Kinetic Watts and Volts Limited – not to be confused with Kinetic Green – has resurrected the original Kinetic Honda DX 2-stroke petrol scooter as an EV and launched it in two variants, with deliveries beginning in October. The Kinetic DX electric has a design similar to the original KiHo but adds a touch of modernity to it. In this piece, we’ll take you through all the visual similarities (and some small differences) between the two DX models.
Kinetic DX electric vs original: design similarities
DX electric is a faithful rendition of the original
The original Kinetic Honda DX was an extremely popular machine back in the day, and in an effort to capitalise on that nostalgia and turn it into sales, Kinetic has kept the DX electric’s design quite close to the original scooter.
Viewing the scooter in profile will bring out the most similarities between the new electric DX and the older one. Kinetic has gone to great lengths to ensure that the new EV mimics the design of the original as closely as possible. The 3 vertical slats in the bodywork near the model’s badging, the two ‘vents’ in the body panel under the seat, and indeed the overall silhouette of the new DX are very similar to the original.
Other design elements that the company has carried over to the DX electric are the small flyscreen with Kinetic badging atop the headlight and the shape of the digital instrument cluster. Of course, while the new display’s shape is similar, its functionality and layout are very different to that of the original. In fact, Kinetic has even bestowed the DX electric with a bright red square button to switch it on – just like the original’s electric start button.
Kinetic DX electric vs original: design differences
Some elements on the new DX EV are distinct
However, there are some areas where the company has differentiated the DX’s design compared to the original. For starters, the electric DX’s headlight is a rectangular light flanked by two small strips – all are LEDs – which is quite different to the original KiHo’s headlight design. Underneath the headlight, the new DX electric has an LED DRL in the shape of the Kinetic logo, which is another differentiating factor between the two.
The tail-lamp of the new DX, while visually reminiscent of the original scooter, is much slimmer, and again, LEDs are on duty here, replacing the halogen bulbs of the classic DX. And since the new DX has a hub-mounted electric motor, its rear wheel isn’t on display like that of the original petrol-powered scooter. The electric DX also doesn’t have a spare wheel mounted at the rear, which was a design hallmark of the original KiHo DX.
Special thanks to Yogi Chhabria for supplying images of the original Kinetic Honda DX.
