1 Nm. So as you can see, there is a very visible difference in the power that these two scooters can generate. The price of the Ray Z too is slightly on the higher side – the ex-showroom price at Delhi is around Rs. 49105 whereas the corresponding price of the Activa is Rs. 47254.

Spec	Ray Z	Activa
Displacement	113cc	109cc
Max Power	7.1 PS	8.1 PS
Max Torque	8.1 Nm	9 Nm
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 49105	Rs. 47254

Mileage Comparison

With the launch of the new Activa, Honda claims that they can deliver 15% more mileage as compared to what the Activa traditionally delivered. In absolute terms, this means a figure of around 66.7 kmpl. Do note that this is under standard testing conditions where the roads are all hunky dory unlike the real world road and traffic that you as the customer would be riding on. The Ray Z doesn’t seem like a great deal even from the perspective of the company’s mileage claim. According to Yamaha, the Ray Z should deliver around 53 kmpl under similar test conditions.

What about the fuel efficiency in the real world? Let us start with the reviews on MouthShut; the user reviews website. There has been no new review since the last time I checked. According to the one customer who has reviewed the bike, the Ray Z should be delivering around 41-42 kmpl mileage. Do note that this report was made just after 300 kilometers of ride before the first servicing. So there must have been a visible improvement after this. In comparison to Ray Z, there are more than 350 reviews of the Activa – admittedly most of them are of the earlier models. But checking for the reviews from recent buyers, the generally reported figure lies in the range 45-55 kmpl. This is slightly better than Ray Z but not good enough.

Let us next look at MaxAbout. On the Ray Z review page, the website notes that the bike does look appealing to the male audience with their “sharp and aggressive” body lines. On city roads, the reviewer was able to see just about 40 kmpl whereas on the highways, the FE shot up to around 62 kmpl. However, Activa despite a better claim on fuel consumption fares no better according to the MaxAbout review. The website reports a city mileage of 40 kmpl again on the Activa. The difference is stark on the highways where the reviewer says he was only able to see around 45 kmpl.

The Yamaha Ray Z has also been reviewed by a couple of other websites like the BikeWale and IamaBiker. Both the websites report a number close to 43 kmpl on city roads. This is not very different to the reports from other sources. In comparison, the reports on Activa are pretty varied (and mostly better). Reviews on websites like BikeSpace, MyIndiaGuide, IndiaMart and BharathAutos are all mostly positive and they all report a city mileage of over 50+ kmpl on Activa. ZigWheels in their review though report a lower, yet respectable figure of 46.8 kmpl on the new Activa.

There are a few outlying reports though. An example is the report on the IndiaGarage forums where the reported mileage is only about 35 kmpl. Most other reviews conform to the range defined by sellers on Olx where the reported FE is between 40-50 kmpl.

The comparison between the two scooters is tabulated below.

Source	Ray Z	Activa
Official	53	66.7
BharathAutos	–	53.5
BikeSpace	–	54
BikeWale	43	—
IamaBiker	43	—
IndiaGarage	–	35
IndiaMart	–	55
MaxAbout	40	40
MouthShut	41-42	45-55
MyIndiaGuide	–	52.2
Olx	–	40-50
ZigWheels	–	46.8

The verdict is clear. The Ray Z performs only as good, if not worse than the Activa on all common points of reference. From sources that do not have reviews of both the scooters, the Activa seems to perform better. Also, given the fact that Activa has a marked higher power compared to the Ray Z, I would pick the scooter from Honda over the one from Yamaha in this comparison.

Yamaha SZ-R Vs. Honda CB Shine

Yamaha SZ-R and the Honda CB Shine are bikes in two entirely different engine ranges. However, I decided to put this comparison up here because I noticed a lot of people looking for this specific comparison. The Yamaha SZ-R is just slightly different from the Yamaha SZX – except for a few changes in the way the bikes look and the accessories made available, both bikes come with a 153cc four stroke air-cooled engine, a power of around 12.1 PS at 7500 RPM and a max torque of 12.8 Nm at 4500 RPM. In comparison to these specs, the Honda CB Shine comes with a 124.7cc engine that delivers 10.3 PS power and a torque of 10.54 Nm.

Specs	Yamaha SZ-R	Honda Shine
Engine displacement	153cc	124.7cc
Max Power	12.1 PS	10.3 PS
Max Torque	12.8 Nm	10.54 Nm
Price (Ex-Delhi)	Rs. 57500	Rs. 54782

Mileage Comparison

The manufacturer claim on mileage is always to be taken on an optimistic note. That’s evident because these claims are tested under “standard test road conditions” which are very different from the regular city roads and traffic we actually ride the bike on. According to Yamaha, the SZ-R is capable of delivering 62.4 kmpl FE. In comparison, the Honda CB Shine with a lower engine displacement is claimed to deliver 65 kmpl. It doesn’t seem like a big difference considering that the power offered by the Shine is noticeably different from SZ-R.

