Honda Dio

Honda Dio OverView

There is no doubt to the fact that a young guy always aspires to have a scintillating motorbike as his first ride. But, it is also true that parents, usually, do not share that view with their children. They are more supportive of a more rational ride instead of a rash one. And gear-less scooters being the lighter, safer and easier rides, get the first preferences from the elders. Besides that, the Indian roads are not just full of teenage boys. Girls, women, older men also are a part of the traffic that runs around the country. And so, bikes are not the only kinds of two-wheelers that are required on the road. Honda Dio came to India as one half of the Honda twosome that set a new trend into motion the moment it stepped into the scooter market. While Activa, with its mature styling and stability, caught the attention of the elderly generation, the other half, that was the Dio, instantly became the heart throb of the Indian youth. Blessed with a more dynamic design and a much lighter build than its sibling, Dio was the obvious choice for the college-going crowd. Over the years, Honda Dio hasn't received anything more than a few cosmetic changes in the name of upgrades. But the latest model, that was brought forward at the 2012 Auto Expo, was a totally overhauled version of the older models. A new body, a new engine and a pack of new features brought an altogether new Dio to life.

Honda Dio Designing

The designing of the latest version of Honda Dio is the one area that has gone through the most rigorous overhauling processes. Built on an Underbone type frame, this scooter has overall dimensions of 1788mm x 707mm x 1130mm offering a large 1238mm wheelbase. While the increased length of wheelbase accounts for more room for the riders, the wide ground clearance of 160mm ensures that the bumps in the roads do not affect an otherwise smooth and comfortable ride. Talking of comforts, a lot of attention has been paid by the designers of Dio to make it as comfortable for the riders as possible. A wider and well-cushioned seat with proper body-support, a roomier foot-board to accommodate even tall drivers conveniently, practically-designed grab-rails running around the rear-end of the seat and a set of longer and wider foot-pegs for better foot-support – every tiny detail that plays a part in comfort, has been modified and carefully worked-upon in the latest Dio.

Honda Dio Engine And Performance

The latest version of Honda Dio carries the same 109cc engine of Honda that drives the Honda Activa. But although, a major leap in performance is missing even after this upgrade in engine, it definitely reduces the efforts required for a swift drive from the driver's side. The mill fitted inside Dio is an air-cooled, 4-stroke, SI engine, mated to an extremely smooth V-Matic transmission system, and capable of producing a maximum of 8bhp at 7500rpm for a peak 8.66Nm of torque generated at 5500rpm. Blessed with a light and peppy nature, this engine provides a very good pickup and acceleration, and can take the scooter to a top speed of 97kmph.  Coming to the suspension system. Honda Dio still houses the same Spring-loaded Hydraulic suspension mechanism for both its front and rear ends, and the absence of telescopic forks at the front wheel come as a huge disappointment for the buyers. On the up side, Honda have introduced two new features in the machinery under the hood that takes the performance levels one notch higher. One is the zero-maintenance battery and the other is the viscous paper air filter that needs replacement only after the scooter has covered a run of 15,000km.

 

Honda Dio Mileage

Honda Dio Braking And Handling

In braking, Honda Dio receives one of the best and the most innovative braking mechanisms of the day – the Combined Braking System (CBS), which is also known as Combi-brakes. With this system, the 130mm diameter Drum brakes working at the front and rear wheels get applied together whenever the left brake lever is pressed. This increases the braking strength, thereby decreasing the braking distance. To assist in braking, the company has provided a set of 90/100 x 10 inch tyres for the front and rear ends, which facilitate a much stronger road-grip and hence, also reduce the risk of bike skids. Where handling is concerned, Honda Dio is a very light and easy ride. Ergonomically-designed to provide the driver with complete comfort and full command over the ride, Dio does not cause any major problems even while cornering. The position is quite upright and the rider does not have to be in an uncomfortable leaning position while driving. The suspension system also plays its part well, and makes the scooter easy to turn even on the sharpest of turns.

Honda Dio Safety Features

In terms of safety, Honda Dio gets a fair number of features to keep its rider safe and as far from difficulties as possible. That's the reason why, instead of simple tyres, Dio gets a pair of tubeless tyres, that cut-down the probability of flat tyres by a large extent. Plus, the 10 inch width of these tyres ensures a good road-grip which reduces the chances of the bike facing a skid on wet roads. In addition to that, the Combi-brakes work seamlessly to facilitate efficient braking at all times. And for proper illumination during night-time rides, the large 35W headlamp gets a uniform supply of power from the 12V battery continuously. 

Honda Dio Pros

Peppy engine, good mileage, amazing looks and better comfort.

Honda Dio Cons

Durability is low due to the use of plastic instead of metal and telescopic suspension is missing.