Honda Bikes

By offering new colours, Honda ADV 160 is carried forward to MY2023 with minimal to no changes over MY20222023 Honda ADV 160cc ScooterWith growing demand and to cater to a wider audience, variations within scooters are a go to sales strategy. Choices are wide-ranging. We now have three-wheeled scooters, touring scooters with varied engine displacements, daily commute scooters, and sporty scooters as well. Powertrains too differ between regular ICE and EV.Honda ADV 160 is a cross between a sporty scooter and an ADV motorcycle. Honda has cleverly inculcated ADV elements into this scooter to create something unique. It is launched in Indonesia and teased in other ASEAN markets. For MY2023, Honda has made certain changes for ADV 160. Let’s take a look.2023 Honda ADV 160cc ScooterOn keen observation, not a lot has changed over the outgoing model. This is a good thing as Honda ADV 160 was a sorted product in most aspects. Even mechanically, Honda seems to have carried over ADV 160 as is including its performance figures. What is changed over MY2022, is new colour options and graphics, which seem to be inspired by Honda’s ADV motorcycles range.It is the spiritual successor to ADV 150, which was first unveiled at 2019 GIIAS (Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show) held in Jakarta. With ADV 160, Honda is playing the premium card and gets a lot of goodies to back up its price. Design holds on to its own too and radiates a premium appeal.2023 Honda ADV 160cc ScooterWhat we’re looking at is a maxi-styled scooter with ADV elements like block pattern tyres for maximum grip. The front apron is dominated by twin LED headlight design that somewhat resembles that of Africa Twin. There are LED DRLs on top of headlights and above them, we have LED turn indicators. A tall adjustable windscreen completes the front design of 2023 Honda ADV 160cc Scooter.Except for not being a step-through scooter, Honda ADV 160 offers every creature comfort that one would hope for. Rider gets a relaxed riding position that will help in long stretches of roads. A generous seat ensures adequate wiggle room for the rider and offers enough comfort and support. Aiding comfort further are 14” front wheels and 13” rear.Specs & FeaturesThe 157 cc single-cylinder 4V engine still makes 16 bhp of power and 14.7 Nm of torque. Honda Selectable Torque Control (technically traction control system) ensures optimum traction for maximum grip and performance with block pattern tyres in varied terrains.2023 Honda ADV 160cc ScooterHonda ADV 160 gets 240 mm disc up front and 220 mm disc at the rear and gets CBS (Combi Brake System). Suspension components from Showa should add to the scooter’s riding dynamics. There is a fully digital instrument console that gets blue backlighting.Honda has launched this in Indonesia and prices go till IDR 39.25 million (approx Rs. 2.05 lakh). India launch is not yet confirmed. Looks like we have to wait longer while ASEAN markets get to experience this combination of style, performance and convenience. If it does launch in India, it will directly rival Yamaha Aerox 155. More

When launched in India, Honda XRE300 ADV will take on rivals such as BMW G310 GS, KTM 390 Adventure, Himalayan and Yezdi AdventureHonda 300cc ADV in India – 2023 Auto ExpoIn a welcome development for off-road enthusiasts, Honda XRE300 ADV has been showcased at Auto Expo 2023. Last year in October, the bike was seen testing alongside KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G310GS, as part of its benchmarking exercise.Honda XRE300 ADV launch in India is quite possible, as the entry-level ADV segment has been gaining popularity in the country. Honda has already registered the XRE 300 trademark in India ahead of launch.Honda 300cc Adv MotorcycleA proper dual-sport bike, Honda XRE300 ADV will have better capabilities against the likes of road-biased machines such as KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G310 GS. What immediately gets our attention is the tall stance of the bike. Excluding the front fairing that appears to add some bulk, the rest of the bike has a slender profile.Some of the key highlights of Honda XRE300 ADV include full-LED lighting, raised fender beak, aggressive headlamp cowl, sculpted fuel tank, digital instrument console, underseat exhaust and luggage rack. Riding stance seems fairly comfortable with centrally mounted footpegs and pulled-back handlebar. The handlebar is raised at an appropriate level to ensure optimal control and balance while riding standing-up on the footpegs.Honda 300cc ADV in India – 2023 Auto ExpoHonda XRE300 ADV engine, specsIn overseas markets such as Brazil, Honda XRE300 ADV is equipped with a 291.6cc, single-cylinder air-cooled motor. The engine is a flex-fuel unit that can run on both petrol and ethanol. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. When running on petrol, the engine churns out 25.4 hp of max power at 7,500 rpm and 27.6 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. On ethanol, the numbers are slightly increased to 25.6 hp and 28 Nm.Some of the equipment is there specifically for off-road tracks. It includes wire-spoke wheels and a dedicated brace for the handlebar. The bike has 21-inch wheel at front and 18-inch wheel at rear, shod with knobby dual-purpose tyres.Off-roading capabilities are supported by telescopic front forks with 245 mm of travel and rear monoshock with 225 mm travel. Another advantageous factor is high ground clearance of 259 mm. The bike has disc brakes at both ends and dual-channel ABS is offered as standard.Honda 300cc ADV in India – 2023 Auto ExpoWhile most features seem good, seat height of 860 mm could create accessibility issues. This is especially true for shorter riders. In an off-road environment, easy access to the ground is necessary to prevent frequent falls and crashes. At 860 mm, Honda XRE300 is even taller than KTM 390 Adventure.However, Honda 300cc Adv Motorcycle does benefit from its relatively lightweight body of just 148 kg. In comparison, rivals KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G310GS weigh 177 kg and 175 kg, respectively. In Brazil, Honda XRE300 ADV is available at a starting price of BRL 25,600 (approx. Rs 4.08 lakh). In India, the bike could be launched at nearabout Rs 3 lakh.Source More

Honda CL300 will be fun to ride on the streets and also seems ready for some mild off-roadsNew Honda 300cc Scrambler – CL300After showcasing CL500 scrambler at 2022 EICMA, Honda has now unveiled its smaller sibling CL300. For now, CL300 is a China exclusive motorcycle, where it has made its global debut. New Honda 300cc scrambler will be launched in China first, later this year. It will be manufactured by Sundiro Honda.In the near future, CL300 could also be introduced in other international markets, including India. When launched in India, it could take on the likes of Royal Enfield Hunter 350, Yezdi Scrambler, etc. Honda has already trademarked CL300 in other countries such as Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. European markets could also get this bike at a later date.Honda CL300 stylingHonda CL300 has a bare bones design, with round headlamps and rear-view mirrors. Other key highlights include all-LED setup, fork gaiters, a circular fully digital instrument pod, sculpted fuel tank with grip pads and flat seat in quilted pattern. Most distinguishable feature is the high-mounted exhaust with perforated heat shield cover in metallic finish.Riding stance is fairly comfortable with centrally placed footpegs and pulled-back handlebar. The bike’s design supports riding standing-up, which comes handy in no-road environments. Even shorter riders shouldn’t have any issues with this bike, as it has a low seat height of 790 mm. Tackling mild off-roads would be fun with ample ground clearance of 165 mm. Another advantageous factor is a lightweight 172 kg body, which is around 19 kg less than Honda Rebel 300.New Honda 300cc Scrambler – CL300CL300 is being offered in two variants, a Standard and a Premium version. The latter gets some additional goodies, which will appeal to folks who want their rides to carry a lot more flair and attitude. Honda CL300 Premium variant gets features such as compact body-coloured windscreen, raised front beak, body-coloured knuckle guards, side mounted tracker number plate and tan leather seat.Colour options for Honda CL300 include black, white and light grey. In case of the Standard variant, differentiation is pretty basic with the respective shade applied only on the fuel tank. Rest of the bike has a largely blacked-out profile. Visible metallic finish is seen on the headlamp casing, front suspension and exhaust heat shield.Honda CL300 engine, specsHonda CL300 borrows the 286cc, single cylinder motor from Rebel 300. This unit is also in use with Honda CB300R. However, on-board CL300, power output is at 25.7 hp. That’s 5 hp less, as compared to CB300R. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.New Honda 300cc Scrambler – CL300CL300’s main chassis is the same as Rebel, but it gets a different rear subframe that is taller. This change was necessitated to accommodate CL300’s flat single-piece seat. Suspension duties onboard Honda CL300 are performed by telescopic forks at front and a monoshock unit at rear.The bike has single disc brakes at both ends, integrated with dual-channel ABS. As compared to Rebel that has 16-inch wheels, Honda CL300 has 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels. These are shod with dual-purpose tyres, with a fatter unit at rear for enhanced traction. More