To see what the bikes actually deliver on city roads, let us look at the various test-ride and customer feedback reports. On the IndiaGarage forum, the SZ-R customers report a decent fuel consumption of between 43-55 kmpl. In comparison, the Shine customers on the same forum report 50-55 kmpl on city roads and 58-62 kmpl on highways. So as we can see, the city road performance of both the bikes is not very different.

Let us take a look at the MaxAbout reviews. The website claims that the SZ-R has a pretty good performance on city roads. They claim a figure of between 55-60 kmpl on the Yamaha bike. The report on CB Shine is not too different either and they report 58 kmpl on city roads.

The similarity in mileage delivered on the two bikes is also noticeable on the BikeAdvice reports. A report from one of the SZ-R customers on the website reports a city FE of around 45-49 kmpl. Another reader, who owns a CB Shine reports 50 kmpl – marginally better but not enough difference to make a 125cc value for money compared to the 150cc alternative.

MouthShut has always been a popular place to check out user reviews of bikes. For the SZR, the customers posting on the site report a city fuel consumption of anywhere between 40-52 kmpl. This is a huge range and is not sufficient to draw a conclusion on the bike performance. In comparison, the reviews for the Honda CB Shine are at a more consistent range of 50-55 kmpl. I guess this is the only comparison that makes the CB Shine look like a better bike from a mileage perspective compared to the SZR.

There are several other reports for both the bikes. For the SZR, MotorBeam reports a city figure of 55 kmpl while for the CB Shine, the Yahoo user reviews, the reported number is between 55-60 kmpl. All the reported figures from various sources are tabulated below.

Source	Yamaha SZ-R (kmpl)	Honda CB Shine (kmpl)
Official	62.4	65
IndiaGarage	43-55	50-55
MaxAbout	55-60	58
BikeAdvice	45-49	50
MotorBeam	55	—
MouthShut	40-52	50-55
Yahoo	–	55-60

Overall, I think the mileage delivered by both the bikes is more or less comparable. Honda CB Shine is slightly better. But given that at a price of around Rs. 3000 more, you can get a higher cc engine with much better power and torque, the SZ-R seems to be a better choice. What do you think?

Yamaha Ray Z Vs. Honda Dio

Both the scooters compared in this article are newer variants of scooter models that have been sold in the Indian market for a while now. While Ray Z is an improvement upon the 110cc Yamaha Ray, the new Honda Dio comes with a slightly larger engine and improved fuel efficiency compared to the older 102cc Dio that has been available for years. Let us take a look at the tech specs of these two scooters first.

First the engine. The Ray Z comes with a 113cc single cylinder 4-stroke engine that delivers a power of 7.1 PS at 7500 RPM. In terms of torque, this engine offers 8.1 Nm at 5000 RPM. In comparison, the Dio is a 109cc engine that cranks up 8.1 PS at 7500 RPM and 8.74 Nm torque at 5500 RPM. Clearly, the Dio is the more powerful of the two scooters. In terms of dimensions, the Ray Z is slightly longer (1835mm vs. 1788mm) whereas the Dio is a little wider (707mm vs 675mm) which I think will give Dio riders a much better balance and control over their scooters compared to the Ray Z. The Dio, at 110 kg, is also heavier than Ray Z by 6 kgs. The bikes are priced in the same bracket. While the Delhi ex-showroom price of Ray Z is Rs. 49105, the Dio is available at Rs. 47928.

Mileage Comparison

The new Ray Z is a model that is targeted at the male audience and given that Dio is a heavier bike, this is popular among men as well. According to Honda, the new Dio not only comes with a larger engine compared to the earlier model, but also offers 15% better FE. They claim that under standard conditions, one should be able to see 55 kmpl. The Ray Z on the other hand has a slightly lower manufacturer claim. Unlike the 62.1 kmpl claimed on the original Yamaha Ray, the male-targeted variant is expected to deliver 53 kmpl under standard road conditions.

As any one following this blog will know, the standard condition mileage reports are mostly for bragging rights and the fuel consumption on actual roads are starkly different in many cases. So let us take a look at what various test rides and customer feedback reports have got to say. We do not have too many common points of reference but MaxAbout has reviewed both these scooters and notes that the Dio 110cc can provide its customers an FE of between 40-43 kmpl on city roads. In comparison, the Ray Z will give 40 kmpl. There doesn’t seem much to choose from here.

