11 The CBZ-Xtreme is growing on Me

The CBZ-Xtreme, whose looks I hated so much at its launch.. finally seems to be growing on me"

The looks CBZ Xtreme is finally seems to be growing on me. Yes, honest. When the Xtreme was launched, I was very disappointed at the treatment Hero Honda had given to it in styling. In fact there were many guys across many biking forums and blogs who echoed similar feelings of “Xtreme” disappointed about the design of the CBZ Xtreme.

"I saw more CBZ Xtreme on the streets of my hometown than the New (UG3) Bajaj Pulsar..."

The reason of disappointment was the fact that the new bike carried the name “CBZ” on its tank. The “Classic/Original” 156.6 C.C Hero Honda CBZ that was launched by Hero Honda in the late nineties remains one of the most handsome bikes in India even till date. The styling of the new CBZ Xtreme was a disappointment for CBZ enthusiasts like me.

The CBZ was discontinued by Hero Honda after a few years because the Bajaj Pulsar had captured the 150 C.C market with its Pulsar (which was more fuel efficient, cheaper to buy and had a better engine compared to the “Original” CBZ).

The CBZ still had a strong brand recall among bike lovers in India. Bike enthusiasts were therefore quite excited to hear about the “New” CBZ that was about to be launched. But when the New CBZ-Xtreme was launched, they (including me) were quite disappointed at the styling of the new Xtreme. The new bike did not have the seductive clean lines of the “Original” CBZ. Especially the Headlamp stuck out like a sore thumb with its odd looking integrated turning indicators.

"Moreover the CBZ Xtreme did seem to have a road presence..

It looks a bit bigger than the other 150 C.C bikes..."

Hero Honda still deserves praise that they have addressed the earlier weak points of the “Original” CBZ. A completely new 150 C.C engine sourced from its technical partner, Honda has been used. The engine is basically the 150 C.C Honda Unicorn tuned for better performance. The fuel efficiency of the new bike is around the same as that of its earlier nemesis, the Bajaj Pulsar. The engine is also a little bit more powerful than the New Pulsar on paper and happens to be the most powerful 150 C.C bike in India. The power figures are not only impressive on paper but it also gets translated on the road with ease.

In my test ride of the CBZ Xtreme, I was all praise for the way the bike pulled in every gear, the way it handled turns, the sitting position and the stability. The CBZ Xtreme felt like a mini Karizma. But I still could not digest its quirky design. But when I went to Assam on my vacation last January, I saw more CBZ Xtreme on the streets of my hometown than the New (UG3) Bajaj Pulsar. Yes, Honest..!! Moreover the CBZ Xtreme did seem to have a road presence. It looks a bit bigger than the other 150 C.C bikes. Even my friend from Hyderabad has confirmed that he saw quite as number of Xtremes in Hyderabad.


So does that mean that I like the CBZ Xtreme now..??

Well, I am still all praise for its handling and its strong engine. But the hangover of the beautiful lines my handsome “Original” CBZ still remains. Maybe I’ll wait for the next version of the Xtreme and hope that Hero Honda gets it right.

If you happen to like the Styling of the CBZ Xtreme, then the Xtreme should certainly be a 150 C.C option for you.


Pics of the CBZ-Xtreme sourced from here..

Related Posts:

• 150 C.C Test Ride Series: Hero Honda Achiever & CBZ Xtreme



• Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme Pics, First Impressions



• Tribute to the Hero Honda CBZ



• New CBZ Xtreme"ly" Dissappointing..!!

Disclaimer:

This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.