[TusharK]

Honda has unveiled the Activa 125 FI. It is the company's first BS-VI compliant scooter and will be available by the end of the second quarter of this fiscal year.



The BS-VI version of the Activa 125 is powered by a new 125cc, single-cylinder engine. It uses Honda's PGM-FI HET (Honda Eco Technology) and Honda Enhanced Smart Power (eSP) that is claimed to improve combustion and minimize friction.

Instead of a conventional starter, the scooter uses the AC generator that is used to generate electricity and charge the battery while riding to start the engine. The force required to start the engine is reduced by the Swing Back feature which rotates the engine in the opposite direction and by slightly opening the exhaust valves.



Honda has also redesigned the shape of the inlet port to produce tumble flow that is claimed to improve combustion. In addition to a compact combustion chamber, the Activa 125 FI gets an offset cylinder, lightweight and compact crankshaft and piston.

The Activa 125 FI comes with a new instrument cluster with a digital readout that gives real time information about the range, average fuel consumption and real-time fuel economy. It displays Total Trip, clock, ECO indicator, service due indicator and side stand indicator. The scooter also has an engine inhibitor which prevents the rider from starting the engine if the side stand in engaged.

The updated Activa 125 comes with an LED headlight with LED position lamps. It has a front glove box, integrated dual function switch and an external fuel lid. It comes equipped with the Combi-Brake System (CBS) and has a 3-step adjustable rear suspension.

Link to Team-BHP News

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The force required to start the engine is reduced by the Swing Back feature which rotates the engine in the opposite direction and by slightly opening the exhaust valves.

Will be interesting to see if this works.

AFAIK - Activa has always been a pain to start in the mornings, and the problem has persisted over generations. My Hero Meastro had inherited this issue as well.

[SS80]

Wow, this will certainly sell like hot cakes. Activa always had its strong fan following, especially with the work & family oriented crowd. If I am right, this would be India's first FI scooter. Hopefully should give better throttle response post 60kmph, although not many would ride at that speed.

Existing Activa 125 is priced @ 85K+ on road Bangalore, so expect this to hit the 6 digit figure.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

AFAIK - Activa has always been a pain to start in the mornings, and the problem has persisted over generations. My Hero Meastro had inherited this issue as well.

HET or non HET? We own a 2005 model clocked 34K, way too less, yet has been a near zero trouble until now. It has been more than abused in all these years, yet hasn't given up.

To answer the starting trouble, there're instance where we haven't started the vehicle for over 2 weeks & when we come & press the start button, it never complains. But yes, battery at that time was nearly 2 years old new.

And yes, we use it for atleast 3-4 Km almost everyday.

[Thilak29]

Old Wine in a new bottle? Except for minor tweak to engine/starting mechanism, this is prev gen activa ! Wonder when will Honda bring Bluetooth connectivity to scooters, at least to reflect map directions or telematics information.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by TusharK

...

Instead of a conventional starter, the scooter uses the AC generator that is used to generate electricity and charge the battery while riding to start the engine. The force required to start the engine is reduced by the Swing Back feature which rotates the engine in the opposite direction and by slightly opening the exhaust valves.

...

Does this mean that the Activa had a integral starter-generator? If it does, I would be very impressed. Even most hybrid cars don't have that!

This exhaust valve opening feature sounds like marketing speak for and engine decompressor that is commonly found in many 2 wheelers in India. Can someone find out how this works?

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by aargee

HET or non HET? We own a 2005 model clocked 34K, way too less, yet has been a near zero trouble until now. It has been more than abused in all these years, yet hasn't given up.

To answer the starting trouble, there're instance where we haven't started the vehicle for over 2 weeks & when we come & press the start button, it never complains. But yes, battery at that time was nearly 2 years old new.

And yes, we use it for atleast 3-4 Km almost everyday.

Why you don't face the starting trouble is highlighted in bold in your post. The first generation Activa was a quality product. Other than the slightly lower FE, it was a better product on all other counts. The later generations have been watered down. The first gen model had a larger battery too. The current ones have a smaller battery which is why we face starting trouble in the morning if the vehicle is not regularly used.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by longhorn

Why you don't face the starting trouble is highlighted in bold in your post. The first generation Activa was a quality product. Other than the slightly lower FE, it was a better product on all other counts. The later generations have been watered down. The first gen model had a larger battery too. The current ones have a smaller battery which is why we face starting trouble in the morning if the vehicle is not regularly used.

I think the reason for the morning starting trouble had nothing to do with the product quality. It has to do with emission regulations that have changed from BS1 or BS2 when the Activa was launched to the current BS4. The stricter regulations require low emissions even from cold engines. In order to achieve that most two wheeler engines are tuned very lean at low speeds. However the lean mixture is not easy to ignite, particularly when the engine is cold, and that's the reason why you are facing starting trouble. The lower fuel economy of the old model is also because of the same (but inverse) reason - the carburettor was tuned a bit richer.