Next up, the user reviews site, MouthShut. The customer who reviewed Ray Z on this website rated the bike 3/5 in terms of FE. He reports 41-42 kmpl pre-servicing. There are not too many reviews of mileage for the new Dio either but the user who did report this on MouthShut says he was able to see just around 30-35 kmpl. That is very likely an outlier and do not base your purchasing decision based on this number.

The Yamaha Ray Z has also been reviewed by a couple of other websites like BikeWale and IamaBiker. Both these bikes unanimously report a figure of around 43 kmpl on city roads for this scooter from Yamaha. The Dio on the other hand has received fuel reports from websites like ZigWheels, Top Gear and BikeDekho. ZigWheels reports a number close to what MaxAbout had quoted: around 40-43 kmpl. BikeDekho on the other hand reports the highest figure of over 50 kmpl under city conditions which I think is extremely optimistic. Top Gear reports a lower, still positive rating of 48.5 kmpl on city roads. It is not a good idea to trust customer reports on websites like Olx and Quikr since the sellers here have an incentive to crank up the actual mileage offered. Surprisingly, Dio owners here quote a number between 40-45 kmpl on city roads.

The bottomline is that except for a couple of websites like ZigWheels, most reports of mileage hover between 40-45 kmpl for both the scooters. I have tabulated all the reported figures below.

Source	Honda Dio 110 (kmpl)	Yamaha Ray Z (kmpl)
Official	55	53
BikeDekho	50+	—
BikeWale	–	43
IamaBiker	–	43
MaxAbout	40-43	40
MouthShut	30-35	41-42
Olx/Quikr	40-45	—
Top Gear	48.5	—
ZigWheels	40-43	—

Overall, all other factors like after-sales and personal preferences being the same, I think Dio is a slightly better scooter than Ray Z. It is priced a little lower, has a much more balanced framework and offers a mileage that seems slightly better than the Ray Z. What do you think?

Honda CB Trigger

The CB Trigger is one of the latest entrants to the 150cc segment. This bike was unveiled just around April this year and was launched a month later. Positioned by Honda as a premium motorbike, the CB Trigger comes equipped with a 4 stroke 149.1cc engine that cranks up a power of up to 14.2 PS at 8500 RPM and on a curve, can travel at a max torque of 12.5 Nm at 6500 RPM. The bike is built with an advanced design diamond frame with telescopic front suspension and a monosuspension at the rear. The CB Trigger measures 2045mm x 757mm x 1060mm with a wheelbase of 1325mm and ground clearance of 175mm.

In terms of fuel capacity, this 137 kg bike can hold hold up to 12 liters at any given point. The new Honda CB Trigger is available at a starting price of Rs. 67384 ex-showroom, Delhi. The on-road price translates to Rs. 74828. The price mentioned here is for the STD variant – the DLX and CBS (Combi brake sytem) variants are available at an additional cost of a few thousands.

Manufacturer Mileage Claim

The power delivered by the CB Trigger puts this right in the middle of the 150cc bunch which has bikes delivering power of over 17 PS as well as those that are under-powered at around 12 PS. In terms of fuel efficiency too, Honda says that the bike lies somewhere in the middle with a claimed mileage of 60 kmpl. In comparison, one of the highest FE is claimed by Bajaj for the 150cc Discover (72.3 kmpl).

Test Drive Report & Customer Fuel Consumption Feedback

Let us begin with the review on Overdrive. As the author notes, the Trigger is targeted at the younger customers looking for a stylish 150. The CB Unicorn Dazzler was supposed to be targeted at this group but considering its poor traction, the company has replaced it with the new Trigger. While the reviewer himself has not reported a tested mileage, the commenters who have tried the bike report to be seeing around 50-56 kmpl on city roads (if lower, you should see this post the first servicing) and around 63 kmpl on the highways.

Let us take a look at MaxAbout next. In their review of the Trigger, the website calls the bike the ‘advanced version of the outgoing CB Dazzler’ in terms of style and design. That was expected considering both these bikes are targeted at the same segment. The review also notes the ‘slow performance’ although I feel accelerating from 0-60 kmph in 6 seconds is not too bad. Speaking of fuel consumption, MaxAbout reports 45 kmpl on city roads and 60 kmpl on highways.

MotorBeam in their review commend the bike for its aesthetics and dynamics while noting that the absence of DC lighting is a dampener on the coolness factor. The mileage reported by the website is between 50-55 kmpl and most of the commenter agree. The reported FE by Trigger customers commenting on the website ranges between 48-55 kmpl under city road conditions.

