Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

[prakash86]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

Hi all,

Have been in xbhp since I don't know when. My rides started from a tvs xl super (power gear) which I abused like hell trying to do wheelies (ah the ignorant bliss of school), a Kawasaki wind 125 (one of the few five gear motorcycles available at that time), two pulsar 220s and the last and the most significant in my mind, the kawasaki versys 650

Got the versys 650 back in October and realized I needed another ride for the city, not because of the maneuverability issues with the versys but because of the increasingly intelligent road rashers these days on two/three wheels that can ruin multiple fragile parts in it (read fairing and other plastics) in a flash and the significant beating to my savings filling up petrol for the 650. My wants of a second ride only increased after hearing the horror stories of parked big bikes suffering deep scratches from jealous moronic "humans" from multiple incidents. I decided that it will have to be a gear-less scoot as they offer the greatest convenience in the city. Actually considered the duke 200 as it can be ridden like a scoot in the 5th gear, but the price was not really worth investing in considering I have the versys for my adrenaline rushes. Thus was the ending of the other bike in my garage 2014 pulsar 220 which was sold off to make money/way for the scooter.

I chose the tvs jupiter over the activa. It is to be noted here that I did not even think about scoots/ was not aware of the latest scoots (as I was in the u.s for four years before last year) other than activa while comparing with the jupiter, and that in my mind also says about the popularity of that thing. Anyways I decided on the jupiter purely because it is an indian company and my money goes to an indian bunch of dudes instead of someone else (and i hate Honda...not their bikes but their attitudes). There were no problems for the first six months, a vibe free comfortable ride. There were two unsolvable niggles though, one with a faulty fuel gauge, the needle of which danced willy nilly to the tune of the accelerator instead of the fuel tank float, and a rattling instrument cluster. To the credit of the TVS guys, they tried multiple times to correct the fuel gauge problem, fiddling with the float, the gauge and then finally replacing the gauge itself. The cluster rattle never got solved though although it has to be a simple case of a loose bolt (s). Over the first 1700km or so, I became increasingly aware of the fact that the pros of the jupiter were not significant compared to the cons:


Pros when considered only against cons:
1. Pure vibe free ride at exactly 50-51 kph
2. Nothing

Cons:
1. annoying fuel gauge kept me constantly guessing about when to refill. To make matters worse, the low fuel warning light will come on whenever I brake and disappear when I throttle again, if the fuel level falls below half a tank.
2. the engine screams for mercy on hard acceleration and specially post 50 kph. I felt that reaching 60kph was a triumphant feat for the engine although it does consistently top out at approx 82 kph speedo indicated.
3. awesome pickup in the first gear (till 10 to 20 kph) then comes the slump all the way to 60 kph unless the throttle is wrung like a torque wrench
4. simply insufficient torque to pass even the occasional slow moving government buses, specially with 2 up riding. Don't get me wrong here, the jupiter can move like any other 110 cc scoot out there (yes even the dio) but only on significant manhandling of the accelerator.


Though I saw the aprilia 150 a number of times it was just not a scoot for my needs....too small a seat and high on price (ironic considering my eventual choice). All these "limits" did not bother me till I saw an ad on the paper for the access125. I have never considered a suzuki before, and the cubic capacity increase over the jupiter (very modest 25cc) is also not great enough for an upgrade but the difference in torque was considerable in scoot world, so I went for a test ride.

Test ride and delivery:

Arrived at the closest suzuki dealer and they were a little indifferent to my approach. The resale value for my jupiter was good though, so I stayed on for the test ride. Not a great test drive as it was only within the showroom premises for maybe 30 metres or so, but the difference and smoothness in pickup was definitely tangible to say the least. Not satisfied with the short ride, I went to another showroom 15 km away. Here the welcome was completely different. The sales manager was at front and gave a great reception, and even allowed a test drive with a pillion for as long a distance I wanted. Things I noted were the eagerness of the engine,the longer seat, the much improved rear suspension behavior compared to the jupiter, and equally importantly the complete absence of engine sound when the throttle is let off.Convinced that I should go in for the upgrade I bargained for quite a bit with the sales manager to match the offer I got at the other suzuki centre, as I wanted to get the bike from this one as it was larger and also since the customer reception was better. Finally he caved in a I got the bargain I wanted, including a half tank of petrol (small but significant in my book). Paid in full on thursday, got it on friday evening so the delivery was super quick too. They only gave me the next day instead of monday because they wanted my jupiter so bad lol, and I wouldn't give it to them without getting the access... PDI was done by me and found no issues. Service head there clearly detailed even the way I should start the scoot in the morning when the engine is cold. Overall, a happy delivery experience. I got the number today too so no more worrying about traffic police hassles.

