May 2013 – Mileage Reviews

Mahindra Duro DZ

We discussed the budget scooter from Mahindra, the Kine last week. If you are willing to open more of your wallet, there is another option available from the shop floors of Mahindra. The Duro DZ is a much powerful scooter compared to the 72cc Kine. It comes with a 124.6cc engine that delivers a max power of 11PS at 7000 RPM that on curves provides 9Nm at 5500 RPM of max torque. In terms of specifications, the Duro DZ measures 1814mm in length, 770mm in width and 1275mm in height. Other specs include a wheelbase of 1270mm, a ground clearance of 155mm and a curb weight of 114kg. The Duro DZ has a fuel tank capacity of 6.5 liters and a underseat storage of close to 20 liters. For a 125cc scooter, the Duro DZ is pretty affordable at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 44,688.

Manufacturer Claim

The Duro DZ website advertises three things on their homepage – a powerful 125cc DI engine, an advanced telescopic suspension and a “great mileage”. According to Mahindra, the Duro DZ can ride 56.25 kilometers for 1 liter of petrol under standard test conditions. Of course, on city road conditions with its share of pot holes and traffic, the mileage is expected to be much lower.

Test Ride & Customer Feedback

Comparing the Duro DZ with Honda Activa, ZigWheels writes that the Duro returns slightly lower fuel economy compared to the Activa. While their tests returned 45 kmpl on the Activa, the test on Duro DZ returned 42 kmpl. This is still a far cry from the official claim of 56.25 kmpl.

MaxAbout in their review note that the overall quality of the finish looks pretty sub-standard compared to the industry and could hence appear cheap. They also note that the palm grips are weirdly shaped giving an overall negative riding experience. With respect to the mileage, MaxAbout reports a number similar to ZigWheels – 42 kmpl.

MotorBeam compares the Duro DZ with the Suzuki Access 125 and there is some good news. According to the website, the Duro DZ has an excellent gearbox, a refined engine and a decent storage box. It also performs better in terms of FE. While Access delivers 47 kmpl in the real world, Duro DZ delivers 48 kmpl. That’s a pretty marginal win, but still the bottom line is that the scooter from Mahindra is better in this comparison.

Let us take a look at what folks at xBHP have got to say. One of the user who purchased the scooter writes in that one of the best things about the scooter is the power. The Duro DZ can deliver significant power even with a pillion rider. In addition to this, the reviewer also says that the telescopic suspension is as advertised and takes you smoothly over potholes. As on the mileage front, the review reports 48 kmpl on the city roads in the first few days after purchase.

On IndiaGarage, the reviews have been mixed. While one reviewer says his decision to buy the bike was ‘unfortunate’ for delivering just 35kmpl, others have commended the scooter for its solid performance as well as mileage of between 45-50 kmpl. Considering that the number of good reviews outnumber the sole bad review, I think I will go with 45-50 as the average number.

Finally, let us take a look at Mouthshut. There are just 8 reviews for the scooter on the reviews website and these reviewers have given an overall rating of 4/5 for fuel efficiency. Except for one user who reports 27 kmpl, every other user is extremely enthusiastic in their report. The average reported number is between 45-55 kmpl which is extremely good for a scooter of this power range.

Here is a snapshot of all the reviews we have looked into so far. Personally, I feel the Duro DZ seems to be a great scooter from both the mileage and power point of view. So if you are looking for a purchasing decision, I would suggest you go for it.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	56.25
ZigWheels	42	—
MaxAbout	42	—
MotorBeam	48	—
xBHP	48	—
IndiaGarage	45-50	—
MouthShut	45-55	—

Mahindra Kine

If you are looking for a budget scooter, one of the models you must be looking at is the Mahindra Kine. This scooter is not too popular considering that Mahindra hardly advertises this model of theirs – something that they launched in 2010 post the acquisition of Kinetic motors. The Mahindra Kine is a pretty low-spec’d scooter targeted at the budget conscious. It comes with a 71.5cc single cylinder 2 stroke engine that can render a maximum power of close to 3.8PS at 5500 RPM. On turns, this translates to 5Nm maximum torque at 4500 RPM. The scooter is not very big and measures 1765mm x 635mm x 1060mm with an overall wheelbase of 1225mm. The seat is placed at a convenient 760mm. Other specs include an 82kg kerb weight, 4 liter fuel tank, 120mm ground clearance and a maximum speed of 60 kmph. The Mahindra Kine is priced at Rs. 34160 ex-showroom at Delhi.

