The Honda Activa. The family scooter we all own. Thanks to its reliable nature, it has been the go to scooter in the Indian market. It has been bench marked by others in the Indian market and we have seen a lot of better Activa’s from other manufacturers, but the original one, from Honda ofcourse, continues to sell like hot cakes with waiting list even today. To keep the momentum going for a popular product like this, the best way is to keep it upgrading slowly, steadily and safely.
Not big changes, but not small enough to disappoint the crowd either who upgrades from one Activa to the other. We owned the original 2001 model and never upgraded though, but we have pleasant memories of that engine. It was a BS2 Motor and now we have BS6 motor. The run has been long. Thanks to privilege, we have ridden all scooters extensively over the past that come and gone. This time, the Activa 6G with BS6 was our steed for the day.
The change to the design is only apparent in the rear as the tail-lamps take inspiration from the Activa 125. The large and chunk lamps for turn and stop lamp help it distinguish. The side body panels remain similar, but are now a sharper in the 6G. The front apron has plastic and chrome appliques and is also more sleeker and sharper.
The floorboard has been increased and there is now room for taller riders by a subtle margin over the previous one. The seat height remains the same and so does the comfort as the cushioning is stiff but comfortable enough for daily usage. The instrument cluster is bare basic and doesn’t get anything like its sibling such as the Activa 125. What you get as a new addition is the engine kill switch which also acts as a starter button. The ignition slot gets flip button for seat and fuel cap lid which is now external.
Riding the Activa 6G as easy as it was back in 2001. The engine is smooth, refined and NVH levels are now even lower than before. The power is dropped marginally by 0.2 ps but hasn’t affected any performance. The BS6 power delivery is so linear that it does feel that something has been sapped of it, but we spending time in our home turf of Mumbai, riding through everything, never seemed a problem. The way the new engine starts now is dramatically different.
The new starter motor system allows for a jerk free start and brings the scooter to life with no drama at all. However, if the scooter does a cold start, the engine will rev a bit higher for 30 seconds and then settle down into a normal RPM. A problem of the past, which was getting fuelling right to stop the RPM from going down, is now easily taken care with the sophisticated electronic fuel injection system.
The engine was brand new so it could get better after the first 1000 kms as well. However, we still think, the zest of the low and mid-range is missing by a subtle margin when compared to previous versions, but in the background, nothing seems debatable. So it is just the feel that has gone, it continues to most of its job really well as before. Top speed of 80 km/hr was achieved quickly and 0-40 was done quickly with a heavy rider.
Dynamically, the big change is telescopic fork which is the same as the 125cc variant. The 12-inch wheel is also a new addition. The 110cc variant suspension seems a bit more softer than the 125cc. However, the 12-inch wheels makes the ride mature at all speeds and compensates at most speeds, push it in the corners and you will notice its softly sprung nature.
However, the rear suspension is adjustable so you can up the pre-load if you carry a lot of weight of yourself or on the scooter. Brakes and tyres were confidence inspiring and overall flickable and nimble nature of the scooters help it commute with ease just like any other Activa of the past. However, this time it rides with confidence and sophistication unlike all its previous generation.
2020 Honda Activa 6G BS6 Review, Verdict
Activa 6G comes in two variants and they are only distinguished with halogen and LED front headlamps. Everything else is the same but there is nothing much to write about when it comes to feature. The massive technological change in the engine part makes up the big news and lives up to the hype.
The good old reliable scooter just got much more fuss free cementing its position even more but continues to be expensive when compared to its competitor. Nevertheless, now we don’t have a reason not to recommend the Activa, its just a matter of personal opinion now and we are happy that has happened. We are happy that Honda has taken all the criticism throughout the decade very seriously and brought their Activa and entire scooter lineup to almost world-class level.