The first ride:

The engine is butter smooth, and very important is the fact that it is eager to get moving, unlike the jupiter which behaved like it was being threatened to get going and then retaliated for the threat post 20 kph. The seat is probably the best in class, and the complete absence of engine noise on deceleration and the almost non existent engine braking is a very welcome surprise. An inevitable comparison to the jupiter follows...

Cons compared to Jupiter:

1. no external fill gauge
2. brakes are worse (maybe they need bedding in)
3.headlight intensity (read in the manual that headlight can be adjusted through a screw so will re-post after doing this). seriously, i don't know if its on unless there's no oncoming traffic
4. center stand is much harder to put on than jupiter, and has to be engaged when kick start needs to be used. this is a critical point whenever parking in tight spaces between two motorcycles.
5. front brake shudders a bit on braking. this is worrying but again will keep an eye on it as the kms pile on
6. maybe its me but the access makes me want to be more careful about bumps, potholes and parking in tight spaces than the jupi....maybe its the (arguably) more premium build, maybe its just a new bike thing

Pros compared to jupiter:

1.considerably bigger underseat storage
2.longer, better (firmer) and straight seat
3.longer floorboard (could be wrong in this)
4.very eager engine, better pickup and much better torque
5.non existent vibes post 40 kph all the way till 60 kph (didn't go higher till now)
6. better rear view mirrors
7. easy shutter for locking the key hole, and for unlocking the underseat storage
8. much much better rear ride quality than jupiter
9. stiffer front suspension than the jupiter which is better in terms of handling but will have to compare the bounciness as the kms go on
10. instrument display is minimal and neat. I like it especially at night though a little more contrast for the speedo would have been better
11. unimportant but noteworthy...looks better
12. front bottle holder. this is a quite important addition for me as I drink a lot of water while riding

[srinath2494]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

Hi all,

Have been in xbhp since I don't know when. My rides started from a tvs xl super (power gear) which I abused like hell trying to do wheelies (ah the ignorant bliss of school), a Kawasaki wind 125 (one of the few five gear motorcycles available at that time), two pulsar 220s and the last and the most significant in my mind, the kawasaki versys 650

Got the versys 650 back in October and realized I needed another ride for the city, not because of the maneuverability issues with the versys but because of the increasingly intelligent road rashers these days on two/three wheels that can ruin multiple fragile parts in it (read fairing and other plastics) in a flash and the significant beating to my savings filling up petrol for the 650. My wants of a second ride only increased after hearing the horror stories of parked big bikes suffering deep scratches from jealous moronic "humans" from multiple incidents. I decided that it will have to be a gear-less scoot as they offer the greatest convenience in the city. Actually considered the duke 200 as it can be ridden like a scoot in the 5th gear, but the price was not really worth investing in considering I have the versys for my adrenaline rushes. Thus was the ending of the other bike in my garage 2014 pulsar 220 which was sold off to make money/way for the scooter.

