[mvadg]

Great idea, the acrylic film! I was looking for some liquid to coat with, but this is great! You get both hot and cold lamination films at some stationery shops.

Thanks.

[audioholic]

Indeed. The film is holding up really well, and thats without exaggeration. One cannot notice its presence and it took some amount of scratches too. Will replace them shortly. Planning to do up the headlight also, as it is vulnerable to scratches

[audioholic]

The scoot is about to touch the 2000kms mark. It also turns six months in a few days. So, here is a short update and some pictures. The scoot is washed once a week, with Amway shampoo, followed by Armorall wax and polish. The plastic and rubber parts are dressed with 3M ultimate dresser.

Kms on ODO: 1994
No. on services: 2
Currently running on Shell AX5 semi synthetic oil. Will switch to Full synth shortly. No other changes planned.

THe engine smoothens up as speed increases and is a bliss to cruise at 40-50 kmph without much effort. Can easily reach 70 kmph after which it needs to be pushed hard.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by audioholic

The scoot is about to touch the 2000kms mark. It also turns six months in a few days. So, here is a short update and some pictures. The scoot is washed once a week, with Amway shampoo, followed by Armorall wax and polish. The plastic and rubber parts are dressed with 3M ultimate dresser.

Kms on ODO: 1994
No. on services: 2
Currently running on Shell AX5 semi synthetic oil. Will switch to Full synth shortly. No other changes planned.

THe engine smoothens up as speed increases and is a bliss to cruise at 40-50 kmph without much effort. Can easily reach 70 kmph after which it needs to be pushed hard.

Attachment 1082432

Attachment 1082433

Attachment 1082434

Attachment 1082435

Hi audioholic,

Great to see a scoot very well kept. You haven't put any guards to your scoot yet?

Need a little info from you. I sold off my 2005 old Activa and now in a process of buying a scoot mainly for my wife. Heard that balance of Dio's aren't that great while driving. Is it so?
Also, heard that many times people have fallen due to skidding. Have you experienced anytime, although i read from you thread that at 2 times you haven't skidded due to sudden braking?
Have you braked hard during rains and in mud?

Please provide me unbiased opinion about the above queries if possible

Thanks,
Ramki

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by ramki067

... Heard that balance of Dio's aren't that great while driving. Is it so?
Also, heard that many times people have fallen due to skidding. Have you experienced anytime, although i read from you thread that at 2 times you haven't skidded due to sudden braking?
Have you braked hard during rains and in mud?

Please provide me unbiased opinion about the above queries if possible

Thanks,
Ramki

I own a similar Dio too and here's my take on what you have asked. There is nothing wrong with the balance per se unless you are caught in crosswinds. This upsets the balance a bit where you have to make handlebar adjustments. This is most likely to occur on all lightweight vehicles.

Yes I have experienced skidding a few times thanks to the intellectual capacity of fellow road users or rather the lack of it. Let me make it clear that all these incidents happened on sand, where a layer of sand was present on top of the road surface which is usual when construction material is offloaded on the roadside. My Dio came shodded with TVS tyres which are the worst tyres Honda could get their hands on. It doesn't matter whether you are doing 5 kmph or 10 kmph- if you touch your brake pedal while you are over the sand, it starts skidding almost immediately. Fortunately, on all occasions I was able to avoid falling down by balancing the vehicle by bouncing my foot off the road based on the direction of the skid and regaining control. I doubt the average rider would possess such skills. You should also get the opinion of those who got MRF's because skidding has more to do with the tyre than the vehicle per se.

In all panic braking situations I faced on tarred surface, the vehicle stopped in a straight line without any drama whatsoever. In fact I was surprised because even on my previous Splendor the rear used to step out of line on hard braking, but the Dio held its line without springing any surprises.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by longhorn

I own a similar Dio too and here's my take on what you have asked. There is nothing wrong with the balance per se unless you are caught in crosswinds. This upsets the balance a bit where you have to make handlebar adjustments. This is most likely to occur on all lightweight vehicles.

Yes I have experienced skidding a few times thanks to the intellectual capacity of fellow road users or rather the lack of it. Let me make it clear that all these incidents happened on sand, where a layer of sand was present on top of the road surface which is usual when construction material is offloaded on the roadside. My Dio came shodded with TVS tyres which are the worst tyres Honda could get their hands on. It doesn't matter whether you are doing 5 kmph or 10 kmph- if you touch your brake pedal while you are over the sand, it starts skidding almost immediately. Fortunately, on all occasions I was able to avoid falling down by balancing the vehicle by bouncing my foot off the road based on the direction of the skid and regaining control. I doubt the average rider would possess such skills. You should also get the opinion of those who got MRF's because skidding has more to do with the tyre than the vehicle per se.