There is a very high possibility that Honda 2W showcasing smart hybrid tech branded as H-Smart on January 23rdImage for illustration purpose.Honda 2W is currently the No 1 scooter manufacturer of India. Sales easily hover around 1.5 lakh units per month and peak at up to 2.5 lakh units per month during festive seasons. Honda markets Activa brand unlike anything else. We recently saw a glimpse of it in a billboard war between a few delivery apps.Honda 2W just dropped a new teaser on social media. According to this, Honda is planning to introduce a new tech on January 23rd, 2023. With words like H-Smart stealing the spotlight in the teaser, there is a lot to look forward to.Honda Activa Smart Hybrid Scooter?For years, Honda 2W used to come slapped with HET stickers on their scooters and motorcycles. It is abbreviated to Honda Eco Technology. This sticker used to be on almost every 2W that came out of the Honda factory in the BS4 era. Now, it is eSP. Honda says that eSP is a globally acclaimed technology to reduce friction and improve combustion.This eSP sticker is slapped on almost every Honda 2W post-BS6 transition. Based on Honda’s new teaser on social media, it seems like there is a new tech that the company is working on. This teaser clearly indicates a curated harmony between man and machine. In this case, a machine is not a literal machine. Instead, it is AI.New Honda Smart Hybrid Launch TeaserWe can also see a new term on top. It is H-Smart. The name indicates that Honda is developing a new kind of hybrid system that is aimed at improving efficiency and lowering the carbon footprint and running costs for owners. On the surface, it can be speculated that Honda is developing a new smart-hybrid system that has a separate battery and is recharged with regenerative tech like found on an EV.The hand of a machine and AI words indicate that Honda is using self-learning AI algorithms to observe and record user riding patterns and deploy best possible methods to recharge batteries via regeneration. Stop/start feature can also be a part of upcoming H-Smart tech. Considering Activa is their best-selling scooter, it could be the launch of Honda Activa Hybrid on 23rd Jan 2023.What To Expect?Something similar is found on Yamaha Fascino and Ray ZR. Yamaha claims 60 km/l fuel efficiency on these and few users swear by it as well. All Honda motorcycles with this new tech will get H-Smart branding on them to signify it.There is a possibility of Honda showcasing a high-voltage strong hybrid architecture as well. With around 0.5 kWh of battery and a starter motor/generator, Honda can offer around 10 to 15 km of pure electric range at around 40 km/h speed. For longer commutes, ICE is always at the user’s disposal. This would be a halo tech that won’t probably make it to budget vehicles.Whatever it is, is likely to be offered with budget commuters and scooter lineups to increase fuel efficiency figures. There would be a price hike accompanied with this new tech as well. Before introducing EVs, Honda seems to be keen on bringing hybrid tech to their 2W lineup. More

Honda Activa is the highest selling scooter in India – And that too by a huge marginHonda Activa is no 1 selling scooter of IndiaBillboard wars are common sightings in most parts of the world. We have seen Ford and Chevy by General Motors often indulge in billboard wars. Other notable billboard wars are from Coca-Cola and Pepsi and so on. In India, outside a mall, there was a billboard war between delivery apps Zomato and Blinkit.A dialogue from a Bollywood movie was used as a template here. You must be wondering why we are writing about delivery app billboard tussles, right? That is because HMSI (Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India) swooped right in and used this theme to market its Activa lineup for good measure.Scooter Mangoge, Activa DengeZomato’s billboard read ‘kheer mangoge, kheer denge’, while Blinkit’s billboard read ‘doodh mangoge, doodh denge’. Netflix too joined, saying ‘Wednesday mangoge, Friday denge’. Honda saw a marketing opportunity here and got a billboard installed which read “Scooter mangoge, Activa denge”. This is a nod to how popular Activa has become in today’s date.Not just today’s date, Activa has been dominating the scooter market for years now. With sales easily hovering around 1.5 lakh units and peaking at around 2.5 lakh units during festive season, Activa is notoriously known to have decimated its rivals in terms of sales. In 2022, Honda sold a whopping 20,12,515 units of Activa.Honda joins viral ad of Zomato, BlinkitWhen opposed to 6,68,829 and 4,39,500 units of Jupiter and Access, Activa sales are far ahead. If top 10 scooters are concerned, Activa’s sales will be greater than the first 7 or 8 highest-selling scooter sales combined. If you take a look at the table below, it is evident that Activa sales are almost more than triple as opposed to the immediate next highest-selling scooter.Honda scooter