I chose the tvs jupiter over the activa. It is to be noted here that I did not even think about scoots/ was not aware of the latest scoots (as I was in the u.s for four years before last year) other than activa while comparing with the jupiter, and that in my mind also says about the popularity of that thing. Anyways I decided on the jupiter purely because it is an indian company and my money goes to an indian bunch of dudes instead of someone else (and i hate Honda...not their bikes but their attitudes). There were no problems for the first six months, a vibe free comfortable ride. There were two unsolvable niggles though, one with a faulty fuel gauge, the needle of which danced willy nilly to the tune of the accelerator instead of the fuel tank float, and a rattling instrument cluster. To the credit of the TVS guys, they tried multiple times to correct the fuel gauge problem, fiddling with the float, the gauge and then finally replacing the gauge itself. The cluster rattle never got solved though although it has to be a simple case of a loose bolt (s). Over the first 1700km or so, I became increasingly aware of the fact that the pros of the jupiter were not significant compared to the cons:


Pros when considered only against cons:
1. Pure vibe free ride at exactly 50-51 kph
2. Nothing

Cons:
1. annoying fuel gauge kept me constantly guessing about when to refill. To make matters worse, the low fuel warning light will come on whenever I brake and disappear when I throttle again, if the fuel level falls below half a tank.
2. the engine screams for mercy on hard acceleration and specially post 50 kph. I felt that reaching 60kph was a triumphant feat for the engine although it does consistently top out at approx 82 kph speedo indicated.
3. awesome pickup in the first gear (till 10 to 20 kph) then comes the slump all the way to 60 kph unless the throttle is wrung like a torque wrench
4. simply insufficient torque to pass even the occasional slow moving government buses, specially with 2 up riding. Don't get me wrong here, the jupiter can move like any other 110 cc scoot out there (yes even the dio) but only on significant manhandling of the accelerator.


Though I saw the aprilia 150 a number of times it was just not a scoot for my needs....too small a seat and high on price (ironic considering my eventual choice). All these "limits" did not bother me till I saw an ad on the paper for the access125. I have never considered a suzuki before, and the cubic capacity increase over the jupiter (very modest 25cc) is also not great enough for an upgrade but the difference in torque was considerable in scoot world, so I went for a test ride.

Test ride and delivery:

Arrived at the closest suzuki dealer and they were a little indifferent to my approach. The resale value for my jupiter was good though, so I stayed on for the test ride. Not a great test drive as it was only within the showroom premises for maybe 30 metres or so, but the difference and smoothness in pickup was definitely tangible to say the least. Not satisfied with the short ride, I went to another showroom 15 km away. Here the welcome was completely different. The sales manager was at front and gave a great reception, and even allowed a test drive with a pillion for as long a distance I wanted. Things I noted were the eagerness of the engine,the longer seat, the much improved rear suspension behavior compared to the jupiter, and equally importantly the complete absence of engine sound when the throttle is let off.Convinced that I should go in for the upgrade I bargained for quite a bit with the sales manager to match the offer I got at the other suzuki centre, as I wanted to get the bike from this one as it was larger and also since the customer reception was better. Finally he caved in a I got the bargain I wanted, including a half tank of petrol (small but significant in my book). Paid in full on thursday, got it on friday evening so the delivery was super quick too. They only gave me the next day instead of monday because they wanted my jupiter so bad lol, and I wouldn't give it to them without getting the access... PDI was done by me and found no issues. Service head there clearly detailed even the way I should start the scoot in the morning when the engine is cold. Overall, a happy delivery experience. I got the number today too so no more worrying about traffic police hassles.

The first ride:

The engine is butter smooth, and very important is the fact that it is eager to get moving, unlike the jupiter which behaved like it was being threatened to get going and then retaliated for the threat post 20 kph. The seat is probably the best in class, and the complete absence of engine noise on deceleration and the almost non existent engine braking is a very welcome surprise. An inevitable comparison to the jupiter follows...

Cons compared to Jupiter:

1. no external fill gauge
2. brakes are worse (maybe they need bedding in)
3.headlight intensity (read in the manual that headlight can be adjusted through a screw so will re-post after doing this). seriously, i don't know if its on unless there's no oncoming traffic
4. center stand is much harder to put on than jupiter, and has to be engaged when kick start needs to be used. this is a critical point whenever parking in tight spaces between two motorcycles.
5. front brake shudders a bit on braking. this is worrying but again will keep an eye on it as the kms pile on
6. maybe its me but the access makes me want to be more careful about bumps, potholes and parking in tight spaces than the jupi....maybe its the (arguably) more premium build, maybe its just a new bike thing