In all panic braking situations I faced on tarred surface, the vehicle stopped in a straight line without any drama whatsoever. In fact I was surprised because even on my previous Splendor the rear used to step out of line on hard braking, but the Dio held its line without springing any surprises.

Thanks longhorn. Could you also pen your opinion when braking during rains?
Also, can a front box(downward of starter key) be fitted alike Activa?

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by ramki067

Thanks longhorn. Could you also pen your opinion when braking during rains?

Regarding skidding, to be frank the scoot has not skidded till date. Main thing is that in petrol bunks, they have the habit of filling 26psi here to the front tyre which leads to overinflation. Due to this, contact patch reduces and the vehicle might easily skid. I keep recommended pressures and also in case the roads are wet, I manually deflate the rear tyres a bit, as recommended pressure for single rider is 29psi and I would have maintained 36psi.

As long as the vehicle is not involved in accidents, balance will be good and frankly, I just swing it around the great potholes here with ease. Same was not happening with my wave before.

Touchwood, I havent fallen till date and hence the scoot is spotless. I did not like the idea of a crash guard and hence didn't get any fitted. The design of the dio lies in those sharp lines and curves, rather than the usual sticker jobs and hence, I felt it should be left naked. I would anyday buy a new panel than rely upon those guards as the protection they offer is minimal. However I have installed protection film on the sides, and black vinyl film for the side running board and the panel below the fender. So I feel that this much protection is enough.

As long as you are used to the Honda after sales, the dio will be a good decision to make. Performance and handling there are no issues.

An update on my dio: Covered 2800kms as of date, and the third service was done in an FNG. He did a good job and resolved most of the issues(inconsistent idling, exhaust pop and growling sound when engine was hot). Having lost trust in what the ASC guys do, this guy promised to do a good job. Also had changed to synthetic oil for both engine and transmission. Once engine warms up, there are zero vibrations felt in any conditions. However mileage seems to be the same at around 39-40kmpl, which might be due to the fact that I have been flooring the scoot after the oil change and running in.

I again repeat this, though I have mentioned elsewhere, running in is very crucial for a happy experience in the future. Else the engine gets rough, and there are a lot of vibrations felt.

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by ramki067

Thanks longhorn. Could you also pen your opinion when braking during rains?
Also, can a front box(downward of starter key) be fitted alike Activa?

Fortunately I haven't faced any panic braking during rains so far. The stopping distance increases during rains once the drum brakes get wet. Yes there is a front glove box available though I haven't bought one for my vehicle. Kindly note that all the comments in this post and the previous one are made based on my experiences at speeds <= 60 kmph. I usually try to maintain 45-50 kmph max. I very rarely go above 50 kmph and my vehicle hasn't seen north of 60kmph till date. Vehicle has 65xx kms on the odo now.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Regarding skidding, to be frank the scoot has not skidded till date. Main thing is that in petrol bunks, they have the habit of filling 26psi here to the front tyre which leads to overinflation. Due to this, contact patch reduces and the vehicle might easily skid. I keep recommended pressures and also in case the roads are wet, I manually deflate the rear tyres a bit, as recommended pressure for single rider is 29psi and I would have maintained 36psi.

As long as the vehicle is not involved in accidents, balance will be good and frankly, I just swing it around the great potholes here with ease. Same was not happening with my wave before.

Touchwood, I havent fallen till date and hence the scoot is spotless. I did not like the idea of a crash guard and hence didn't get any fitted. The design of the dio lies in those sharp lines and curves, rather than the usual sticker jobs and hence, I felt it should be left naked. I would anyday buy a new panel than rely upon those guards as the protection they offer is minimal.

Originally Posted by longhorn

Fortunately I haven't faced any panic braking during rains so far. The stopping distance increases during rains once the drum brakes get wet. Yes there is a front glove box available though I haven't bought one for my vehicle. Kindly note that all the comments in this post and the previous one are made based on my experiences at speeds <= 60 kmph. I usually try to maintain 45-50 kmph max. I very rarely go above 50 kmph and my vehicle hasn't seen north of 60kmph till date. Vehicle has 65xx kms on the odo now.

