Yep, took the Honda CB Twister 110 cc bike for a test ride. So here is what I think of it..
Usually I start my review with the Looks of the bike, but this time I’ll make an exception and address it at the end of the review (I do have a reason for it).
Ergonomics / Seating Position: The seat height on the bike is low and is narrow enough at the front for even short guys to feel confident and at home. The foot peg–seat–handlebar relation is in the perfect, comfortable commuter mould.
The tank design provides ample space for my knees to grip the tank. The bike also feels extremely light and very easy to handle. A short guy like me is perfectly at home on the CB Twister, I can’t say for sure how a tall guy fits on the bike though.
Clutch & Gearbox: The clutch is delightfully light. I am sure that it will definitely make riding in heavy traffic an easy affair. The toe shift only gearbox has a one down – three up shift pattern. Gearshifts are positive, accurate and slick.
Smooth engine, decent performance for city traffic, comfortable ergonomics, light weight clutch and an accurate gearbox, nimble handling..
The CB Twister provides it all
Engine Performance: Let the clutch go with the left hand and twist the accelerator with the right hand, the bike seems to almost leap forward making you smile, but twist the accelerator further and you soon realize that the engine is basically tuned like a typical commuter bike. Even in top gear the bike has ample torque to move at slow speeds of 25 Kmph. The bike does speeds of 60-70 Kmph with ease, but as the revs rise, the torque and power begins to thin out. The engine remains smooth with slight tingling vibrations only coming in at high revs.
Although not as exciting as the Pulsar 135LS at high revs, the engine of the CB Twister performs perfectly as a commuter bike. Good low end torque, smooth engine and decent poke in city traffic. Thumbs up from me..!!
Ride and Handling: The ride of the CB Twister is a bit on the firmer side which definitely adds to the nimble handling but might lose out in providing a really plush ride. I tried to find out if the rear suspension had scope of being adjusted for a softer pre load setting, but to my surprise, the CB Twister has not provided for multiple stage settings and comes with just one setting.
The CB Twister also is the first Indian 100-110 cc motorcycle to be fitted with a tubeless tyre..!! Great stuff, a tubeless tyre definitely comes very handy in case of punctures as it can be ridden for quite sometime by just filling in air.
But surprisingly the pattern on the rear tyre of the CB Twister doesn’t have a "center groove". The grip of the tyre on dry roads was ok, but absence of the center groove makes me a bit apprehensive about grip on wet roads. The disc brakes (available as an option) do a good job of stopping and have a good progressive feel.
Summary: I found the CB Twister to be a delightful performer as a commuter motorcycle. Smooth engine, decent performance for city traffic, comfortable ergonomics, light weight clutch and an accurate gearbox, nimble handling.. The CB Twister provides it all. I mean what else do you need in a commuter bike?
Likes:+ Smooth engine
+ Good clutch and gearbox
+ Comfortable ergonomics
+ Nimble handling
Dislikes:
- Ride quality is a bit firm
- Lack of rear suspension adjustment, engine pass switch
- A bit too much plastic in parts
- Empty space in engine area
I can’t call the styling of the CB Twister as muscular, aggressive or even as sporty. Probably the CB Twister can be best described as FUNKY..
Looks: I have come across a few bikes which look awesome in photos but in the flesh it finally appears disappointing. But the CB Twister looks as good even in the flesh. The paint quality on the tank and front fairing area is especially excellent.
The best angle to view the CB Twister is from the front three quarters, from which the bike gives the impression of a muscular bike. But when viewed from the sides and the rear, the CB Twister actually appears quite lean and light. One sore sight though is the empty space in the engine area.
Although the paint quality on the tank and fairing is top notch, the side panels has a little bit too much of plastic, moreover the plastic panels on the side covers are a bit thin.
The rear grab rail on the CB Twister has been fabricated in black plastic instead of the usual alloy metal or chrome metal.
Although it looks good on a new bike, I hope that the back plastic doesn’t turn brittle and gets discolored in the sweltering Indian summer.
But why am I mentioning about the looks/styling at the end of my review?
Here is the reason for it. Without doubt the 110 cc CB Twister is great bike as a commuter bike. As I had earlier mentioned, the CB Twister has a smooth engine, decent performance for city traffic, comfortable ergonomics, light weight clutch and an accurate gearbox, nimble handling.. but then our commuter best sellers like the Hero Honda Splendor/Passion, Bajaj Discover, TVS Star City etc aren’t too bad in these aspects either.
Why should someone then buy the CB Twister? What is it’s USP over the already established best sellers?
Apart from the Honda brand, the USP of the CB Twister is its styling. The CB Twister looks quite different from other Indian motorcycles. I can’t call the styling of the CB Twister as muscular, aggressive or even sporty. Probably the CB Twister can be best described as FUNKY.
Now whether the funky styling works for you is left for you to decide.
Honda CB Twister Price:
- KICK START, DRUM, ALLOY: Rs. 41,850(Ex-showroom Delhi) Rs. 43,953(On-road Delhi)
SELF START, DRUM, ALLOY: Rs. 44,850(Ex-showroom Delhi) Rs. 47,045(On-road Delhi)
SELF START, DISK, ALLOY: Rs. 47,850(Ex-showroom Delhi) Rs. 50,137(On-road Delhi)
Honda CB Twister Tech Specs:
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
- Engine Type - 4 stroke, Air cooled, Single cylinder
Displacement - 109cc
Net Power - 9bhp@8000rpm
Torque - 9 N-m@6000rpm
Filter - Paper Filter - Viscous
Transmission - 4-speed Constant Mesh
Gear Shift Pattern - 1 Down-3 Up
Starting - Self/ Kick
WEIGHT/MEASUREMENTS
- Kerb Weight - 108
Length (mm) - 1972
Width (mm) - 742
Height (mm) - 1075
Wheelbase(mm) - 1262
Ground Clearance(mm) - 180
Fuel Tank Capacity(Litre) - 8
CHASSIS
- Chassis - Diamond type
Front Suspension - Telescopic Hydraulic Fork
Rear Suspension - Spring loaded Hydraulic shock absorber with rectangular box type swing arm
Tyre Type - Tubeless, : Front & Rear
Front Tyre - 70/100-17 40p
Rear Tyre - 80/100-17 53p
Front Brake - Disc 240mm
Rear Brake - Drum 110mm
ELECTRICALS
- Ignition - Digital CDI
Battery - 12V,3.0 AH Maintenance Free
Headlamp - Halogen 12V 35/35 W
Related Posts
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- Bajaj Pulsar 135LS Review [Part I] Over a week of ownership experience
- Bajaj Pulsar 135LS Vs Honda CBF Stunner Vs Honda Unicorn Vs Yamaha FZ-16. Bike India & Overdrive agrees with me..!!
- Will 110 cc CB Twister make a big mark?
- 2010 Honda CBF Stunner (125cc). Details, Price, Colors revealed (from Official Website)
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.