sales in Jan – Nov 2022Very few scooters in the Indian market have achieved such legendary status. Some of the others include Chetak by Bajaj, a word synonymous with scooters in its glory days. Chetak is now resurrected in an EV form by Bajaj Auto.Activa is Scooter, Scooter is ActivaThe Activa name is so popular that even Honda chose to use just one of its brands to market their scooter supremacy. Other scooters in Honda’s arsenal include Dio and Grazia. There used to be Navi and Cliq in Honda India’s scooter portfolio, which have been axed for good reasons.With an upcoming electric scooter in the pipeline, it is highly likely that Honda will try to associate with Activa brand in some way to establish familiarity in its maiden EV venture. This upcoming EV by Honda is set to see the light of day by the end of this year. More

Honda reported YoY growth of 11.87 percent in Dec 2022 while MoM sales fell by as much as 32.97 percentHonda CB350Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) sales in December 2022 stood at 2,50,171 units relating to a growth of 11.87 percent. The company had sold 2,23,621 units in Dec 2021 with a 26,550 unit volume growth.Honda two wheeler sales in the past month reported growth both in terms of domestic sales and exports. Domestic sales were higher by 10.70 percent YoY to 2,33,151 units in Dec 2022 from 2,10,612 units sold in Dec 2021.Honda 2W Sales Dec 2022Domestic sales commanded a 93.20 percent share. Exports on the other hand improved by 30.83 percent YoY to 17,020 units up from 13,009 units sold in Dec 2021 with a 6.80 percent share. It was the likes of Activa, CB Shine, Dio, Grazia and CB350 which helped post sales growth in the domestic market.MoM sales on the other hand dipped 32.97 percent. De-growth was seen both in terms of domestic sales and exports which fell 34.05 percent and 13.52 percent respectively from 3,53,540 units and 19,681 units sold in Nov 2022.Honda Sales Dec 2022Honda 2W CY 2022 SalesTaking into account sales during the calendar year (Jan-Dec) 2022, Honda has noted an 11.94 percent growth. Sales in the first quarter were in the red with de-growth reported across Jan, Feb and Mar to end Q1 with 9,10,472 units, down 25.58 percent from 12,23,375 units sold in Q1 2021. Thereafter sales improved across each month. Q2 2022 ended with a 102.54 percent growth to 9,95,156 units from 4,91,331 units sold in Q2 2021 while H1 2022 sales were up 11.13 percent to 19,05,628 units from 17,14,707 units sold in H1 2021.Honda Sales 2022Q3 2022 sales saw a 9.07 percent increase to 13,14,894 units form 12,05,568 units sold in Q3 2021 and Q4 sales improved by 17.56 percent, thus ending H2 2022 with a 12.61 percent growth to 23,27,577 units from 20,66,973 units sold in H2 2021.Honda 2w In 2022During the course of 2022, Honda saw many achievements. The company announced the limited DIO sports edition and Honda Shine edition along with the 2022 Activa Premium Edition. It achieved 1 crore unit sales for the Shine 125cc and over 2 lakh sales for the Honda Grazia 125 in the eastern region.The past year also saw the launch of the new 2022 Africa Twin Adventure Sports in India while the company brought in the 2022 Gold Wing Tour to India via completely built-up (CBU) route from Japan. There was also the 2022 CB300R and CBR650R models launched in the country in two colour schemes of Grand Prix Red and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic. BigWing dealerships made their way to 31 new cities in India. More

Honda Two wheeler exports fell 18 percent in December 2022; Domestic sales improved by 38 percentImage – Dev MTRAs a leading domestic manufacturer, Honda two-wheelers offers a range of vehicles. For the longest time, Honda has stood in growth territory, driven by the popularity of Activa. Honda has introduced new models in the mid-segment in recent years. In November 2022, domestic sales were reported at 3,53,553 units, up from 2,56,174 units. Volume gain was just shy of a lakh units at 38 percent growth.Activa remains the golden egg laying goose at 1,75,084 units. Volume growth stood at 51k units, up from 1,24,082 units at 41 percent growth. CB Shine sales crossed a lakh at 1,14,965 units, up from 83,622 units. Volume growth was at 31k units at 37.5 percent growth.Honda 2W Sales Breakup Nov 2022Unicorn sales almost doubled at 28,729 units, up from 15,555 units. Volume gain stood at 13,174 units at 84.69 percent. Dio sales too almost doubled up at 16,102 units from 8,522 units. Volume gain stood at 7,580 units at 88.95 percent growth.Livo sales fell from 7,416 units to 6,089 units. Volume decline stood at 17.89 percent at volume loss of 1,327 units. Dream units sales fell to 4,613 units from almost 8k units. Grazia sales fell to less than half down at 2,579 units from 5,448 units. Hness CB350 sales were at 2k units down from 2.3k units. Hornet 2.0 sales were reported at 1,655 units. CB300R sales were reported at 367 units. CB200X sales fell to 93 units. 