Honda Navi: 500km Long Term Review

Twelve. That’s the number of questions I was asked today about the new Honda Navi by people during my 42km ride to office and back home. This isn’t a record as there have been days when a lot more onlookers had their inquisitive queries addressed about this bright and spunky little two-wheeler. 

Is it an electric scooter? No, then where’s the engine? So, you have modified it? Oh! Then how much does it cost? Among the bizarre requests, this one definitely took the cake. A young man wanted his date to sit on it and take a picture, to convince her that she looked “amazing” on the Honda Navi. And now, even I’m convinced that love is blind.

Coming back to my current muse, the Navi has really made my commute to work convenient (as I don’t have to worry about shifting gears or bother about releasing the clutch) and thanks to all the attention, it has made the experience a lot more interesting.

I’ve managed to cross 500km on the Navi's odo (with a little help from Arun who rode it from Imagica to Mumbai) and in the last month there has not much to complain about. The moto-scoot is light, compact and nimble which makes it very easy to get it out of my parking, while the peppy 110cc motor and agile dynamics help me zip-zap-zoom through traffic. And once at work, it’s equally easy to squeeze into whatever little space other office goers have left for me.

The setup for the front forks and single rear suspension is on the firmer side. That, along with the small scooter sized wheels (12-inch at the front and 10-inch at the back) tends to unsettle the Navi if you are riding enthusiastically over bad roads which, for the record, is most of Mumbai. If you have your girlfriend riding pillion, you’ll have to take it easy over broken roads and speed breakers, else it’ll get uncomfortable for her doing the shake and jive.

The design does an amazing job of disguising the actual size of the Honda Navi. Although it appears to be unusually small, the moto-scoot can comfortably accommodate two adults and the motor has enough punch to make the commute zippy and fun. Every morning it starts on a single crank, returns up to 50kmpl if you go easy on the throttle and being a Honda it’s refined and should be pretty reliable in the long run. It will be a heartache when it will be time to part with it, once the long term review period is over.

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The only complain with its otherwise likeable design is that this scooter-based, motorcycle-styled two-wheeler does not have much utility in terms of storage. With the engine positioned at the back like conventional scooters, there is ample space vacant under the fuel tank. A simple hook would have sufficed and made carrying small grocery bags a lot more convenient. It would also be a lot safer than having a bag dangle on the handlebar or trying to balance the bag on the open storage area. 

A fuel gauge would have made life a lot more easier, as the tank capacity is a meagre 3.8-litres. But it delivers what it promises to offer – fun. And truck loads of it. My equal half, kid, neighbours and security guards never miss an opportunity to get a ride on the Honda Navi. Wonder why the neighbour’s goodlooking girlfriend hasn’t asked for a spin yet. To be continued…