I just went to Vihaan Honda in Thane for a test-ride. They have a dedicated test-ride bike (not for delivery...I hope) according to the sales lady there. I rode there on the MT-01 for shock and awe effect and it worked

Threw them the MT-01 keys...told them I only ride alone and took the bike out for a short but sweet test ride.

First impressions:

1. The bike is about the same size as the Karizma but due to the low bars it feels shorter and smaller. Decent enough for tall riders and I am as tall as they come at 6'3".

2. Not as POWERFUL as I expected. The Ninja when properly ridden will show a clean pair of heels to the CBR -BUT- allow me to change this impression of mine because this bike was pretty new and not yet run-in. Maybe with 2-3000 kms on the ODO it might smoothen up and open up some more. Think of it as a fast ZMA and not as your first superbike...I've ridden P220s and R15s that had a bit more *ZIP* than the CBR.

3. Clutch is light but there is NO TORQUE down low (pulling away from the stops). Felt identical to the Ducati Monster 796 in the way you had to give it some slip before it caught and went. This could be a problem if I take the bike to Ladakh because slipping the clutch when you are in the middle of nowhere can lead to tears! (the kind that comes out of your eye...)

4. Brakes - GOOD! This was the C-ABS model

5. Suspension - GOOD! Just like a good 600cc superbike. Firm without being harsh. The road they asked me to ride on was pretty awful but on decent tarmac it should be a joyful experience.

6. Handling - a bit too "quick" for my taste. If the terms oversteer and understeer are applicable here then it oversteers. The ZMA was quick to steer...R15 much more controlled. This is somewhere in between but still too quick. It loses the "big bike" feel because of this. I think this is due to steering geometry and narrow tires. The rear tire is nice and meaty for a bike this size but the front tire feels too thin. I think aftermarket tires are a must on this bike to make the most of it.

7. Seats - comfy. Firm without sag. Will be a boon over a long ride.

8. Instrument panel - looks good but I found it a bit distracting in the night because it is quite bright. Not sure if there is any way to dim the panel brightness.

I looked all over for paint defects and I must tell you that there were none (this was the BLACK bike). Panels look alright even if quality is perhaps a couple of steps below the Ninja and maybe 1 step below the R15 which I rate very highly when it comes to build quality.

I still think the R15 is the better bike simply for the way it FEELS when you ride it. It absolutely feels like a track machine. Very precise and predictable...almost like a Ariel Atom to the CBR250R's Dodge Charger.

Is it worth the money? Unlike some of you who probably get carried away by the illusion of big-biking, I don't think this is a BIG-BIKE killer. I don't think it is worth the asking price...at best I would have put the pin on 1.3L for the non-ABS and 1.5 for the ABS. So the pricing is off by 30k for the non-ABS and 40k for the ABS model...

Are there any choices in the market at this price? - NO...

Should a P220/R15 rider feel the desperate need to upgrade? - NO...

Doing 150+ on a bike like this would feel scary...on an MT01 or R1 it feels slow, controlled and safe. I did 100 on one stretch and I didn't quite feel like the bike was entirely in my hands.

So buy the bike - but ride safe...speed kills!


Best Bit - I have a video of my test-ride...I'll try to upload it in a few hours.

News for me. Can you confirm??? he he

I just went to Vihaan Honda in Thane for a test-ride. They have a dedicated test-ride bike (not for delivery...I hope) according to the sales lady there. I rode there on the MT-01 for shock and awe effect and it worked

Threw them the MT-01 keys...told them I only ride alone and took the bike out for a short but sweet test ride.

First impressions:

1. The bike is about the same size as the Karizma but due to the low bars it feels shorter and smaller. Decent enough for tall riders and I am as tall as they come at 6'3".

2. Not as POWERFUL as I expected. The Ninja when properly ridden will show a clean pair of heels to the CBR -BUT- allow me to change this impression of mine because this bike was pretty new and not yet run-in. Maybe with 2-3000 kms on the ODO it might smoothen up and open up some more. Think of it as a fast ZMA and not as your first superbike...I've ridden P220s and R15s that had a bit more *ZIP* than the CBR.

3. Clutch is light but there is NO TORQUE down low (pulling away from the stops). Felt identical to the Ducati Monster 796 in the way you had to give it some slip before it caught and went. This could be a problem if I take the bike to Ladakh because slipping the clutch when you are in the middle of nowhere can lead to tears! (the kind that comes out of your eye...)

4. Brakes - GOOD! This was the C-ABS model

5. Suspension - GOOD! Just like a good 600cc superbike. Firm without being harsh. The road they asked me to ride on was pretty awful but on decent tarmac it should be a joyful experience.

6. Handling - a bit too "quick" for my taste. If the terms oversteer and understeer are applicable here then it oversteers. The ZMA was quick to steer...R15 much more controlled. This is somewhere in between but still too quick. It loses the "big bike" feel because of this. I think this is due to steering geometry and narrow tires. The rear tire is nice and meaty for a bike this size but the front tire feels too thin. I think aftermarket tires are a must on this bike to make the most of it.

