The hunt began with the usual contenders like the Honda Activa, Suzuki Access, Honda Dio and TVS Ntorq.
BHPian Dramitn recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
It all started when I expressed to my wife the wish to upgrade my 2014 KTM Duke 390. Now usually the reply is how I always keep dreaming of things and not concentrating on the important things (like planning a long holiday or a shopping spree with her). But this time I was surprised when she said yes it’s been some time that you haven’t upgraded the bike. And so with newfound happiness, I began my search for a worthy replacement to my bike which had seen me through the years steadfastly and with great memories. As I began my search I looked over to my wife who was pouting and reading a book. I got the hint that if I had to replace my bike I would have to upgrade my wife’s bike first!
And so the hunt began with the usual contenders like the Honda Activa, Suzuki Access, Honda Dio and TVS Ntorq. I thought we should consider the electric options like the Ola S1 or the Ather 450 too. But that was dismissed because of the uncertain service quality in my area. And considering we expect to keep the bike long-term and the uncertainty of the long-term review and battery replacement we decided to skip the electric options. With a relative chiming in about the Yamaha Aerox and the Aprilia SR160, I perked up thinking that would be an interesting bike to explore but had to be dropped because of the size and ease of driving for the wife which brought us back to the usual contenders.
We checked out the Activa and found it to be pretty boring to drive and lacklustre looks also the sheer volume of Activas sold with a few problems searching for your own in the parking! And the stories of the mistaken Activa being driven away by somebody else didn’t appeal to us. So we moved on to the Dio but the design didn’t agree with us so we went to the Suzuki stable and were immediately pushed towards the Suzuki Access. The drive of the Suzuki Access was smooth and the power was linear in delivery but the aesthetics of the scooter reminded her of an old design which had not been changed for a long time.
The Suzuki Burgman caught our eye and we checked it out. The drive was smooth and the suspension and seat were very comfortable. But she didn’t find the design appealing as it was front and she weighs in the 50s so didn’t find it comfortable in handling the bike. In the corner, we spied another bike which when asked were told to be called the Avenis. I thought the design looked familiar and asked if it was a collaboration with the TVS. Because I found the design very similar to the Ntorq, it did seem to share similarities with the latter.
We asked about the very few posters and promotions about the bike because we hadn’t heard about it and got the reply that the Access is the star of the show so the Avenis wasn’t showcased as much. We took a test ride and the ride was smooth and the handling was comfortable with the suspension having a good balance. The design language was new and appealing. With the missus expressing the decision that was the only bike she felt comfortable with, it was decided on the spot to book the vehicle.
The delivery of the vehicle was taken the next day itself with a few accessories such as the guards and the floor mat. The delivery experience itself was nothing to be spoken about with a rather drab affair and the handing over of the keys and documents.
So without further ado, I present to you our new Suzuki Avenis!
The experience so far has been good with the bike having a good peppy engine and adequate power with a linear acceleration. The brakes are good and do the job well with good bite. The phone charger is a good addition.
Overall a good all-rounder bike for everyday use and small errands. The service visits have been short for routine maintenance.
I will update the thread as and when I have anything significant to share. Other owners and users, please share your experience and observations about the bike too!
Keyword: Why we decided to buy a Suzuki Avenis 125: Ownership experience so far