Technology Heat is all praise for the power, aesthetics and braking system. On the topic of mileage, the reviewer reports a city road figure of 45 kmpl which can go as high as 60 kmpl on the highways.

Finally, let us talk about what MouthShut has got to say. Considering that this is a new bike, there aren’t too many reviews – just 6 of them to be precise. These reviewers have given the bike an overall 4/5 for fuel consumption. Some of the points mentioned by the reviewers about the bike are “powerful pickup”, “awesome” brakes and a complete value for money. While most reviews are positive with respect to mileage, one reviewer reports to be seeing only around 25 kmpl on his newly purchased Trigger. Other reviewers are reporting somewhere between 45-55 kmpl on city roads which is totally in synch with reports from the other sources we have till now.

Overall, I think the reviews are mostly positive – both about the fuel consumption as well as the bike in general. I have summed up the reported FE from various sources below. Are you planning to get a Trigger? Tell us what you think of the bike in the comments below.

Source	City Mileage (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	60
MaxAbout	45	60
MotorBeam	50-55	—
MouthShut	45-55	—
Overdrive	50-56	63
Technology Heat	45	60

Honda Aviator Vs. Honda Activa

The Aviator has been in the market for a relatively shorter period of time as compared to the Activa. While Honda Motorcycles launched the Activa way back in 2000, the Aviator has been here only since 2009. Both scooters belong to the 109cc segment with similar tech specifications and framework with one major difference being that the Aviator comes with a lot of add-ons like disc brakes that do not exist on the Activa. In this article, we will first take you through the specifications of both the scooters and then compare the mileages as delivered by the two models. This will help us arrive at a better judgement of which of the two is a better scooter.

Tech Specs Comparison

As noted earlier, both the scooters have a similar engine configuration. They both come with a 109cc engine that can deliver a max power of 8.1PS and a max torque of around 8.7 Nm. The Aviator is slightly bigger though. While the Activa measures 1761 x 710 x 1147, the Aviator on the other hand measures 1802 x 697 x 1162. The Activa is wider although the Aviator has a larger wheelbase providing a much higher stability while driving. The Aviator is also geared for longer drives with a fuel tank capacity of 6 liters whereas the Activa can only hold 5.3 liters. Here is a side by side comparison of the major tech specs of both the scooters. The ex-showroom price of the Standard variant of Aviator is slightly higher than Activa although there is also a Deluxe variant that is priced much higher.

Specification	Honda Activa	Honda Aviator
Engine Disp.	109cc	109cc
Max Power	8.1 PS @ 7500	8.1 PS @ 7000
Max Torque	8.74 Nm @ 5500	8.77 Nm @ 5500
Dimension	1761 x 710 x 1147	1802 x 697 x 1162
Wheelbase	1238mm	1256mm
Ground Clearance	153mm	145mm
Fuel tank capacity	5.3L	6L
Underseat storage	18L	20L
Kerb weight	111kg	102.3kg
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 47204	Rs. 48229

Mileage Comparison

Although both the Activa and Aviator have similar engine components, there are so many things different spec-wise on the two scooters that make it a given that these two models simply cannot offer the same mileage. However, Honda probably does not want to cannibalize the sale of one over the other due to the fuel economy component. The company claims the latest model of both the scooters to offer around 66.7 kmpl under standard test conditions. Again, this is not a mileage you could be seeing on your office ride because the tests are conducted under extremely favourable conditions that you may not be able to simulate on a city road.

In order to arrive a better judgement, let us now look at what third party reviews and test rides tell us with respect to the mileage. Let us start with MouthShut; the popular user reviews site. There are plenty of reviews for both the scooters. While the average claim made by customers lies in the range of 45-55kmpl for the Activa, the corresponding figure for Aviator is just between 30-46 kmpl. The numbers for Aviator do not get much support from other sources either. Except for a review from ScootyPrice that claims around 45-48 kmpl on the Aviator, the mileage reported on other reviews we noted from sites like BikeAdvice and ConsumerComplaints are in the range of 30-40 kmpl only.

In comparison, the Activa has pretty rave reviews from a number of sources. A couple of reviewers on IndiaGarage have reported a 35kmpl FE. That apart, reviews on most sources have been positive. BikeSpace reports 54kmpl while IndiaMart reports 55 kmpl. Most of the other sources including MyIndiaGuide, BharathAutos, ZigWheels, MaxAbout and Olx report a number between 40-53 kmpl which is much better than what the Aviator offers.

