[GRAND23]

Hello BHPians,

I am in dilemma to decide whether to go for honda activa or activa 125?

My dad is getting retired soon, I am looking to buy activa for him as he may spend his retirement days by frequently visiting his native which is located 12kms from my current place.

I own Honda unicorn. I trust Honda brand for its built and reliability. So I have made up mind to go for Honda.

In Bangalore, On-raod price of activa is 56000/- and activa 125 is 63000/-. Accessories are not included.

Plan to buy: August first week

Please help me with pros and cons, so that I make right decision!

[ani_meher]

Very simple decision. Activa 125. But not of 63000rs, buy the top model of around 70000. Your father deserves additional safety and style.

[TheARUN]

I was in a similar situation, that time the Activa 125 was not available so I bought an Activa for my Dad. Trust me, it was freedom on wheels for him, very convenient and he loved it.

If I were you I would go for the Activa. Its the largest selling scooter in India. The Activa 125 is a rebranded Aviator. The Activa has enough performance and is more manageable than the 125, gives better mileage too and is a tried and tested product

There is nothing against the 125. The extra 15cc would not be needed most of the times, its slightly heavier with lesser mileage

Before I forget, looks like you do not have a choice, the 125 has a 4 month waiting period, so guess Honda has made the decision for you, its going to be the Activa

[amit_purohit20]

Activa:
Pros (Over Activa 125):
Nothing other than a reliable scooter.
Weight? Not sure how much the difference is there.

Cons:
Bad after sales and service.
Hard back breaking suspension.

Activa 125:
First and foremost is the comfort that the telescopic suspension should bring. (Personally I have not checked the suspension but a telescopic suspension should bring more comfort than its predecessor.)
More power and pickup.
Disc brake option is a must for safety.

Cons:
Bad after sales and service of Honda.

If I were you I would have also not neglected Suzuki access and Wego. Both of these scooters are reliable scooters too.

[whitewing]

If your dad is 5'8"+ in height, your question should be "Need help in making decision! Aviator DLX or Activa 125?"

I am having a similar same dilemma, but mine is "Aviator OR Activa 125 OR Wego". I tried a TD with both Hondas (not yet tried the Wego) - the normal 1KM TD in front of the showroom with no potholes to ride into.

My impressions
- There was a slight/negligible difference in acceleration, activa 125 was better. I did not do a TD of activa, but since aviator and activa 110 share the same engine, I guess the outcome should be the same.
- There should be a noticeable difference in pulling power for 2 medium sized Indians(~75Kg*2), though the Activa 125 should be definitely better on this front.
- The main difference I felt was in the seating posture(The seat and handle height). This alters the seating profile a bit (I am a shade short of 6').
The aviator encourages a more upright position while on the the Activa I had to have a slightly lean forward position. But that would be important only for longer drives, which I would not be doing.
- The seat was wider on the activa than the aviator. I liked the seats on the aviator.
- Did not try out emergency breaking, but both come with combi-breaks and discs on the front.
- cost wise, compared to the overall package, aviator dlx seems to be a better choice compared to the activa 125.


If you are comparing activa 110, do have look at the mahindra rodeo. It had the largest storage space and the widest area near the foot well plus the fuel cap is at the front and no more hassle of raising the seat to put in fuel.
But the resale value will be horrendous, I know since I have its earlier sibling - the kinetic nova and was offered the princely sum of 2K at the honda showroom, that too because the bike was in good condition!

[MetalBuff]

The Activa 125 should be a better choice due to the front telescopic suspension which the Activa 110 lacks. I own the latter and even 12km drives (to office) get tiring at times (jarring ride and thuds from the front to be blamed).

If i was hunting for a gearless scoot at this point in time, it would be none other than the 125 version. Good luck shopping

-Shivang Gandotra

[balenopower]

Go for the Activa 125 eyes closed. I own the regular 110cc Activa and have also been using the Activa 125 for a couple of months.

One, the extra performance not only gives you better acceleration when you need it but also makes overtaking a lot more easier than on the regular Activa.

Two, the trailing link suspension on the 110 activa belongs to the 1960's. It's horrendous compared to the more modern and much more comfortable telescopic front set-up.

Three, I am regularly getting over 47 kmpl while the regular Activa now with HET manages about 50. So not a considerable diff in mileage.

