Its been 1 month, I have been looking for a scooter(Unisex). With lot of research and test rides, I would like to comprehend my observations, for others to let them make easy decision in future. And yes, the review is less in Tech, more in Practicality. Scooters with bad Shock absorbers are down right rejected.
The List -
*Honda Aviator
*Honda Activa 125.
*Yamaha Alpha.
*TVS Jupiter.
*Suzuki Swiss.
Looks(i know its subjective)-
1.Honda Aviator: Hell of a looker. Brilliant road presence.
2.Suzuki Swiss: Looks fresh, Distinguished.
3.TVS Jupiter: Looks simple, gentle, Calm.
4.Yamaha Alfa: Ugly from back, Good from front.
5.Honda activa 125: Looks confused from side an back(Old Activa looks better). Front is saving grace.
Performance and handling-
Frankly, I could not feel much difference among them. :biggrin:(Though I wasnt able to ride any of them Past 60Kmph), But all the scooters are fairly refined.
1.Suzuki Swiss- Felt Faster. This one can take a lot of abuse.
2.Honda Activa 125- I could not even take the scooter above 40Kmph, due to the Dusshera Rush near the Showroom. But it pulls brilliantly.
3.TVS Jupiter- Nothing path breaking. Felt like the old Activa, But does with little more confident as Handling is brilliant. Zigzaging Traffic is damn easy.
4.Honda Aviater- Matter of fact, this is the true competition to Jupiter not the Activa. It handles and performs same as Jupiter.
5. Yamaha Alfa- Frankly felt almost same as Jupiter, But handling was just OK. But refinement level is great. Least sounding scooter.
Ride Quality-
This was very important in my decision making.
(Not tried Pillion ride quality)
1.TVS Jupiter: One aspect, you cannot beat the Jupiter. Here TVS has done its homework in advance. You can compare the feel to a stiff Motorcycle Suspension(A scoot cant do any better).
2.Honda Aviator- This is why I say, this is the real competitor to Jupiter. Ride is good. Take bumps well. Though looks big, Actually feels light while riding. Its a tall scooter, hence Guys above 5'10" would have no issue.
3.Suzuki Swiss/Yamaha Alfa- As good as Aviator if not better.
5.Honda Activa-I thought it might be same as Aviator, but for some reasons, I wasnt convinced.
Quality and Feel-
1.Honda Aviator- No Competition, if you dont bring the Vespa into proportion. It looks, Feel premium in every aspect, Also comes with Disc brake(a big +).
2.Suzuki Swiss- Fresh scooter, hence feel good factor. Good switch gear quality.
3.TVS Jupiter- The Matte Finish make is look really premium. Quality is Great as well.
4.Yamaha Alfa- When you are riding a Yamaha, you have to feel better. Excellent quality. Certain paint schemes can further improve it.
5.Honda activa 125- Nothing extra ordinary, feels like old activa from back(even the rear wheel is of same spec). I expected more premiumness here. Frankly, they should have plonked the 125CC engine in Aviator.
If I had to get a scooter solely for myself, it would have been the Aviator hands down(even though its pricey). But I had to keep in mind, its going to be a family scooter and could be easily ridden and controlled by my father and my short Girlfriend(Would be wife next year) .
The Yamaha didnt really excite me(First time I felt for a Yamaha produst). Even the Ray had mighty impressed me. I had got one for my cousin sister, who was hell bent on Hero plesure previously. This one has nothing out of box.
The New activa is a dissapointment to be frank. They could have done it better.
Hence with a little compromise, I had two options Suzuki Swiss and TVS Jupiter.
The Swiss is a perfect scoot. Great combination of Power and Ridability. But has a higher sitting position and service quality of Suzuki still limited.
I would opt for TVS Jupiter. Its a easy to ride scoot for the whole family. Had very good experience with TVS in the past with StaR City(2006) and RTR 180(2009), which made things easy.