Pros compared to jupiter:

1.considerably bigger underseat storage
2.longer, better (firmer) and straight seat
3.longer floorboard (could be wrong in this)
4.very eager engine, better pickup and much better torque
5.non existent vibes post 40 kph all the way till 60 kph (didn't go higher till now)
6. better rear view mirrors
7. easy shutter for locking the key hole, and for unlocking the underseat storage
8. much much better rear ride quality than jupiter
9. stiffer front suspension than the jupiter which is better in terms of handling but will have to compare the bounciness as the kms go on
10. instrument display is minimal and neat. I like it especially at night though a little more contrast for the speedo would have been better
11. unimportant but noteworthy...looks better
12. front bottle holder. this is a quite important addition for me as I drink a lot of water while riding

great story. Kindly mention the variant you've purchased, disc brake or drum? BS4 with AHO? Gosh its irritating to have headlamps on always. I would like to assume you bought thr disc brake variant.

As you said, the pros or the features seem insignificant. Theyve compromised on quite a few things which i hear from jupitet owners - poor plastics, cramped ride for tall persons, overtly soft seat and uncomfortable pillion ride, on long term. Masses go for it for the design and affordable price point.

From my research, i found that resale value depends on the numbers that are being sold. Hence jupiter and activa(all variants) sell quickly at good prices. Access is not bad in the resale market, considering its the most selling 125cc scooter. As with durability, you got to maintain the fibre body with little more care but its ok since you have a bigger bike that needs even more attention. Its just the new bike feeling for you and it will go off in a month.

I think I'll purchase this as my primary requirements are driveabiltiy, space and ride comfort. Now gotta decide whether its a disc or drum brake variant. Just fyi the jupiter disc brake variant costs just a couple thousand less than access' and the drum brake variant costs 2k more than hero duet's top model with features similar to jupiter's.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Apologies for the late post. I bought the new Access in October last year. It has run 1285 km till now and given a mileage of 39.683 kmpl. 3 services have been done on schedule.

As is apparent, running is very low (joys of telecommuting, and it will reduce further during monsoon). My scooter has not given any trouble till date. Once, when it was left alone for 3 weeks, I had to thumb the starter switch for 30-40 seconds with choke. But other times, when I come back to it after say 6 days or a week, it starts with one touch. I have not used the kick starter yet, beyond testing its movement and resistance.

Feedback - its illumination - headlamps and parking lights - are under-powered. After monsoon, I am going to fix that. The seat is a bit too broad. My pelvic region muscles and joints get a nice stretch in Mumbai's traffic.

I have driven only two two-wheelers in my entire life - Yamaha Gladiator and now Suzuki Access- so I can't give comparisons against other scooters. But yes, I am not complaining - the ride is comfortable, braking is confident. I scoot through traffic easily. There is enough grunt to propel a 95kg rider plus 5kg backpack ahead of the pack when traffic signal turns green. I overtake comfortably when I see the need. Overall my riding style can be called leisurely and Access positively purrs in that style.

The display console scheme with white background and orange font/light is bit troublesome, specially at night, but that is individual preference.

Overall, I believe the Access doesn't compromise on anything specific - comfort, handling, engine power, tyres, braking, electrical and hence it is a good choice.

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excellent congrats on happy ownership.

There will be a solution for lighting and see the lighting thread. Lucky yours is not BS4 AHO model

[prakash86]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I got the base drum model...was a little apprehensive on if more care will be needed for disc, combined with overtly sensitive braking with the disc and the chances of disc squeak creeping up sooner than later. The real reason though was the guilt of getting an even higher priced model as my whole family was against upgrading so soon

It is the bs4 with AHO...haven't ridden in the day but the versys 650 gets its fair share of headlight on warning so quite used to it to be honest

If you do decide for the disc, do try panic and casual braking and compare with the drum

I have never considered the resale value whenever I bought bikes, as i keep my rides for at least 4 years (except the 220 and the jupiter of course) and the period I ride it is more important

