Bike tested: 2011 Honda CB Twister
Price OTR Mumbai: 57,619/-
Honda is considered to be one of the “big shots” when it comes to making bikes. They have got superb litre class bikes like the CBR Fireblades and a more of a naked series with the CB1000 RRs in the international market. Back in our country, they have already proved their mettle with the Unicorn, the Unicorn Dazzler and the Shine. Little did we expect that this company is going to tread into such a segment which has such a fierce competition with the most number of players to grab that piece of market share!! So, we all were taken for a complete shock and awe when they launched the CB Twister! When you look at the Twister for the first time, you are sure to ask yourself this question: “Am I in some kind of a dream? Is this really a 110cc bike?” Well, guys the answer is a resounding “YES”. If that is the case, let us check out if it really lives up to the “Honda standards”.
Styling: The styling is highly impressive with the aggressive headlights inspired again from its litre class naked bikes, the CB1000RRs. It also gets the cool small side fairings which we saw in the Dazzler before. Also, the rear view mirrors are styled in the polygonal shape similar to the ones in Dazzler. You can also make out the nice recesses carved out in the fuel tank which make it look and give a sporty feel.
Performance: On the power front, the bike also has a surprise for us in store. It is equipped with a 109 cc, 4 stroke air cooled engine which delivers 9bhp of power at 8000 RPM and 9 Nm of torque at 6000 RPM. Impressive!!!! And the best in class, I must add. The gearbox is well matched to the engine output, thus making it an effortless commuter. There is hardly any need to downshift from 3rd even if you are caught up in heavy traffic.
The engine of the Honda CB Twister is so smooth and so vibration free that in the idling condition, you won’t even know if it is running or not!!! It also features a self-start switch too making you save fuel when you have to wait for the light to go GREEN. The kerb weight is quite low at 108 kg making the bike feel really quick when you just twist the throttle.
Handling: Honda, as always has been quite good when it comes to the handling of their bike. The Twister features a diamond type frame-Advanced Design Diamond (in Honda’s words) which makes the bike very agile in the corners. The Honda CB Twister also feels very stable, even at high speeds. Honestly speaking, personally I feel this is one thing that was missing in this segment and the Honda chaps have addressed that. It features a 240 mm front disc brake which makes you really confident with the braking capability of this. The rear features a 110 mm drum. You can even buy without the front discs if you are not of the late and hard braking type. The bumps and potholes are taken in smoothly by the two red, coil struts in the rear.
Instrument Cluster: This is also quite unconventional as to what we see in the bikes of this segment. But it does look funky!! It is dominated by the Speedometer on the left and the fuel gauge to the right. The arrangement is quite neat though. Also, the common features like Neutral gear indicator, high beam and direction indicators are provided.
Overall, the Honda CB Twister is really good (we are tempted to say the best) in this segment. At 57,619/- (OTR, Mumbai, for Self start with alloy wheels), the pricing may be a bit on the high side but the packaging being offered by Honda is really worth it!! Now you know why it bagged the 2010 Indian Motorcycle Of The Year award!!
– Joydeep Chatterjee