Honda Livo Review

The pros: Looks premium and good quality parts are used, nice acceleration and power along with good fuel economy of 70 kmpl. Very lightweight and comfortable. 

The cons: Livo gets an odd looking instrument console, braking performance of disc brake would have been slightly better.
  
The crux: The stylish commuter with the added benefit of a comfortable, light and easy to maneuver motorcycle and value for money.

Rating

Introduction:

India small capacity motorcycles are the bread and butter for every two  wheeler manufacturer. These tiny 100cc motorcycles make up a huge chunk of their yearly sales. As you can imagine, with this segment already having so many competitors, there’s always a clash of which motorcycle looks better, is more reliable and off course which one gives the most fuel economy. With Honda motorcycle being a major player in this segment, they constantly try and come up with something new every year. This year they’ve launched their latest and a more premium 100cc motorcycle called the Livo which replaces its previous premium commuter – the Twister. Let’s take a look at closer look at the Livo.

Design and features:

Honda Livo is being marketed as a premium commuter motorcycle and that’s definitely what it looks like. From a far you can make out that the Livo is definitely a good looking motorcycle. Up front you have the stylish new headlight flanked with black fins encased in the fairing with a black wind screen. This combination actually lends the motorcycle a sporty look. Move on to the tank and you notice the tank shrouds are similar to those on the Unicorn 160 including the 3d embossed Honda logo. The side panels now fit plush with the rear panels and the Livo gets a metal grab handle along with a more compact tail light. A few design aspects that we liked were the two piece muffler with a chrome heat plate and the new side panels. The overall look of the Livo lends it not only a premium look, but also the slightly faired parts give it a bigger perceived presence on the road.

As far features go, the Livo gets an odd looking instrument console that’s hexagonal shaped with one hexagon showing the speed and the other showing the fuel gauge. Now this isn’t a design you’d expect or want to see on a premium motorcycle. In fact it’s a waste of space. We would have preferred a semi digital console and a rev meter along with a clock. The switch gear remains the same old boxy design and the engine kill switch is still not available. But it’s not all bad, the paint finish and the overall quality of the Livo is commendable. It’s got alloy wheels, body coloured mirrors, a pass switch and a front disc brake option.  

Engine and Performance:

The power house of the Livo is the same as that on the Honda Dream Neo. The single-cylinder, air-cooled engine produces 8.3PS at 7,500rpm and 8.6Nm at 5,500rpm. Acceleration is good from the get go but what will keep you going is its impressive mid-range power. Shifting gears is now in an all up sequence compared to the Twister’s one down three up sequence but the inclusion of the toe and heel shifter will make the Livo more appealing to daily commute riders who don’t want to ruin their shoes. The Livo cruises comfortably at 60km/h but if pushed any more, you’ll feel the vibrations kick it. 

Ride, Handling and Braking:

Swing one leg over and you’ll instantly feel how light the Livo is, weighing in at just 111kg. The riding posture is upright and the seat feels very comfortable. Owing to its light weight and upright handlebar, the Livo is extremely easy to manouver and has a good turning radius making it easy to squeeze through those small gaps in traffic. The telescopic suspension in front is ok but what’s even better are the rear 5 step adjustable shock absorbers.  So now you can adjust the suspension depending on who you are ferrying along as a pillion. Speaking of pillions, the rear seat is now much lower in height compared to the Twister and our test subjects (mostly women) were very happy with the lower seat. They said the new height made it a lot easier to get on and off the motorcycle. 

Surprisingly though, the Livo doesn’t get Honda’s patented Combi-Brake system that you see on their scooters and other motorcycles. But it does have an option for a 240mm disc brake in the front that we recommend is a must get. The rear gets a 1300mm drum brake and the braking performance in spite of not having the Combi-Brake system is good with ample feedback though a bit more bite from the disc brake would have been welcome. One weird aspect of the Livo that we noticed was the tyres. The Livo runs 80-100-18 both at the front and the rear and the front tyre is an MRF Zapper but the rear is a Ceat tyre. Kind of strange to put tyres by two different manufacturers on the same motorcycle but we’re guessing they must have struck a good deal with Ceat.

Verdict:

The Honda Livo is definitely one the best looking motorcycles that Honda have in their commuter product line. You’re bound to turn heads riding this motorcycle around the city and you’ve got the added benefit of a comfortable, light and easy to manouver motorcycle. When tested the Livo returned a good fuel economy of 70km/l and with the rising fuel prices, that’s just the kind of mileage you want. The Livo not only looks premium but will cost you a pretty penny too. The base model with only drum brakes will cost you Rs.57,090 and the disc brake model will cost you Rs. 59, 590(ex-showroom Mumbai). If you’re looking for a stylish commuter motorcycle that gives excellent fuel economy, then the Livo is the one for you.