11 units of CBR 650 were sold, and a single GoldWing.Honda 2W Domestic Sales Breakup Nov 2022While Honda is a major two-wheeler manufacturer in India, it’s significant business presence in the domestic market isn’t replicated in the export business. Over time, Honda has exported a wide range of two-wheelers from India to markets around the world, including motorcycles, and scooters. And the rather new Navi, a modern iteration of an advanced moped, which sadly only survived a few short years in India.Honda 2W Exports Breakup Nov 2022As a brand, Honda enjoys a strong global presence. And has built a reputation for producing high-quality, reliable vehicles. Exports from India aren’t high volume. Last month this number stood at below 20k units.Navi led from the front at 7,345 units at 5 percent decline. Dio exports fell by 20 percent, down to 3,655 units from 4,595 units. X-Blade numbers improved to 2,352 units, up from 2,080 units. CB Shine volumes fell by 1k units, down at 1,913 units from 2,960 units. Unicorn exports improved by more than half, up at 1,680 units from 1,104 units. Honda 2W Exports Breakup Nov 2022Livo exports were up at 1.4k units from 1.1k units. Hornet 160R volumes improved by 200 units, up at 924 units. Activa, which sells in lakhs in India, had 312 takes overseas. Dream exports fell significantly, down at 100 units from 1.3k units. Total exports for the month fell to 19,681 units, down from 24,211 units at 18.71 percent decline. Volume decline stood at 4,530 units. More

Honda has chalked out aggressive plans for EV segment, with target to launch at least 10 new electric-two-wheelers by 2025Honda Electric Bike TeasersAs part of its program to achieve carbon neutrality, Honda will be stepping-up focus on introducing multiple electric two-wheelers as well as flex-fuel vehicles. Honda’s electric portfolio will include electric bikes, mopeds, commuters and more powerful, performance-oriented electric bikes.To expedite the process, Honda has teamed up with other companies such as Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. The collaboration will entail development of standardized swappable battery architecture. Such collaborations will help reduce development and production cost, which will benefit all stakeholders and the entire electric two-wheeler ecosystem.Honda electric bike designBased on design sketch of Honda’s upcoming electric bike, it is evident that the brand’s signature styling will continue in electric segment. This is especially true for its performance-oriented electric bikes. The image of the bike was posted by the American division of Honda. Design language of the bike looks familiar to that of recently launched CB750 Hornet and CB300F.As compared to electric scooters that offer more freedom to experiment with the design, the choices are fairly limited in case of electric bikes. A major reason is placement of battery, which has to be centrally mounted. To ensure an optimal centre of gravity, the most suitable place is lower middle section. This is where ICE-based motorcycles have their engine. Most electric bikes follow the same approach and it continues with Honda’s upcoming electric bike.Honda Electric Motorcycle Design SketchWhile only the side view is visible in the sketch, the outline of a flat-type, aggressive front fascia can be seen. Other key features include low-set handlebar, USD front forks in golden finish, sculpted fuel tank, step-up seat, short tail section, alloy wheels, disc brakes at both ends and sporty graphics.Body panelling is closely knit and tightly packed, which helps ensure a compact look and feel for the bike. Covers for the battery and electric powertrain are done in metallic finish, which introduces another layer of aesthetic dynamism. As this is a design sketch, there are likely to be several iterations before the bike reaches production stage. Newer innovations in battery technology and linked hardware could also influence the final design of the bike.Honda electric two-wheeler for IndiaHonda’s Benly e: electric scooter has been spied on road tests multiple times. Either Benly e: could be launched in India or there could be an entirely new product. With Activa the current bestseller, Honda could introduce a similar product in electric format to target the mass market. In international markets, there are multiple versions of Benly e: electric scooter. The top-spec variant has a range of 87 km.Honda Electric Two Wheeler Launch PlanHonda electric scooter for India will have multiple challengers such as Ather 450X, TVS iQube, Ola S1 Pro and Bajaj Chetak. Ola especially is quite gung-ho, having announced its intention to beat Honda Activa sales by August 2023. Whether or not it materializes remains to be seen. More