India's Best Moto Scooters

The Honda Dio has been the long standing favourite for many-a college going lot. And it's easy to see why. For anyone in the market for a stylish set of two wheels to get around town without compromising on any of the practicality aspects that a scooter offers, there is really no other choice than the Dio. While the Activa does the duties of your average everyday uncle-aunty type scooter in the Honda stables, the Dio is definitely something for the younger crowd. And a large part of that appeal is the wild colour schemes the company offers as well as that fibre body, parts of which can be mixed and matched to get your own unique style. Another major benefit the fibre body offers is that it makes the Dio quite lighter than its sibling, the Activa, even though they both share pretty much the same chassis and engine. And it is this lightness, combined with its brilliant MRF Zapper tyres which makes the Dio an absolute hoot to ride, whether it's zipping through city traffic or even on a weekend morning ride in your local twistys. 

Little wonder then that the Dio has become such a hot favourite even among the many motorcycle stunting clubs which are becoming quite popular these days in many cities around India. And this is indicative of another of the Dio’s strong suits - its rather inexpensive body panels. The whole set of plastics costs just about Rs. 1200, making this bike even more appealing to college students and stunt riders alike. The only slight niggle about the Dio is that its engine doesn't have the same pep as some of its more modern contemporaries, but that's because it still runs the older 100cc engine. That apart, it comes with Honda's well- proven bulletproof reliability, ruggedness and decent fuel mileage to boot. So really, if one wants a modern, internationally-styled 'cool' moto-scooter, there can be no choice more obvious than the Honda Dio.

Quick Facts

Engine: Single cylinder, air-cooled

Displacement: 102cc

Power: 7.1PS @ 7,000rpm

Torque: 7.8Nm @ 5,500rpm

Transmission: Variomatic

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 1238mm

LxWxH: 1757 x 712 x 1106mm

Weight: 99kg

Performance

0-60 km/h: 10.7seconds

Top speed: 85.16km/h

Fuel efficiency (overall): 39.67 kmpl

Variants

Honda Dio DLX: 38,520 (ex-showroom Delhi)

Cheers:

1. Extremely good looking scooter with great body graphics

2. Nimble handling makes it a hoot to ride

3. Fiber body panels are very inexpensive to replace

Sneers:

1. Not particularly quick in a straight line compared to other scooters in its segment

2. Not the most comfortable scooter for very long distance commuting

1st Runner Up

Mahindra RODEO

While it might just be a jazzed up version of the Mahindra SYM Flyte, the Rodeo which was launched last year, is quite a revelation. What makes the Rodeo really attractive is its gorgeous styling and perhaps the best, certainly the flashiest, instrument console on any Indian made scooter. The fully digital unit also features a digital tachometer and a plethora of backlight colours to choose from. Flashy console apart, the Rodeo also comes equipped with telescopic at the front, endowing this moto-scooter with almost motorcycle like handling. And the 125cc SYM engine gives it the go to match its handling. Even on the practicality front, the Rodeo is brilliant, with its fuel tank and filler cap at the front of the bike, which means you don't have to get off the bike and open the seat at the petrol pump. And since the fuel tank is in the front, the storage space under the seat is cavernous and even has a light inside which comes on when the seat is lifted. Great features, great price and best of all, almost non-existent waiting periods gets the Rodeo honourable mentions in our moto-scooter category.