The specific number from the various sources are tabulated below. But I guess the bottomline is clear – the Aviator seems built more efficiently for a female audience as compared to the Activa. But that is just a minor improvement that does not warrant a drop in mileage as it seems to be from the various reviews. My suggestion would be to go with the Activa – it’s priced cheap, makes your commuter cheaper and has a great resale value too. What do you think?

Source	Honda Activa (kmpl)	Honda Aviator (kmpl)
Official	66.7	66.7
BharathAutos	53.5	—
BikeAdvice	–	30-40
BikeSpace	54	—
ConsumerComplaints	–	33-35
IndiaGarage	35	—
IndiaMart	55	—
MaxAbout	40	—
MouthShut	45-55	30-46
MyIndiaGuide	52.2	—
Olx	40-50	—
ScootyPrice	–	45-48
ZigWheels	46.8	—

Bajaj Discover 125 ST Vs. Honda CB Shine

Today we will compare two bikes in the 125cc engine category – the Discover 125ST from Bajaj and Honda CB Shine. The Discover 125ST is the more recent entrant to the market having made its way only in the mid of last year while Honda Shine has been around for around 3 years now. While both bikes are in the 125cc segment, Bajaj has had the luxury to extensively study the market before launching their new 125cc Discover. Consequently, they have been able to offer quite a few better specs in comparison to the peers.

The Discover 125ST arguably offers the best power in the 125cc bike segment. According to company brochures, the Discover 125ST delivers close to 13PS max power at 9000 RPM whereas the CB Shine only offers around 10.3PS @7500 RPM. The difference is not much in terms of torque though. While the Discover 125ST claims to offer a max net torque of 10.8 Nm at 7000 RPM, the corresponding value for the CB Shine is 10.54Nm at 5500RPM. The price of the lowest available variant on CB Shine is Rs. 54,782 while the price of Discover 125ST is Rs. 55,500 – both ex-Delhi. So as you can see, no one winner here. I shall tabulate all the major specs for a side-by-side comparison below.

Spec	Bajaj Discover 125ST	Honda CB Shine
Displacement	124.6cc	124.7cc
Max Power	13PS @9000	10.3PS @7500
Max Torque	10.8Nm @ 7000	10.54Nm @ 5500
Kerb Weight	124.5kg	120kg
Fuel Tank Capacity	10L	10.5L
Ground clearance	170mm	157mm
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 55500	Rs. 54782

Mileage Comparison
Let us first start with the manufacturer claims. According to Honda Motorcycles, the CB Shine can deliver about 65 kmpl under standard test road conditions. In comparison, the Discover 125ST delivers around 67.5 kmpl under similar conditions. Do note that the fuel economy that you derive on real world conditions may be vastly different.

To check how the two bikes fare on city roads, let us look at what third party blog and customer reviews have got to say. On MouthShut, both bikes have received a 4/5 rating for fuel consumption. The reviews have been extremely positive for Discover 125ST with the lowest reported mileage around 48kmpl and the highest over 60kmpl. The average is around 55kmpl. In comparison, the lowest reported figure for CB Shine is around 42kmpl while the average reported figure lies between 50-55kmpl. So the Discover wins by a slight margin on this one.

We do not have many other common sources that have reviewed both the bikes. Let us first take a look at websites that have reviewed the Discover 125ST. MotorBeam in their test reports around 55kmpl on city roads that goes up to 60kmpl on highways. ZigWheels reports a much better experience having seen around 62kmpl just on the city roads. The highway mileage is reported to be 77kmpl which seems quite unbelievable and I would term this is an exception and not a rule. BikeDekho in their review report a much lower figure. On city roads, the reviewer was able to see only around 50 kmpl although on highways this was much better at 65kmpl.

With Honda CB Shine, the story is not very different. The official review on BikeAdvice notes that the fuel consumption could improve after servicing although in their test, the reported figure was around 50 kmpl on city roads. The figures are slightly better on the Yahoo user reviews where the number lies between 55-60 kmpl on an average. The FE on highways though was noted to be higher at 62kmpl.

There were a couple of more sources that reviewed the CB Shine from a fuel economy perspective. IndiaGarage users claim to be seeing between 50-55 kmpl on city roads and 58-62kmpl on highways whereas the reviewer on MaxAbout reports 58kmpl on city roads and a massive 73kmpl on highways – again, this appears to be an outlier and do not expect your bike to reach this level of efficiency.

Here is a snapshot of what various reviewers of these two bikes have said. From the outset, the fuel consumption do not appear to be too different on both the bikes. Considering that the prices are not vastly different either, I would pick the Discover 125ST over CB Shine considering a better power on this bike for the same economy. What will be your pick?