[srinath2494]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I got the base drum model...was a little apprehensive on if more care will be needed for disc, combined with overtly sensitive braking with the disc and the chances of disc squeak creeping up sooner than later. The real reason though was the guilt of getting an even higher priced model as my whole family was against upgrading so soon

It is the bs4 with AHO...haven't ridden in the day but the versys 650 gets its fair share of headlight on warning so quite used to it to be honest

If you do decide for the disc, do try panic and casual braking and compare with the drum

I have never considered the resale value whenever I bought bikes, as i keep my rides for at least 4 years (except the 220 and the jupiter of course) and the period I ride it is more important

except for the break in period of the disc brakes, rest of the ownership period will be better in urban areas. Ive ridden both the models and was comfortable. Panic braking wont be a problem either. You can also find my ride experience few pages before. Disc squeaking is not a problem with basic maintenance in place.

The resale value was for your information and why jupiter fetched you good value as well. I have a gixxer and its resale value is poor urgh.

Lol, I know the feeling of guilt induced by family. However from your choice you have an advantage. Steel wheels are more durable and rugged to withstand going through potholes at high speeds. The drum brakes are also adequate but need more maintenance and may heat up quicker during panic situations. However if they had offered combined braking system for drums then that would be the best selling and also more sensible. I'll have to take my time and decide.

But with the retro looks and steel wheels, you can go for white wall tire inserts as a mod harmless yet stylish. Wouldnt recommend for disc brake model though, not worth it as its not a vespa with single side front suspension.

[Avadhut]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I have bought a new access 125 a week ago. The suspension in this scooter is very stiff which is causing me backpain.
The old access is very good in suspension because of which i bought the new model but i am not satisfied.

Scooter is good except its shok absorbers.

anyone using access 125 can give me advice. Thanks

[Avadhut]

Access 125 hard rear suspension

I have bought a new access 125 a week ago. The suspension in this scooter is very stiff which is causing me backpain.
The old access is very good in suspension because of which i bought the new model but i am not satisfied.

Scooter is good except its shok absorbers.

anyone using access 125 can give me advice. Thanks

[srinath2494]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I have bought a new access 125 a week ago. The suspension in this scooter is very stiff which is causing me backpain.
The old access is very good in suspension because of which i bought the new model but i am not satisfied.

Scooter is good except its shok absorbers.

anyone using access 125 can give me advice. Thanks

is it a drum brake model with steel wheels? Because they feel marginally more comfortable.

I'm sorry to say this, it doesnt have any adjustment. Try taking speedbumps slowly and fill in recommended tyre pressure given in the manual, when riding solo as well as with pillion. All scooters and bikes have better rear rear suspension travel when riding with a pillion (relative to their actual travel when riding solo, due to added weight)

i suggest you sit farther back or at the edge of your sit anf stretch your legs to find your comfortable spot. Dont come to conclusion just yet. Let there be some wear and tear. Give it time, unless you're having a medical condition.

[Avadhut]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

is it a drum brake model with steel wheels? Because they feel marginally more comfortable.

I'm sorry to say this, it doesnt have any adjustment. Try taking speedbumps slowly and fill in recommended tyre pressure given in the manual, when riding solo as well as with pillion. All scooters and bikes have better rear rear suspension travel when riding with a pillion (relative to their actual travel when riding solo, due to added weight)

i suggest you sit farther back or at the edge of your sit anf stretch your legs to find your comfortable spot. Dont come to conclusion just yet. Let there be some wear and tear. Give it time, unless you're having a medical condition.

I've made a complaint at Suzuki. They will change the suspension tomorrow. Let's see how it feels and i will update it.

[ZZR1]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

owners, update on your usage, problems, mileage, reliabiltiy issues ans service experience? Is it giving mileage comparable to 110cc scooters due to its light weight? Anyone got above 50kmpl?

Please and thanks.