Manufacturer Mileage Claim

Given that the scooter is targeted at the teenagers/price-conscious, mileage is of paramount importance. Mahindra doesn’t disappoint at least from the official claims. According to them, the Kine is capable of delivering around 63.25 kmpl economy under standard test conditions. As I have noted many times earlier, these conditions are very highway-like and so the FE you will see on city roads is likely to be far lower.

Test Drive & Customer Feedback

Let us start with the note from BikeDekho. They note from their test run that the scooter offers an average mileage of around 55kmpl which is not bad at all. However, one user claims to be noticing only around 31kmpl on their Kine. But given the small sample size, I wouldn’t give much thought into this just yet.

According to ProdEase, the Kine is built for big cities and short distance travel. Although the scooter is ideally suited for the female customers, the website says the performance is not up to the mark. They report a mileage of between 50-55 kmpl which is pretty okay.

Quite a few other websites have reported a fuel efficiency in the 55kmpl range. This includes the likes of BikeSpace and IndiaAuto. To have a better understanding of what the real world customers are saying, let us take a look at Olx (MouthShut does not seem to have many reviews about this bike). Most sellers have claimed an economy of between 40-50 kmpl which is still okay. I would however take reports from classifieds websites with a grain of salt considering the posters there are trying to sell their scooter and would hence be painting a pretty positive picture. On that note, reports on Quikr too state a fuel economy of between 40-50 kmpl.

So there you go. For one, there are not too many real customer reports for the Kine. And those that do are either reported with vested interests (as on classifieds sites) or appear to be from company claims. So there is not much to read into from the various mileage reports. I would seriously suggest you to take a real world test ride and take a decision only post that. Here is a snapshot of what various websites here have reported.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	63.25
BikeDekho	55	—
ProdEase	50-55	—
BikeSpace	55	—
IndiaAuto	55	—
Quikr	40-50	—
Olx	40-50	—

TVS Metro 100cc

The TVS Metro is an entry-level motorcycle that is available for the international market. The bike was launched around 2009 and comes with a 99.7cc 4-stroke engine that is capable of delivering a max power of around 7.5 PS at 7500RPM and a max torque of 7.5 Nm at 5000 RPM. The bike is available in a number of countries outside the home country including Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Speaking of specifications, the Metro comes with a standard wheelbase of 1250mm and a kerb weight of 108 kg which is light enough to optimize the consumption of fuel. The fuel tank itself is capable of holding 16 liters including a 2.5 liter reserve. The TVS Metro is available at an on-road price of approximately Rs. 45,000.

TVS Metro Manufacturere Claim On Mileage

As an entry level bike with a 100cc engine, the TVS Metro is made for the fuel-conscious customer. However I have not been able to get an official claim from the manufacturer. But from what I have researched, the mileage that is claimed on the bike is around 75 kmpl under standard testing conditions. As I say always, this fuel efficiency is derived from superior driving conditions which is different from your city roads. So what you actually get on road may be different.

TVS Metro Customer Feedback & Test Ride Reports

There are a few Bangladeshi customers who have reviewed the mileage of the metro on MotorcycleValley. According to them, the Metro is expected to deliver anywhere between 50-70 kmpl although there are some who report noticing over 75kmpl – I am assuming this is on the highways.

On Bikroy, another bikers blog in Bangladesh, the reported number is slightly lower. The reviewer says the fuel consumption on his Metro is somewhere around 65 kmpl which is still pretty good. This report is also supported by a classified ad on the site ClickBD where the customer selling his Metro reports 60-65 kmpl on his bike. But do note that sellers are often known to claim an FE better than what they get; so take this report with a pinch of salt.

Here is a short summary of what I have discussed above. I have not been able to get too many other reviews about TVS Metro. If you own a Metro and would like to share information about its mileage, do tell us in the comments below.

