Honda Navi long term review, third report

Since I ride more than I drive in Mumbai, choosing the Navi from Autocar’s long-term fleet was an easy decision. The funky styling grabs eyeballs, so much so that I’ve had to park it far away to protect it from those who were trying to get too close to the bike.

Its bantamweight and relatively small handlebar make light work of manoeuvring it through city traffic. The riding position is very comfortable for a rider of my height i.e. 5ft and a few inches.

The 109cc engine is punchy, encouraging you to twist the throttle a little more than needed, and ensures that you are first off the traffic light in the 0-30kph dash. The CVT works well too.

That said, you do wish the bike had a larger fuel tank. In comparison to the Activa and the Dio, which have 5.3-litre fuel tanks with the same engine, the Navi gets a 3.8-litre tank. The absence of a fuel gauge and a trip meter also really hamper the Navi’s usability. On two occasions, the engine stalled in the middle of the road and I had to ride in reserve within a day of tanking up. The Navi has a real-world range of around 120km before falling into reserve, and that’s when you start to panic and realise it’s time to find a fuel station. 

I really wish the Navi had more storage options to match the practicality offered by other scooters from Honda. I miss the underseat helmet storage area as I’m not used to carrying my helmet with me wherever I go. Also, a hook in the storage area under the tank would have been very helpful as, otherwise, this space is of no use. I once dropped a shopping bag with goodies because of the lack of a hook.

Overall, in my experience, the Navi has been a great companion but one that’s held back by its limited practicality.