Honda Activa 125 BS6 vs Suzuki Access 125: Performance Numbers Compared

Have upcoming emission norms robbed the Activa of its performance edge? 

By launching India’s first BS6-compliant scooter, the Activa 125, Honda can safely claim that it was the first mass manufacturer to launch that conforms with upcoming emission norms. The updated version is loaded with technology and packs in a bunch of segment-first features, but this segment has always had one king - the Suzuki Access. To check out how the Activa fares against its competition in a road test, you can head here. But for now, we're going to see how its performance numbers stack up against those of the Access.

Also read: 2019 Honda Activa 125 BS6 Review

Also read

Acceleration

Despite getting more modern technology like fuel injection, the Activa's motor feels rather strangled by emission norms, with final output standing at just 8.29PS and 10.3Nm. The scooter feels rather sluggish on the move. So if you want to make a quick getaway from a traffic light, the Access is your weapon of choice. 

Also read: 2019 Hero Maestro Edge 125: First Ride Review

Roll-on Acceleration

It's the same story here as well - the Honda can't quite match the sheer grunt of the Suzuki. It's 0.1Nm torque advantage simply isn't enough to bridge the 0.41PS power deficit to the Access. As a result, the Suzuki is quicker by nearly a second in the dash from 20-50kmph.

Braking

When the speeds go the other way, so do the results. Both scooters get a front disc, but the Activa's 130mm Nissin unit feels quite sharp and brings it to a stop a bit quicker than the Access. Both scooters also get CBS as standard. 

Fuel Efficiency:

The Honda, with its more docile motor, has the upper hand in the city. But when the pace gets a little hotter, the Access manages to squeeze more out of a litre of petrol on the highway. That said, we could see an increase in the Honda's fuel efficiency once this BS6 Activa is run on BS6 fuel.

So at the moment, it seems like the Access has the upper hand when it comes to performance. However, it will be interesting to see how these two scooters compare once the Suzuki has been updated to comply with BS6 norms. Perhaps it too could be robbed of its performance advantage, which would be a real shame.