Source	Bajaj Discover 125ST	Honda CB Shine
Official	65-70	65
BikeAdvice	–	50
BikeDekho	50	—
IndiaGarage	–	50-55
MaxAbout	–	58
MotorBeam	55	—
MouthShut	55	50-55
Yahoo	–	55-60
ZigWheels	62	—

Honda Brio

This is the first time we are moving away from two wheelers and are discussing mileage on a car. Let’s see if there is interest. Honda launched the Brio in the Indian market back in September 2011 just before the festival season. Although the car has got rave reviews, the production has continuously suffered a hit due to supply issues in the aftermath of Japanese earthquake and Bangkok floods.

Brio means ‘cheerful’ in Italian. The Honda Brio is a 1198cc 4 cylinder engine car that derives a maximum power of 88PS at 6000RPM. The resulting max torque is 109Nm at 4500 RPM. The car has a 2345mm wheelbase and ground clearance of 165mm which is just about okay on Indian roads. The car weighs 920kg at the very least and has a total seating capacity of 5. The lowest variant of the Brio comes at a price of Rs. 4.1 lakhs ex-showroom at Delhi.

Manufacturer Claim on Fuel Economy

Honda Brio comes with a manual transmission as well as automatic transmission. In India though, MT is the most preferred mode and so we will discuss only this. According to Honda India, the MT variant can deliver around 19.4 kmpl under standard testing conditions. AT reduces the mileage a bit and only delivers close to 16.5 kmpl under standard conditions.

Customer Feedback

Let us kick it off with a review from CarWale. The author commends the Brio for its pretty generous leg space for a car this size as well as for its “killer looks”. However, the disappointment shows on the mileage front. The customer reports an economy of just 10.8 kmpl even after the first servicing.

MaxAbout echoes the Carwale review on the design front. The website notes the “outstanding styling” and “stunning design” as great plusses for the car. However, unlike the earlier review, this report claims a city mileage of around 13kmpl on the Brio that goes up to 19.4kmpl on the highways. This is exactly what Honda claims on test conditions and so now I’m not sure if MaxAbout really went about testing the mileage or if it just from the manufacturer.

The ZigWheels review takes a somewhat middle path. The reviewer tested the car with air conditioning on in the congested streets of Pune where the fuel consumption was noted to be around 13kmpl. On the highways, this was noted to go up to 16.7 kmpl.

In his review of the Brio after 5000 kilometers, Team-BHP member Shiv
notes that the car is “super silent” and has a really good steering. On the fuel front, the reviewer reports 13.5 kmpl on the city roads and between 17-19 kmpl on the highways. The reported numbers here seem to perfectly align with those reported from other sources.

There are around eleven reviews of the Honda Brio on Carzy. Overall, the reported FE figure here is much better than what has been reported elsewhere. The reported number varies from around 15-16.03 kmpl on city roads and around 17-18 kmpl on highways.

Finally, let’s take a look at what MouthShut customers have got to say. There are close to 43 reviews for the Brio on this website and the customers have overall given this car a 4/5 in terms of fuel consumption. On city roads, the customers who have reported the mileage have done so in the range of 11-13 kmpl. On the highways, the corresponding number is between 17-19 kmpl with AC on and much more when it is turned off. Overall, the reports have been positive about the Brio.

So there you have it. I’ve aggregated the results from various sources in the table below.

Source	City FE (kmpl)	Highways FE (kmpl)
Official	–	19.4
Carwale	10.8	—
MaxAbout	13	19.4
ZigWheels	13	16.7
Team-BHP	13.5	17-19
Carzy	15-16.03	17-18
MouthShut	11-13	17-19

So would I recommend it? Some reports show the number to be pretty low at 10.8 kmpl. However, a majority of the reviews note the number to be around the 13kmpl mark which is just about okay for a 1200cc car. So my recommendation is a thumbs up on the fuel front.

Honda Dream Yuga vs. Honda CB Shine

I don’t recall a comparison between two bikes of varying engine displacement levels previously. However, this article follows the comparison requested by MileageInfo reader Nik in his comment here. Dream Yuga is the least expensive Honda that is currently in the market and is a 109cc bike whereas the CB Shine belongs to the 125cc segment that is priced around 8,000 rupees higher than Dream Yuga.

So first off, let’s take a look at the tech specs of both these bikes.

