It's been a year since Honda began deliveries of the Navi. This rather unique and somewhat idiosyncratic two-wheeler, which is a crossover between a motorcycle and a scooter, has managed to attract a fair bit of interest. In fact, such as been the response that the bike has surpassed the two-wheeler maker’s sales expectations within the first year. According to Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) senior vice president (sales and marketing) Y.S. Guleria, sales of the Navi have crossed 60,000 units, beyond the company’s target of 50,000 units.
Mainly targeted at 18- to 24-year-olds, the Navi has a quirky and a youthful design. And in keeping with its funky appeal, the company has had on offer a host of customisation options, including various paint schemes. The company had showcased some rugged-looking and special-edition models of the Navi alongside the standard version at the 2016 Auto Expo, where the Navi was launched. Recently, in order to broaden the bike’s appeal, Honda introduced two customisation kits known as Chrome and Adventure, which share some visual upgrades with those shown last year.
The Chrome kit, as the name suggests, gives Navi owners the option of souping up their bikes with some bling. The options include a rear grip, headlamp protector, perimeter guard, side lower cover, all done in chrome. Chrome additions are never a bad thing if done tastefully and we felt the kit stylishly augmented the bike’s look. Practicality has been an area of concern for many buyers as the bike lacks adequate underseat storage. So this Chrome edition also gets a luggage box which aims to address the lack of storage space on the bike.
The Adventure kit gives the Navi a rugged look and is aimed at bike riders who are looking to try out off-roading, or to put it more accurately, some soft-roading. Options include an underbody guard, knuckle guard-set, a fly shield, headlamp protector, a rear grip and like on the Chrome kit, a luggage box. That’s not all. It also has visual upgrades such as an improved seat cover and a new exterior finish. Buyers can choose from a range of decals with varied graphics to tailor their mini-bike.
The extras apart, the Navi doesn't receive any mechanical updates and continues to be powered by the 109cc engine from the popular Activa. Power figure is at 8hp developed at 7,000rpm, while torque rating is 9Nm developed at 5,500rpm. They are sent to the rear wheel through a continuously variable transmission.
The two-wheeler maker has observed that customisation has been hugely popular with Navi buyers, with more than 50 percent of them opting for some amount of personalisation, according to Guleria. These accessories are sure to give a boost to the minibike's popularity. Both Chrome and Adventure customisation kits can be bought at a price of Rs 5,065 and Rs 8,525, respectively. The standard Honda Navi is priced at Rs 39,718 (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
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