2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict

jaganm · 4th December 2019, 07:17

I just used to love the rear grab rail on the original activa. It isn't high tech like everything else, just simple and elegant

Sebring · 4th December 2019, 08:58

What about suspension? Our 2004 Activa is in showroom condition, but the ride is bumpy. So the showroom guys suggested I change the springs to the newer model.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

Yes, we sourced original sticker, which is black in color (2005 model) But you've given a good idea, may be we should've opted for red, would've been something different from the rest for looks.

aargee · 19th December 2019, 20:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebring

What about suspension? Our 2004 Activa is in showroom condition, but the ride is bumpy. So the showroom guys suggested I change the springs to the newer model.

We changed both the suspensions & the ride is awesome

Sebring · 19th December 2019, 20:39

Lovely. How much will the suspension cost please?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

We changed both the suspensions & the ride is awesome

aargee · 20th December 2019, 18:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebring

Lovely. How much will the suspension cost please?

I think some Rs 800 or something, not sure. If I'm visiting the garage tomorrow, I'll find the accurate price for you

aargee · 25th December 2019, 19:51

And finally she came home few weeks ago, nice & pristine. And there's another post coming up on the fantastic FC experience that actually deserves a new post, not sure if it can be merged. That shows the changing face of India as well

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-93cf738a93a041e68f5450f7d58bb58b.jpg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-9092cf4140634521a02467ac4ea0cae8.jpg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-32196256b2414d299283e92eeb31c7f0.jpg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-b92b962f3fdd4ec085364282a0958ef6.jpg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-d65e77ed756149c7b76d3fe440d4750f.jpg

Keeleri_Achu · 9th February 2022, 20:13

Our Activa will turn 15 next month. The decision to restore her was a fairly easy one. Despite all the abuse and neglect endured all these years, she still starts in the first crank and gets the job done without making any fuss.

Condition of the scooter before repairs.

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-pxl_20220106_154641249.jpg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-pxl_20220106_154649840.jpg

The platform was lost to rust. I checked the nearby scrap market for a decent one but every single one of them were rusted beyond hope. Bought a new one for Rs 1500. It turned out to be the single most expensive part that was replaced.

A local painter offered to do the complete painting/denting works for Rs 6000. This was a very good deal as I was quoted Rs 5000 to repaint the front door of my Ignis at Maruti ASS. Bought stickers that were made for 2008 or 2009 models from Flipkart. I think they were made for a different body color as the other stickers ('Honda', 'tuffup' ) turned out to be in black. Didn't bother returning it.

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-pxl_20220209_17280355201.jpeg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-pxl_20220209_17280813101.jpeg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-pxl_20220209_17281848601.jpeg

2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict-pxl_20220209_17282420501.jpeg

I thought about getting a lot of parts replaced preemptively. But my mechanic took a good look at her and told me to replace just what was necessary. The speedometer got stuck at 27k back in 2012 and had since remained disconnected. Got it repaired and reset. All the cables were changed as I had already bought them when I went to get the platform. Interestingly wheel bearings were the only thing that were shot and had to be replaced. The mechanic gave his seal of approval to the rest of the components and they were only cleaned/serviced. It boggles my mind that the majority of components are still stock from the factory. No wonder they sell in millions.

In total, I spent Rs 13000 to get her completely sorted out. The painter took 20 days and the mechanic took only two to complete the job. With new scooter prices getting closer to 6 figures for even the bare basic ones, it makes total sense financially to get your old scooters restored. That is before factoring in any emotional value. Heck, honestly, the Honda 'will to survive' will be the main factor that will probably keep me from jumping to the electric scooter bandwagon

.

ObsessedByFIAT · 10th March 2022, 13:30

I too have an Activa which will be completing a decade with me. The odo currently stands at just 27k kilometres. So, engine wise it's still like new. There a few dings and dents and some color fading, along with a cracked front plastic panel.

The itch to restore it to showroom condition is quite strong. It would be an opportune time as well, I feel.

Reading through the posts and the costs involved, I would love to take the plunge sooner than later.

Thanks for sharing a detailed right up!

4th December 2019, 07:17	#16
jaganm BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 443 Thanked: 631 Times	I just used to love the rear grab rail on the original activa. It isn't high tech like everything else, just simple and elegant
	() Thanks

25th December 2019, 19:51	#21
aargee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: TSTN Posts: 6,355 Thanked: 10,055 Times	Re: 2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict And finally she came home few weeks ago, nice & pristine. And there's another post coming up on the fantastic FC experience that actually deserves a new post, not sure if it can be merged. That shows the changing face of India as well
	(11) Thanks

9th February 2022, 20:13	#22
Keeleri_Achu BHPian Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Thrissur Posts: 183 Thanked: 2,017 Times View My Garage	Re: 2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict Our Activa will turn 15 next month. The decision to restore her was a fairly easy one. Despite all the abuse and neglect endured all these years, she still starts in the first crank and gets the job done without making any fuss. Condition of the scooter before repairs. The platform was lost to rust. I checked the nearby scrap market for a decent one but every single one of them were rusted beyond hope. Bought a new one for Rs 1500. It turned out to be the single most expensive part that was replaced. A local painter offered to do the complete painting/denting works for Rs 6000. This was a very good deal as I was quoted Rs 5000 to repaint the front door of my Ignis at Maruti ASS. Bought stickers that were made for 2008 or 2009 models from Flipkart. I think they were made for a different body color as the other stickers ('Honda', 'tuffup' ) turned out to be in black. Didn't bother returning it. I thought about getting a lot of parts replaced preemptively. But my mechanic took a good look at her and told me to replace just what was necessary. The speedometer got stuck at 27k back in 2012 and had since remained disconnected. Got it repaired and reset. All the cables were changed as I had already bought them when I went to get the platform. Interestingly wheel bearings were the only thing that were shot and had to be replaced. The mechanic gave his seal of approval to the rest of the components and they were only cleaned/serviced. It boggles my mind that the majority of components are still stock from the factory. No wonder they sell in millions. In total, I spent Rs 13000 to get her completely sorted out. The painter took 20 days and the mechanic took only two to complete the job. With new scooter prices getting closer to 6 figures for even the bare basic ones, it makes total sense financially to get your old scooters restored. That is before factoring in any emotional value. Heck, honestly, the Honda 'will to survive' will be the main factor that will probably keep me from jumping to the electric scooter bandwagon.
	(10) Thanks

10th March 2022, 13:30	#23
ObsessedByFIAT BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: - Posts: 978 Thanked: 1,150 Times	Re: 2005 Honda Activa - Refurbish or sell? Another tale of head vs heart conflict I too have an Activa which will be completing a decade with me. The odo currently stands at just 27k kilometres. So, engine wise it's still like new. There a few dings and dents and some color fading, along with a cracked front plastic panel. The itch to restore it to showroom condition is quite strong. It would be an opportune time as well, I feel. Reading through the posts and the costs involved, I would love to take the plunge sooner than later. Thanks for sharing a detailed right up!
	() Thanks