You cannot expect mileage of 50kmpl from the 125cc scooters. I am getting a mileage of 38-42 in my Swish 125 which has done 42000 kms, and IMO this is more or less what you can expect from any other 125 cc.
The activa 110 would return a mileage of 50 or slightly more, but you got to put up with the poor torque, acceleration. The access/swish/activa are reliable vehicles and you should not face any major issues for upto 50k kms atleast. Service wise (in Bangalore) i prefer suzuki to honda. Honda service guys act as though they have horns on their heads

[srinath2494]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

You cannot expect mileage of 50kmpl from the 125cc scooters. I am getting a mileage of 38-42 in my Swish 125 which has done 42000 kms, and IMO this is more or less what you can expect from any other 125 cc.
The activa 110 would return a mileage of 50 or slightly more, but you got to put up with the poor torque, acceleration. The access/swish/activa are reliable vehicles and you should not face any major issues for upto 50k kms atleast. Service wise (in Bangalore) i prefer suzuki to honda. Honda service guys act as though they have horns on their heads

depends on where and how you ride. New access owners report getting 50kmpl mileage. Poor wouldnt be the word Id used to compare smaller scooters. In that sense 125cc scooters are poor in comparison to bigger scooters or bikes. 110ccs are in no way poor to live with given that you're no way going to reach your destination in a time that is considerable enough to save. Neither a race nor an emergency, always. Also theyre more frugal. They're also more suitable for environment in the literal sense that you said theyre poor in outright acceleration. I repeat, performance numbers dont matter to a regular scooter buyer. Its only mileage, price and resale value numbers usually.

Jfyi, in metro city conditions even these 110cc scoots give aeound 45kmpl mileage only :P I'm not in favor of them either.

I wont buy honda, I've decided that, unless someone in my family books it without telling me.

For my requirements, access or duet, either will do just fine, but ive not ridden them on the same day, back to back. I found access light, quick and spacious. But not exactly comfortable. But duet's ride is plusher and is so stable to zip through traffic as well. It feels more planted. So i have to ride them back to back, like immediately after getting down from one to another. So yeah, I can wait as I cant go for test rides anytime this week.

[prakash86]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I have bought a new access 125 a week ago. The suspension in this scooter is very stiff which is causing me backpain.
The old access is very good in suspension because of which i bought the new model but i am not satisfied.

Scooter is good except its shok absorbers.

anyone using access 125 can give me advice. Thanks

The front suspension is stiffer than normal scooters, which is what I found in my 250km ownership. With a pillion even the front somehow feels considerably improved.
The rear is good and I have no complaints.
You can try to reduce the air pressure from the recommended 22 psi to 20 psi after the first service to see if that improves the ride quality.

But since you are getting it replaced please let us know of any changes to the ride quality

Are you getting both changed or only the rear?

[srinath2494]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

The front suspension is stiffer than normal scooters, which is what I found in my 250km ownership. With a pillion even the front somehow feels considerably improved.
The rear is good and I have no complaints.
You can try to reduce the air pressure from the recommended 22 psi to 20 psi after the first service to see if that improves the ride quality.

But since you are getting it replaced please let us know of any changes to the ride quality

Are you getting both changed or only the rear?

I'm not discouraging, but trust me, its going to make the ride sloppy. Its already a light weight scooter and needs such a suspension set up to retain its agility.


Lets see how experimental he gets and also how the results come out!

Note: it may hamper warranty and also will be difficult to get back the original set up if he doesnt like it too soft.

[prakash86]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I'm not discouraging, but trust me, its going to make the ride sloppy. Its already a light weight scooter and needs such a suspension set up to retain its agility.


Lets see how experimental he gets and also how the results come out!

Note: it may hamper warranty and also will be difficult to get back the original set up if he doesnt like it too soft.

I believe he is getting it replaced with the same stock suspension, just a new unit. Not from another scoot or aftermarket.

[srinath2494]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I believe he is getting it replaced with the same stock suspension, just a new unit. Not from another scoot or aftermarket.

I'm thinking he is simply softening the suspension. That's what I was concerned about, its hard to get back the stock settings.

[Avadhut]

Re: Suzuki Access125 / Swish125 ownership thread

I believe he is getting it replaced with the same stock suspension, just a new unit. Not from another scoot or aftermarket.

Yes i will replace with stock suspension from suzuki service center.