Oct 18, 2002 01:42 PM
4631 Views
(Updated Oct 18, 2002 01:44 PM)
I am a man who goes by looks. Looks are very much important to me. Anything that is attractive, attracts me more than it does to anybody else. And so did this bike from the rulers of motorcycle market in India, Hero Honda, which makes me say, Style does matter. And the styling of Hero Honda CBZ is as attractive as it can get. Wow!!! It has posed a challenge of sorts to other brands when it comes to styling. But has it done enough justice to the buyer in other aspects of the bike? Has the bike got enough performance and is it friendly to your pockets? Well, there are a lot of unanswered questions which I would like to clear. So let us look into the details of the bike and let me help you know the bike better and judge it better.
Firstly the styling. Well this is one area in this bike which has left one with no regrets whatsoever. The most important factor has been the height of the bike. Oooh! Your girlfriend would simply love to be the pillion rider for the comfort it gives with the high back-lift. The headlamp fairing has been awesome and the tail is not bad either. A high amount of glossy paint on the fuel tank and a one-of-a-kind design gives the bike the ''Perfect''look. With broad tyres, and great riding position which the bike offers, you would say that the bike is unmatched by any of the contemporaries in terms of styling. Style, well full points for CBZ.
Next comes the engine. Well the Hero Honda CBZ is basically a four-stroker which bulls ahead with a displacement of 150cc and a power of 12bhp. Well, even this leaves us with no questions anywhere. I think one would definitely be happy with the amount of power this vehicle generates. Whether it is a ride down town or a long journey in the high-way, the CBZ powers ahead of the rest. The engine with a downline placement is very effective. As far as the engine's promise is concerned, I have no regrets really. In fact, I am really happy.
Built on a down-tube single cradle chassi frame, the bike is really strong enough. I didnt find any flaw in the build of this bike and I shall say this bike has a ''Bilkul Perfect'' build. Equipped with a tachometer and a tripmeter, and dynamic vibration dampers, the bike has a Multi-lever lockable seat. The performance of the bike is really good too. With a 5 speed gear box, the bike gives one the needed punch to be off in a flash. With awesome acceleration and a great maximum speed of 100 kmph, the bike rocks. The braking is also pretty good and for a bike with a kerb weight of 115kg, I think disc brakes were very much necessary. And indeed the discs are pretty good. Well, if you are stuck up with tight traffic and suddenly you need to brake, the discs come to the fore and well, you stop at that very point. I am totally satisfied with all the above features.
But if there is one aspect which I am really disappointed then it got to be the mileage that this bike gives. Well, when its contemporaries like Fiero and Pulsar can give around 50 kmpl, I wonder why this bike give a meagre 40 kmpl to start with and reduces drastically over time if not properly maintained. And everyone knows the Indian consumer's mindset. A bike if not giving good mileage is branded as for the rich. So has the CBZ got its name as ''Showky'' bike.
If there is another point that really haunts me then it got to be the performance of the engine over time. It tends to go down a lot and wear along with time. Everything other than these two are wonderful.
In my opinion, I believe that this bike is certainly a winner but then the mileage and performance of the engine with time, reduces its credibility. If in some way, these problems can be overcome then, there is not a bike that can beat Hero Honda CBZ. Well, if you are not a person who would worry a lot about mileage and time factor and would look at style and impressing your girlfriend then you got to be in to buy this bike for I feel it is only CBZ that has got that attractive power. So what else!! Go for it as long as you have enough in your pocket to quench the bike's thirst for fuel.
