I am Siddhartha from Bangalore
I had brought a Kinetic Nova 135 on Jan 2006 from Sai Automobiles Airport Road Bangalore
I have been riding for 1 year 6 months for 30 kms each day up & down to office.
I am extremely satisfied with the bike. Please don’t go by the bad reviews. That may be because of poor maintenance & rough handling.( no Offence please).
I give the bike for servicing after every 3 months. ( Don’t go by the Kms you ride, go by time period). The servicing costs me around Rs500 and the bike is as good as new, as smooth as butter.
Couple of highlights from practical point of view
- The vehicle has a very good pick up - You can Zoom ahead of any damm bike ( even pulsar) from a signal stop ( Inner & Outer ring road in B'lore).
2. The vehicle has good mileage :I get around 40-45 miles/liter mileage. ( Get it serviced every 3 months). The mileage decrease to 35-40 when the servicing period approaches. So everyone make it a rule you get it serviced every 3 months. The service people do some tuning and good lord the vehicle is soo smooth that you don’t want to get of it. The acceleration & de-acceleration is superb. Believe it all depends on the servicing.
3. The handling is good : I go up to 75-80 Km/hr on empty roads, and the bike has very good grip on roads. Even in sharp turn it has very good balance. I once road in storm back to my home, believe me there is very good balance even in strong winds ( obviously you need to slow down to 30-35 kms.hr). However the front suspension is bit weak and it cranks when you hit a pothole in high speeds. The rear suspension is good but hard.
4. Riding Comfort :The seats are wide enough to sit properly. The leg space in front is very ample for tall persons. I am 5'10, and riding in Honda Activa was very crampy. My legs hit the handle bar in a turn. So, Nova 135 is much better in this case.
6. The ground clearance is good :You can clear high bumpers & waddle through road pool of water easily.
7. Lights & Horn are good :The horn is the loudest & best in the class. Get the light adjusted and replace the bulb with a halogen or a different company, and you have very powerful beam of light kissing the roads. The low beam & high beam are equally good.
The side indicators are stylish & the tail light is the one I love. The tail light is biggest & brightest in its class.
8. Mirrors :I guess someone mentioned that mirrors are not good. Believe me they are the widest and best. Have a look at the Activa mirrors, they look like pony tails hanging out. The Nova 135 mirrors give a very good view of the road back of you, and you dont have to turn your head once to look for vehicles. I always use the mirrors for turning, overtaking or whatever ( even for combing my hair).
9. Electric Start : So far I have had no problems with electric start. The engine roars with a single press of it. You may have to use the choke to start if your vehicle is idle for 3-4 days. Thats it. This proves the battery is very good. Again you need to get the battery checked during the servicing. The vehicle comes with a Exide battery I guess. I have rarely used the manual kick start.
10. Style & Storage space : The vehicle is very stylish, even better that Honda Dio, and far better that the oldie Activa. The storage is huge - I put my helmet & jacket in it when not riding. When riding you can just imagine how to fill up the complete space.
11. Built of body : The vehicle is mostly build of sturdy plastic ( wich some people complain), but the best is that you can get it replaced whenever you want and have a completely new vehicle on the road. ( This is not for you if you like dent works done on metal body of Activa).
12. Side Stands & Center Stands: The stands are very good & easy to use, and very sturdy.
Did I miss out any point of the vehicle ? I guess not.
Please remember the following for a good experience with your vehicle ( NO matter what you have, it applies to all vehicle and all owners)
1. Get your vehicle serviced regularly preferably every 3 months & stick to it, no matter what. Dont go by KMS run. If you see a small problem, immediately get it serviced, dont ignore it, else you will be writing a sobbing story like others.
2. Always check the tire pressure every time you fill your tank ( Front 25 rear 35) this will give you optimum milage.
3. Single hand use - Love your vehicle like your GF, or BF and don’t give it to others to go for a ride. ( You take them as pillion rider if you want). *
Las but not the least - Drive Safely, wear a helmet, not try to overtake others in a heavy traffic, love your life and the vehicle. Insist you pillion rider to wear a helmet because their life is also precious.
- Thank You! We appreciate your effort.