Specification	Honda Dream Yuga	Honda CB Shine
Displacement	109cc	124.7cc
Net Power	8.6 PS @7500	10.3 PS @7500
Max Torque	8.91 Nm @5500	10.54 Nm @5500
Kerb Weight	108kg	120kg
Wheelbase	1285mm	157mm
Ground Clearance	161mm	157mm
Fuel Tank	8 liters	10.5 liters
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 46150	Rs. 54782

So from a specifications standpoint, it is clear that you get additional value for the extra money you shell out on CB Shine. From a mileage perspective, the first view I get is that the Dream Yuga should be a better bet because the higher power as well as the higher kerb weight on the CB Shine makes it less fuel efficient compared to the Dream Yuga. That is of course assuming both these bikes have similar engines which they are not.

Mileage Comparison

The official figures are strongly stacked in favour of the Yuga. According to Honda, this 109cc bike can deliver close to 72kmpl under standard testing condition. You can say these conditions to what you have on the highways. Under city conditions this is bound to be lower. However, even under these conditions, the CB Shine has a lower stated mileage of only around 65 kmpl.

Let us take a look at what other third party reviews have got to say. While we have not had any common source that has reviewed both these bikes alike (except from the user review site, MouthShut, of course), we have around 4 sources for the Dream Yuga and five other for the CB Shine.

MotorBeam in their review report that they were able to extract 58-60 kmpl on city roads with the Dream Yuga. On highway roads, this went up to 65kmpl on their test ride. BikeDekho did not have a similar experience. Their test only delivered around 55kmpl on city roads although on highways, the experience was better than what MotorBeam experienced at 70kmpl. OverDrive relatively had the worst experience of all. They report a 47kmpl fuel economy on city roads with the Dream Yuga.

In comparison, CB Shine has a relatively more consistent report. On IndiaGarage, users together report fuel consumption of between 50-55kmpl on city roads and between 58-62kmpl on highway roads. BikeAdvice says that although the average expected economy is around 50kmpl, you can still make it better through regular servicing and air checks. While the report on Yahoo Autos calls for users to expect between 55-60kmpl, the MaxAbout report averages out their test ride mileage at around 58kmpl which is almost similar to what Yahoo has noted.

On MouthShut, there is a more diverse reporting on the Dream Yuga. The customers there have reported numbers on a pretty wide range between 50-65kmpl. On the contrary, the customers who have used a CB Shine report a more consistent number of between 50-55 kmpl on city roads.

Let’s tabulate these numbers for easy comparison.

Source	Dream Yuga (kmpl)	CB Shine (kmpl)
Official	72	65
BikeAdvice	–	50
BikeDekho	55	—
IndiaGarage	–	50-55
MaxAbout	–	58
MotorBeam	58-60	—
MouthShut	50-65	50-55
OverDrive	47	—
Yahoo	–	55-60

As I see it, there is little to choose between the two bikes when it comes to the actual mileage delivered on city roads. The Dream Yuga is a little inconsistent with a wider reported range while the CB Shine delivers a pretty consistent figure between 50-55kmpl. So my take is that if you have those additional 8000 rupees to spend, why not go with the CB Shine? At least, you can enjoy a better power and performance at a similar mileage. What’s your take on this? Do tell us in the comments.

Bajaj Pulsar 150 Vs. Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler

Here we are to compare the Honda Unicorn Dazzler with one another impressive bike in the 150cc segment. If you are looking for more comparisons, please check our earlier review of the Dazzler against Hero Hunk.

Right, so this is one comparison that is so often made by potential customers becausae both these bikes are priced at a pretty similar range. The Pulsar 150 is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 67,110 while the CB Unicorn Dazzler is available at Rs. 66,738. Here is a comparison of the important specifications in tabular format.

Specification	Bajaj Pulsar 150	Honda Unicorn Dazzler
Displacement	149.01cc	149.1cc
Max. Power	15.06PS	14.19PS
Max. Torque	12.5 Nm	12.74 Nm
Kerb weight	143 kg	138 kg
Fuel tank	15 liters	12 liters

The above table gives you loads of information on some inherent advantages of the Unicorn Dazzler over Pulsar 150 with respect to mileage. Not only does the Dazzler come lighter by around 5 kgs, it also has a smaller fuel tank which means the weight pulled by the engine is higher on the Pulsar compared to the Dazzler for any given rider and hence the mileage “may” possibly be lower on the Pulsar. We will however test the same. The Pulsar however has a marginally smaller displacement which means the fuel consumed at any particular time is lower than the Dazzler and so the mileage delivered could be theoretically higher than, not considering the other parameters of course.