Thanks guys for your opinions. The reason why i asked specifically about braking is that my wify have skidded 2-3 times in our previous Activa (2005 model) during rains and sand. Hence, wanted to know whether Honda in the present gen Dio/Activa has rectified these issues or not.
Thanks again for your valuable opinions. Will decide by this weekend about which scoot to go for with Suzuki Access or Honda Dio.

Ramki

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by ramki067

. Hence, wanted to know whether Honda in the present gen Dio/Activa has rectified these issues or not.
Thanks again for your valuable opinions.
Ramki

These days scooters no matter which brand come with tyres that have a round cross section than the flat ones we find on the cars. Hence, the contact patch is lesser and add to it overinflation of the tyres, it does skid easily. I experienced this with my wave, on which I went sliding over a stretch of road by applying minimal braking. I realised this and released the brakes and hence did not fall. Hence I do keep lower pressures when the roads are wet. Though mileage may be affected, I value safety more than mileage. Hence I feel you will not experience such things with proper air pressures.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Regarding skidding, to be frank the scoot has not skidded till date...

Originally Posted by longhorn

Fortunately I haven't faced any panic braking during rains so far.Vehicle has 65xx kms on the odo now...

Hi guys,
With your valuable opinions we have decided to buy THE HONDA DIO white color itself and booked today. Estimated delivery is 45 days from today. This is the best i got from the dealers near my home.

With due respect to audioholic thread and with permission, i would like to pen my opinion on the dealership experience.
Planet Honda(Rajajinagar): The showroom is shifted to 2nd Floor with no proper stairs and only a rough inclined surface for customers to climb. I doubt any senior citizens would like it. When entered a lady service personnel enquired about our intentions. Gave a brief introduction and said that we have to take compulsorily 5 accessories from them. When asked whether Honda have given any written letter regarding this, they said for RTO norms we have to take it. When asked specific questions she directed to some person called Nagaraj. This guy just said Dio bookings aren't been taken right now and just didn't have the time to answer any of our further questions! How irresponsible and ill treating of customers Just walked of the showroom.

Dhruvesh Honda(Mekri Circle): Sales man greeted us as we entered and gave a prospectus and a quotation saying 2 months waiting period for Activa/Dio.

Prime Honda(Vijaynagar): Very nice showroom indeed. Not much customers and salesman greeted us and gave a quotation saying 45 days waiting. Took a test ride of the Dio and was impressed with the care for customers. Came out happy yesterday. And today we (wife and me) went to the showroom and booked it.

Ramki

[audioholic]

Guess looking the above three dealers, my experience with Silicon Honda was far better. I did not opt for such five accessories. I got the delivery within four days including two holidays. I did not even opt for a number plate and they didn't have a problem with it. Guess you should pay a visit and enquire with them. Even now, apart from a 45 day waiting period for the white activa, other vehicles have a max 15 day waiting period, as per info given by two relatives who booked a White Activa.

PS.: Do me a favour if you can. Dont get those guards fitted please

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by audioholic

PS.: Do me a favour if you can. Dont get those guards fitted please

That is exactly i wanted to ask the next question to you!
Having put the guards at the back, can we put a extra footpeg as in Activa for pillion riders as this trick was suggested somewhere in a review, which would solve the pillion foot keeping issues. Have you tried or have any better solution apart from not putting the guards, as without it i'm sure wifey will scratch every part of the body.

[audioholic]

Well, 90% of the times I ride alone. If at all there is a pillion, it will be for a very short distance, maybe to the nearest grocery shop. Hence, I haven't thought much about it nor have I received any complaint from pillion. I feel that the footrest is also unnecessary in my scoot for my use.

Coming to the foot pegs, the current dio has a wider protusion compared to other scooters, ie the panel itself extends quite wide enough. Hence, resting the foot There wont be an issue. However I doubt if an extra foldable foot peg can be fitted mainly because there is a single bolt at the required point, which might have to be replaced with a longer bolt, thereby allowing a peg to swivel around.

Haven't seen any other dio with extra foot pegs also.

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by audioholic

Haven't seen any other dio with extra foot pegs also.

Could you please post a pic(in broad daylight) from top (view from around seat to pillion footrest area) to pillion footrest area i'm talking about if its possible to you?
A pic would be answering a thousand words!

Thanks in advance.

Ramki