Source	City Mileage (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	75
MotorcycleValley	50-70	75-80
Bikroy	65	—
ClickBD	60-65	—

Yamaha FZ-S Vs. Yamaha FZ-16

The Yamaha FZ-16 was introduced way back in 2008 and has been around for a good 5-6 years now. The FZ-S model on the other hand was introduced less than a year back. This 150cc model is an improvisation upon the older FZ-16 model in that it comes with minor changes like an aerodynamic windshield, a longer pillion seat which is also relatively wider, a chain protector and a wider rear fender. You should know that none of these improvements would impact the mileage of the bike by a great deal since the engine has been kept practically unchanged. In any case, let us first compare the specifications of the two bikes.

Tech Specs Comparison

Both the bikes come with a 153cc displacement engine that offers a max power of around 14PS at 7500RPM that translates to 13.6 Nm torque at 6000 RPM. Everything – right from the seat height to the wheelbase and the kerb weight are the same on both the bikes. It goes without saying that both the FZ-S and the FZ-16 are bikes with the exact same interiors and just minor changes on the exterior. Let me just put down the major specifications side-by-side for your reference.

Specification	Yamaha FZ16	Yamaha FZS
Displacement	153cc	153cc
Max Power	14PS @ 7000	14PS @ 7000
Max Torque	13.6Nm @ 6500	13.6Nm @ 6500
Dimensions	1973mm x 770mm x 1045mm	1973 mm × 770 mm × 1090 mm
Wheelbase	1334mm	1334mm
Kerb Weight	135kg	135kg
Fuel Tank	12L	12L
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 69500	Rs. 71500

So there you go – except for a few millimeters difference in the height of the bike, there is not much change as far as the specs go. The Yamaha FZS is also priced slightly higher at Rs. 71500 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Mileage Comparison

The manufacturer’s claim on fuel efficiency is done via ARAI certified tests that are conducted in standard test conditions. These are usually much different from the riding conditions you experience within the city. Therefore you need to take these numbers with a pinch of salt since the numbers that you will be seeing could be much lower. In any case, according to Yamaha, both the FZS and the FZ16 are expected to deliver 50.81 kmpl under standard test conditions. For a better understanding of how the bikes would perform on city roads, let us take a look at what the various test rides and customer reviews have got to say.

BikeAdvice has official reports as well as usage reviews to put forth their claim. In their review of the FZ16, they report a figure of 40 kmpl on city roads that goes as high as 54 kmpl on highways. The corresponding FE for the newer Yamaha FZ-S is between 35-40. The latter figure has been derived from reports from a couple of real customers, one of whom though commends the bike saying the FZ-S feels like a 180cc bike although it belongs to the 150cc category.

The reports on MouthShut have been pretty positive for both the bikes. According to these reviewers, the FZ-16 can be expected to deliver anywhere between 38-47 kmpl on city roads. This is an extremely good figure considering that this is very close to the official manufacturer claim. The FZ-S does a notch better on MouthShut. Aggregating the reports from various customers, the FZ-S is expected to deliver somewhere between 38-53 kmpl. I doubt all this testing was done on city roads though.

Various other reviewers report the mileage on Yamaha FZ-16 to hover around 40. According to MotorBeam, you should count yourself lucky if you get 40 kmpl on the bike. BikeDekho says the figure on city roads should be around 35 kmpl while on the highways, this can go up to 46 kmpl.

Things are not looking very different for the FZ-S either. Users on xBHP note that the average fuel consumption should be in the range of 35-40 kmpl on city roads. On IndiaMart, customers have reported around 38 kmpl on city roads and 48 kmpl on highways. While MaxAbout is in love with the bike exteriors and the silent engine, the reported fuel consumption is not very different from other reviewers. They report 35-40 kmpl inside the city and 45 kmpl on highways.

Here is a summary of mileage reports from various sources. If you are someone who would love a more judicious use of fuel, neither of these bikes are for you. Check out our report on the best 150cc bikes – there are over half a dozen bikes that offer over 50 kmpl. Maybe you could take a pick from there.

Source, Yamaha FZ16, Yamaha FZS
Manufacturer, 50.81, 50.81
BikeAdvice, 40, 35-40
BikeDekho, 35, —
IndiaMart, –, 38
MaxAbout, –, 35-40
MotorBeam, <40, -- MouthShut, 38-47, 38-53 xBHP, --, 35-40 [/table]