7. Seats - comfy. Firm without sag. Will be a boon over a long ride.

8. Instrument panel - looks good but I found it a bit distracting in the night because it is quite bright. Not sure if there is any way to dim the panel brightness.

I looked all over for paint defects and I must tell you that there were none (this was the BLACK bike). Panels look alright even if quality is perhaps a couple of steps below the Ninja and maybe 1 step below the R15 which I rate very highly when it comes to build quality.

I still think the R15 is the better bike simply for the way it FEELS when you ride it. It absolutely feels like a track machine. Very precise and predictable...almost like a Ariel Atom to the CBR250R's Dodge Charger.

Is it worth the money? Unlike some of you who probably get carried away by the illusion of big-biking, I don't think this is a BIG-BIKE killer. I don't think it is worth the asking price...at best I would have put the pin on 1.3L for the non-ABS and 1.5 for the ABS. So the pricing is off by 30k for the non-ABS and 40k for the ABS model...

Are there any choices in the market at this price? - NO...

Should a P220/R15 rider feel the desperate need to upgrade? - NO...

Doing 150+ on a bike like this would feel scary...on an MT01 or R1 it feels slow, controlled and safe. I did 100 on one stretch and I didn't quite feel like the bike was entirely in my hands.

So buy the bike - but ride safe...speed kills!


Best Bit - I have a video of my test-ride...I'll try to upload it in a few hours.

Threw them the MT-01 keys...told them I only ride alone and took the bike out for a short but sweet test ride.

Best Bit - I have a video of my test-ride...I'll try to upload it in a few hours.

Pity they didn't bring the RR here.

yap thats what thai people said.. and the power is also different. 19.42kW which is 26.04BHP and ours is 1BHP lesser. may be tuned for mileage (Fuel map) even ninja have the same problem. the 33PS on the website is not seen on the Dino.. Indian ninja is also de-tuned for mileage.

Guess I'm the only one here on XBHP who has not seen the bike till now evn though its in bangalore.....

waah. kya style boss

anyways, nice and honest review. kinda disappointing though

waiting for this

the detuning of international bikes here is common .. its not mainly for mileage ..its mainly related to emission norms of this country which are much strict than rest of the world and also noise pollution levels .. unless its matches local standards here bike won;t be allowed



add me to your list



Don;t go by others review .. check out urself .. he is riding MT-01 and he knows and used to that power ... it makes lot of difference .. just try to ride HH Spledor after riding with R15 or P220 u know how it feels ..
different ppl have different views and expectations .. so take all the +ve points from them and note down the -ve points and verify urself those -ve points [its the easiest way to judge a bike]

(CBR250R) not equals to (ZMR) not equals to (P220) not equals to (R15) not equals to (Ninja)

so stop comparing in any way..

and finally .......

for some ppl its Superbike and for some its Dream bike and for others its not worthy upgrade from P220|R15.. its personal view more than anything (we know practically superbike >=1KCC in general)..

so lets enjoy this bike .. and the thrill it gives

You and I both know if they had put the RR here it would cost more than a 600... then where would the value for money proposition be...???

Anyway, you were in Mumbai and you didn't contact me

Short segment of the video to show you how much clutch slip I had to use to get away from standstill. This is not a clutch "setting" ka issue...this is a low-end-torque issue. This is an over-square bore which is quite different from the under-square bore of the ZMA. Hence this reluctance from 0kph to 20kph.

Nagoo - I agree with you that everyone should make up their own mind. I was ready to book the bike blindly until someone on motoroids mentioned that this particular dealership was giving test-rides so I took the opportunity and scooted there immediately to make up my own mind.

If you have booked the bike / If you are about to book the bike - do yourself a favor and have a test-ride first and then decide because that is when you will be able to decide whether you can get your money's worth out of this bike. I feel it is not worth the money...someone else may feel that it is! But PLEASE don't decide this based on how the bike looks because at the end of the day, nobody wants to be on an overpriced souped up Zma..which is sort of what this bike feels like to me.

I also ride an RX, RD350, Yezdi, Karizma as well as the MT-01 so I am not "used" to any kind of power. I've also been riding bikes from the time many of you were still learning that peeing into the wind is not a great idea. All those years of shifting gears has taught me one thing - If a bike doesn't put a smile on your face then walk away...something else will come along and it is better to save the money and wait. I feel there will be better options for the same or even less money in the months/years to come. I also advocate that if you can swing 1.5L in one-shot then it is better to put it as down-payment on a true big-bike like the Ninja 650R for example (which will be launched...question is when?)

Peer pressure is extremely powerful and the tsunami effect of the hype, hysteria, excitement and desperation that you see here in this thread can push someone over the precipice into doing something that isn't necessarily what they would have done when presented with a lucid review and a test-ride. I can't give you a bike to ride but I can tell you what I think of the bike.

I have posted one video to show you how much clutch slip is needed to get the bike rolling. If, like me, you wanted to take this bike to the hills or even to Ladakh, then this kind of throttle response becomes a pain in the posterior. I know from experience that this will not work in those conditions. An under-square bike that develops power (even 15-16bhp) in the right RPM range is more useful in those conditions.

Another video on a more open stretch of road:
YouTube - On a decent stretch