2018 Honda Activa 5G Test Ride Review – What Is New?

Ergonomics – At 765mm the Honda Activa has the most accessible seat for any scooter. It has been the same since 2009 and there have been no changes at all in the ergonomics of this scooter. The handlebar is close to the rider while it is still comfortable and keeps the riding posture upright. The footboard is wide enough to mount luggage onto the two hooks and there will be adequate space for a pair of legs too. The seat is neither too wide nor too long while it can fit two decently sized human beings properly. The seat cushion is soft and the footpegs for the pillion are placed in an ergonomically comfortable position.

Performance – Powering the Honda Activa 5G is the same 110cc HET motor which produces 8 BHP of power and 9 Nm of torque. However, these numbers may not seem exciting, the power delivery of the Activa is quite punchy in the low-end and it has a decent mid-range too. As soon as you reach 80 km/hr it soon goes out of breath and limits itself to 90 km/hr on the meter. The refinement level is just amazing and the Activa’s engine is just super smooth. There’s no noise or harshness we could feel, however, vibrations kick-in when the scooter is hitting its top speed or standing at idle. The throttle response is brilliant and the motor is tuned perfectly well to cope up in the city as well as occasional highway duties.

Riding Dynamics – The ergonomics of the Activa are comfortable but the ride quality hasn’t improved even a bit. As it carries the same suspension setup, they do a great job of absorbing bumps and small undulations. But as the scooter rides over worst of roads, the front suspension feels bottomed out while the rear offset monoshock feels too bouncy even with a pillion. The front suspension counter-lifts as you apply brakes and that is the only gripe with such a suspension setup. The brakes, on the other hand, work brilliantly well. Even though it does not get disc brakes, even as an option, the Activa gets the combi-braking system as standard and it helps a lot in heavy braking situations.