Lastly, 12 inch wheels upfront and disc option which I suggest you should go for, offers a fantastic ride and brilliant braking. It's also got a digital fuel gauge and a trip meter which comes handy. Frankly the activa 110 does not hold a candle to the 125.

PS: the red ones my baby, while the pic with the 125 is just before I did a 165 km ride on it without breaking a sweat!

[HorsPwr]

I second balenopower on this. I would any given day go for a telescopic suspension in a scooter. I hate those Vijay-Super-Type front suspension on the 110 Activa; one of the reasons I went for the Duro DZ for my dad. But considering that you may have to wait for such a long period of time, I feel you might go for the Activa 110. If you are not in a hurry, I strongly recommend you wait and buy a better product, with better safety features for your dad

[GRAND23]

@Whitewing! Thanks for the detailed information. I have not test drived the aviator. But I will do before making decision.

Thanks to all!

[ani_meher]

IF Honda
THEN
IF 125 cc
THEN Activa 125
ELSE Aviator DLX
ENDIF
ELSE
Suzuki Swish/Mahindra offerings
ENDIF

But I remember that Aviator was rumored to be phased out. Check before committing. I won't suggest Access 125, doesn't age well.

[sam_sant2005]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

Cons:
Bad after sales and service of Honda.

Little surprised over your CONS. Can you please detail what made you say this? We need details on your previous bikes/scooters and which you think has a better after sales according to you. People refer to Honda and Yamaha for good service in Bangalore, so just want to understand why you felt so.

[amit_purohit20]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

Little surprised over your CONS. Can you please detail what made you say this? We need details on your previous bikes/scooters and which you think has a better after sales according to you. People refer to Honda and Yamaha for good service in Bangalore, so just want to understand why you felt so.

Just read through blogs, you will find scores and scores of comments against the sales and service centres of Honda. That are more data points to make your decision on rather to one or two examples of my personal experience.

I do not own a honda bike personally but that doesnot snatch the right from me of my opinion. I have personal experiences of my cousins and other friends who gone through this torture.

You can read comments from other persons also on this same blog who have commented the same. Service centres are less in numbers and the sales are increasing leading to chaos at service centres. Also the high headedness shown by the Service centres is because of the high sales.

[sam_sant2005]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

Just read through blogs, you will find scores and scores of comments against the sales and service centres of Honda. That are more data points to make your decision on rather to one or two examples of my personal experience.

I do not own a honda bike personally but that doesnot snatch the right from me of my opinion. I have personal experiences of my cousins and other friends who gone through this torture.

You can read comments from other persons also on this same blog who have commented the same. Service centres are less in numbers and the sales are increasing leading to chaos at service centres. Also the high headedness shown by the Service centres is because of the high sales.

Fair enough.
But what I was pondering is how, for example, Bajaj would manage the high inflow of vehicles. I just bought a used ZMA and my experience with the best service center in Bangalore was horrendous (again yes due to the large number of bikes they 'attempt' to service each day). So it comes down to a general conclusion that most service centers are bad?

[autocrat]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

Fair enough.
But what I was pondering is how, for example, Bajaj would manage the high inflow of vehicles. I just bought a used ZMA and my experience with the best service center in Bangalore was horrendous (again yes due to the large number of bikes they 'attempt' to service each day). So it comes down to a general conclusion that most service centers are bad?

Amit, I do not trust most of the blogs out there. Whats Team-BHP for?

Sam, I do agree that most authorised service centers are not up to the mark. However there are some which are decent, and even in poor service centers, if we build a good rapport with the service advisors / mechanics, our vehicles may get better attention.

My father has an Activa thats almost a decade old, and run 53000+km, the engine is still smooth as butter and runs well.

[ghodlur]

As others have suggested the choice is 125 over the old 110 purely for one simple reason that 125 has front telescopic suspensions. The 110 has the spring loaded one and it suffers from the poor suspensions. The road bumps are transfered to the rider and the ride becoming tiring after a few kms. Havent test driven the 125 but surely it must have better ride quality, good performance and fuel efficiency when compared to the old one. 125 wil leave a bigger hole in the pocket but that should be compensated by better features.

Now where does this leave the Activa-i?