The solution is to tune the carburettor a bit rich, if it is possible. Check in the manual or a mechanic on how to do that.

Also use the "choke" without operating the accelerator during cold starts. This will enrich the mixture and help start faster.

Ensure that the disk plug is clean and that the gap is set correctly. Replace the spark plug if it is old. Sometimes the ceramic insulator on the spark plug can crack leading to poor or no spark.

As for the size of the battery, it is the same as in a Yamaha R15 that has a fuel pump, radiator fan and other electrical loads. So the size is adequate.

[Sebring]

I'm sorry but this looks like a new gen Fi engine to me. Hero Honda (Now, Hero) Glamour has always been the only other vehicle to get this PGM engine. We are retiring our 2003 Honda Activa with no reliability issues whatsoever (hence, the heavy heart), for this new gen model. The old model headlights are pathetic, with a bulb change not helping at all. NTORQ like Bluetooth connectivity and maps support will be sorely missed here.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

Except for minor tweak to engine/starting mechanism, this is prev gen activa

[fordday]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

The solution is to tune the carburettor a bit rich, if it is possible. Check in the manual or a mechanic on how to do that.

Also use the "choke" without operating the accelerator during cold starts. This will enrich the mixture and help start faster.

Ensure that the disk plug is clean and that the gap is set correctly. Replace the spark plug if it is old. Sometimes the ceramic insulator on the spark plug can crack leading to poor or no spark.

The Activa starting problem in the mornings deserve a separate thread, I think. It is a regular complaint among many I know.

I have 2010 Activa 110 Dlx model. On a normal day it takes 25-30 kicks to start in the mornings. Out of this I do 5-10 kicks with the ignition OFF, rest with ON. Self start hardly responds.

Even with a new battery it did not behave any better. It only tries with feeble whirr. But fails miserably. I lost all hope.

But once it warms up it starts with single push of the self start.

[Yieldway17]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Will be interesting to see if this works.

AFAIK - Activa has always been a pain to start in the mornings, and the problem has persisted over generations. My Hero Meastro had inherited this issue as well.

I had the problem only until 1st service on my 2016 Activa 125. I regretted buying it as it would require 2 mins sometimes to warmup and start even with choke. But the problem disappeared for me magically after first service in 3 months and never reappeared again till now (2 years) . Starts fine now with a single press even with my irregular usage.

[NiInJa]

Thank you Honda, after two decades, you finally offered a solution to reduce the 'back-kick'. I have had sore ankles so many times because of this problem, we are using fourth Honda scooter in our family right now and all of them had this issue.

I have ridden Fuel injected Honda scooters in Indonesia, and the best part is the throttle response they offer along with the already smooth engines. The pick-up is so crisp and precise that one actually enjoys wringing the throttle in stop and go traffic. Would not mind trading our 3 year old Dio for FI ones if Honda comes with a buy-back offer.

The only issue I see compared to TVS Jupiter is the Activa has comparatively smaller wheelbase, that makes it 'flickable' but also a little nervous. It gets swayed easily on highways especially when riding alone.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Does this mean that the Activa had a integral starter-generator? If it does, I would be very impressed. Even most hybrid cars don't have that!

Why look at hybrids when our own TVS XL iTouchStart has it and was the first to bring it to our shores.





Cant believe no ones screaming copy-cat since if it were the other way around people would've started a riot by now.

Though about the swing back feature, isn't it supposed to be the intake valve that opens up when you turn the motor in reverse from BTDC before compression stroke. Would love to know how they've designed this to work.

[chandras1]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

Old Wine in a new bottle? Except for minor tweak to engine/starting mechanism, this is prev gen activa ! Wonder when will Honda bring Bluetooth connectivity to scooters, at least to reflect map directions or telematics information.

Not exactly, you get a fuel injected engine and a better starter motor too.
Apart from this, what I like best is the petrol tank lid is now positioned outside the boot, much like TVS Jupiter, but an improvement as the knob to open it is next to the key hole. Nice work!

[NiInJa]

Originally Posted by fordday

I have 2010 Activa 110 Dlx model. On a normal day it takes 25-30 kicks to start in the mornings. Out of this I do 5-10 kicks with the ignition OFF, rest with ON. Self start hardly responds.
But once it warms up it starts with single push of the self start.

I had same issue, the problem is not with battery but the carburettor. There is a compartment in carburettor (float chamber) that stores some fuel for starting up properly next time. The earlier models had this weird problem where the fuel in it used to evaporate/leak when kept idle for long time, don't know why that happened. When you kick or start multiple times that particular compartment fills up and the engine starts properly. Then, while it is still in use, the scooter starts properly as long as the float chamber is filled. For me the scooter used to start properly if used after every two days, if not used for three days at a stretch, then I would have to kick it multiple times. The Activa 3G and Dio that we have now don't have this issue. Cold start can be a problem sometimes but usually it starts with choke on.