PS: The TVS Wego was also in the propertion, but There is no difference in Jupiter and Wego except Jupiter is slight heavier than Wego.
The List -
*Honda Aviator
*Honda Activa 125.
*Yamaha Alpha.
*TVS Jupiter.
*Suzuki Swiss.
Looks(i know its subjective)-
1.Honda Aviator: Hell of a looker. Brilliant road presence.
2.Suzuki Swiss: Looks fresh, Distinguished.
3.TVS Jupiter: Looks simple, gentle, Calm.
4.Yamaha Alfa: Ugly from back, Good from front.
5.Honda activa 125: Looks confused from side an back(Old Activa looks better). Front is saving grace.
Performance and handling-
Frankly, I could not feel much difference among them. :biggrin:(Though I wasnt able to ride any of them Past 60Kmph), But all the scooters are fairly refined.
1.Suzuki Swiss- Felt Faster. This one can take a lot of abuse.
2.Honda Activa 125- I could not even take the scooter above 40Kmph, due to the Dusshera Rush near the Showroom. But it pulls brilliantly.
3.TVS Jupiter- Nothing path breaking. Felt like the old Activa, But does with little more confident as Handling is brilliant. Zigzaging Traffic is damn easy.
4.Honda Aviater- Matter of fact, this is the true competition to Jupiter not the Activa. It handles and performs same as Jupiter.
5. Yamaha Alfa- Frankly felt almost same as Jupiter, But handling was just OK. But refinement level is great. Least sounding scooter.
Ride Quality-
This was very important in my decision making.
(Not tried Pillion ride quality)
1.TVS Jupiter: One aspect, you cannot beat the Jupiter. Here TVS has done its homework in advance. You can compare the feel to a stiff Motorcycle Suspension(A scoot cant do any better).
2.Honda Aviator- This is why I say, this is the real competitor to Jupiter. Ride is good. Take bumps well. Though looks big, Actually feels light while riding. Its a tall scooter, hence Guys above 5'10" would have no issue.
3.Suzuki Swiss/Yamaha Alfa- As good as Aviator if not better.
5.Honda Activa-I thought it might be same as Aviator, but for some reasons, I wasnt convinced.
Quality and Feel-
1.Honda Aviator- No Competition, if you dont bring the Vespa into proportion. It looks, Feel premium in every aspect, Also comes with Disc brake(a big +).
2.Suzuki Swiss- Fresh scooter, hence feel good factor. Good switch gear quality.
3.TVS Jupiter- The Matte Finish make is look really premium. Quality is Great as well.
4.Yamaha Alfa- When you are riding a Yamaha, you have to feel better. Excellent quality. Certain paint schemes can further improve it.
5.Honda activa 125- Nothing extra ordinary, feels like old activa from back(even the rear wheel is of same spec). I expected more premiumness here. Frankly, they should have plonked the 125CC engine in Aviator.
If I had to get a scooter solely for myself, it would have been the Aviator hands down(even though its pricey). But I had to keep in mind, its going to be a family scooter and could be easily ridden and controlled by my father and my short Girlfriend(Would be wife next year) .
The Yamaha didnt really excite me(First time I felt for a Yamaha produst). Even the Ray had mighty impressed me. I had got one for my cousin sister, who was hell bent on Hero plesure previously. This one has nothing out of box.
The New activa is a dissapointment to be frank. They could have done it better.
Hence with a little compromise, I had two options Suzuki Swiss and TVS Jupiter.
The Swiss is a perfect scoot. Great combination of Power and Ridability. But has a higher sitting position and service quality of Suzuki still limited.
I would opt for TVS Jupiter. Its a easy to ride scoot for the whole family. Had very good experience with TVS in the past with StaR City(2006) and RTR 180(2009), which made things easy.
PS: The TVS Wego was also in the propertion, but There is no difference in Jupiter and Wego except Jupiter is slight heavier than Wego.