Hero Honda CBZ: It Should Have Stayed

While the era of RD350 was slowly coming to an end, the late 1980s and the 1990s saw the rise of 100cc 4 strokes in the form of Hero Honda CD100. Remember the advertisement “fill it, shut it, forget it”? It was a different time for the motorcycle industry and there wasn’t much for a motorcycle enthusiast except for the Yamaha RX100 (which itself didn’t live a long life). People, instead, started noticing the benefit of a motorcycle that could return high fuel efficiency and how it added to their monthly savings. The CD100 was a hit beyond any doubt. Then came, what is probably the most significant launch by an Indian motorcycle company ever, the Splendor. It changed everything. It brought a style statement in that category of motorcycles and showed that commuter motorcycles can look good enough.

However, there was something missing. By the end of the 20th century, the motorcycle industry in India took a giant leap, or at least it was the start of it. The joint venture of Hero and Honda yet again delivered a motorcycle so important for the industry, that it set the path for all future motorcycles in its segment at the very least – the CBZ. Launched in 1999, CBZ was the most stunning motorcycle of its time. The motorcycle had a 156.8cc single cylinder engine from Honda which produced around 12.8BHP @ 8000RPM and around 12.4NM of torque @ 6500RPM. It weighed around 135kgs ready to ride.

Numbers aside, the impact of CBZ in the motorcycle industry in India was nothing short of a pure magnificence. Hero Honda turned their image into a performance motorcycle manufacturer overnight and it would be safe to assume that every motorcycle enthusiast in the country wanted one. The motorcycle gave birth to the 150cc segment and set the benchmark for performance and style. It looked too good at the time, smooth styling with no unnecessary curves, a small bikini fairing giving a sense of aerodynamics and an equally suave rear-half section to finish things off. The CBZ looked proportionate from all angles imaginable. It was dynamic, smart and dignified in its appearance.

There were many “firsts” in the CBZ. It was the motorcycle that introduced disc brakes in Indian motorcycles, the first motorcycle to have a wider section rear tyre (100/90 on an 18 inch wheel), box section swing-arm and the first motorcycle to provide a sporty riding stance with slight forward lean and rear-set foot-pegs. The right side foot-peg had to be folded in to kick start the motorcycle. This exercise was a bit irritating at the beginning, but CBZ made it its own thing!

The reviewers went mad over the motorcycle, its styling and the performance. CBZ is one of the few motorcycles in the Indian motorcycle history that nailed it in both performance and appearance. The motorcycle could top out anywhere between 100 – 110kph. The handling was indulging and fun, it could pull of some decent lean angles. My memories with the CBZ (my first motorcycle) are still quite fresh. I still remember clearly when I took it past 100kph mark on the Delhi – Noida flyway. That was the first time that I ever rode anything past that speed. I still remember distinctly it had rained earlier that day and I was returning home from office in the evening, my eyes took some moments to adjust to the passing scenery, it was blur at the start and got smooth later on. That was something.

While the CBZ was praised for its performance, it was also ridiculed for the low fuel efficiency that it returned. Hero Honda, though, should be praised for coming out with a performance oriented motorcycle that emphasized on good looks as well. It could have been so much easier for them to make another commuter with a 150cc engine but they didn’t, and that is praise worthy.

Yet, as years have gone by, it appears that Hero has a knack of destroying the legacy of their own motorcycles. There’s not a shred of doubt that enthusiasts around the country loved the original CBZ and we wanted (and hoped) Hero to keep it and make it even better. It seemed though that the company had different plans for it. After the launch of CBZ in 1999, Hero introduced new colors in the original design and made only one change in the motorcycle – the carburetor. The Carburetor was changed from the Sliding Type to a conventional CV (Constant Vacuum) Carburetor which increased the fuel efficiency a little bit but adversely affected the motorcycle’s pickup performance. The change was done possibly to keep the CBZ relevant in the wake of competition Hero was receiving from Bajaj Pulsar (which launched in 2001).

But nothing is constant and a design only remains fresh in the eyes of a viewer as long as he hasn’t got used to it. In the year 2006, everything changed. CBZ became CBZ Xtreme and things changed forever. While we were hoping for an upgrade that would be as remarkable as the first CBZ, Hero Honda came up with something that looked as controversial as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. CBZ Xtreme had nothing in common with the original CBZ, the motorcycle it succeeded. This is generally considered a good thing when you think about it in terms of improvements alone. However, there are somethings that not just deserve an improvement but a tribute as well. CBZ was one of those things.

No matter how subjective the preferences of looks are, CBZ Xtreme was not considered a beautiful motorcycle in general. As visually stunning the original CBZ was, the CBZ Xtreme looked equally confusing. While the rear LED tail light with integrated indicators was pleasing to the eyes, the similar treatment at the front to the headlight with integrated turn signals looked equally unpleasant. If I have to be honest, the front was quite horrible. Rest of the design was only okay. It was definitely not millions of us had hoped for. Build quality and fit ‘n’ finish of all parts was spot on. The engine was directly lifted from Honda Unicorn, a 150cc motorcycle, and retuned to deliver slightly more power. Interestingly enough, CBZ Xtreme was a decent success for Hero Honda but it failed in the eyes of hardcore fans of the original CBZ.

Possibly the (only) good thing that happened to the original CBZ, with the launch of CBZ Xtreme, was that it instantly became a legend and acquired the cult status among motorcycle enthusiasts around the county.

It is interesting to think how it is with time we change our perception of things. At one point something is absolutely everything for someone, but at another point in time it is literally nothing. The CBZ was a wonderful motorcycle in its time, today it would hardly be competent. The design is outdated by today’s standards and performance and handling have found a new meaning as well.

Now, Hero Honda has become the Hero MotoCorp and even the CBZ branding has been removed from the company’s portfolio. All that remains now is the Xtreme and its variants. Every now and then, people like me still end up calling it the CBZ Xtreme. That impactful is the name.