Mileage Comparison

The official fuel economy as reported by the company officials is under standard test conditions. These are primarily highway-type roads with favourable wind conditions and minimum load. Consequently, the economy reported here are always on the higher side. According to Bajaj, the Pulsar 150 can draw 64 kilometers for every liter of petrol under standard conditions whereas Honda claims their Unicorn Dazzler can only reach up to 60 kmpl. Fret not however, since real-world conditions are much different and there is always a possibility of a different winner here.

We will first look at what MaxAbout has to say. In their review of the Pulsar 150, they note that the bike was not great during their city road test. Pulsar 150 could only offer 45 kmpl whereas in a similar test on the Unicorn Dazzler, they were able to see 50 kmpl. On highways though, the Pulsar returned 62 kmpl while the Dazzler was stuck around 60 kmpl.

BikeAdvice in their review though give a thumbs-up to the Pulsar 150. They report a fuel consumption of between 50-52 kmpl on the Pulsar whereas a similar road test on the Dazzler returned just 48 kmpl.

MouthShut is a website that I often refer to considering the plethora of real-customer reviews available there. We had close to 46 reviews for the Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i and the customers have rated the product 4/5 in terms of fuel efficiency. The reported mileage from these customers though varied quite a bit between 40-53 kmpl. So you have happy as well as not-so-happy customers here. In comparison, there were close to 76 reviews for the Unicorn Dazzler on MouthShut. Although the ratings was still a 4/5, the reported mileage figures are more consistet between 48-52 kmpl.

So there you have it. Pulsar seems to be a good bike on the highways. But when it comes to a road test on inner city conditions, the Dazzler appears to win the race in a photo-finish. Although BikeAdvice gives the Pulsar a higher rating, in terms of the sheer number of reported figures, the Dazzler seems to have a more consistent mileage that seems to better the Pulsar 150.

Source	Bajaj Pulsar 150	Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler
Official	64	60
MaxAbout (city)	45	50
MaxAbout (Highways)	62	60
BikeAdvice	50-52	48
MouthShut	40-53	48-52

Hero Hunk Vs. Honda CB Dazzler – A Comparison

Hero Hunk and the Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler are two wonderful bikes in the 150cc segment. Although the Hunk has been around for a much longer time, it has not taken the Dazzler much time to catch up to the Hunk in terms of popularity.

To start with, let us start with the comparison of the two bikes on the specs

Spec	Hero Hunk	Honda Dazzler
Displacement	149.2cc	149.1cc
Max Power	10.6 kW	10.44 kW
Max Torque	12.80 Nm @ 6500 rpm	12.74 Nm @ 6500 rpm
Front Brake	240mm Disc Dia	240mm Disc Dia
Rear Brake	220mm Disc Dia	220mm Disc Dia
Ground Clearance	145mm	162mm
Kerb weight	146 kg	138 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity	12.4 liters	12 liters
Reserve	2.2 liters usable	N/A

The difference between the two specs is pretty marginal on most counts. It is only with ground clearance and kerb weight where you find any significant difference between the two.

Mileage Comparison

Both the Hunk and Dazzler have similar engines although the Hunk is expected to pull 8kgs more than the Dazzler at any point due to its inherently higher kerb weight. This could pull the mileage marginally down. Despite that, the official claim on the mileage of the Hunk is higher than Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler. Hero claims the Hunk can draw 65.1 kmpl while Honda says the Dazzler can offer only 60 kmpl of fuel economy. Do note that both these claims are under standard test conditions.

Let’s look at what the neutral reviewers have to say. According to MaxAbout that has reviewed both the bikes, the Hero Hunk is expected to deliver 52-58 kmpl on city roads whereas the Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler can extract a lower 50 kmpl under similar conditions. On Highways though, both the bikes are seen to deliver similar economies at 60 kmpl.

BikeAdvice has an alternate take on this comparison. In their reviews, they report the fuel economy on city roads to be somewhere between 45-50 kmpl on the Hunk while the same has been pegged at 48 kmpl from Dazzler. While the website does not have a number for the highways mileage from Hunk, they say customers can see close to 62 kmpl on highways from Unicorn Dazzler.

On MouthShut, the 210+ reviews for the Hunk rate the bike 4/5 on fuel consumption. A similar rating is offered by the 75+ Dazzler reviewers. However when it comes to putting down a number against the fuel consumption column, Hero Hunk customers have reported varying mileages between 45-55 kmpl on their bike while customers of Honda Dazzler have a more consistent report of the city mileage to be between 48-52 kmpl.

Here is a tabled report of the comparison:

Source	Hero Hunk	Honda Dazzler
Official	65.1	60
MaxAbout	52-58	50
BikeAdvice	45-50	48
MouthShut	45-55	48-52