I m Planning to buy a Honda dio..?

Styling: Well, what is there to say? It looks brilliant, with all its cuts, creases, sharp edges, and superb headlight and taillight detailing.

Build: Excellent quality as far as the controls are concerned. But I am afraid it does feel a little on the flimsy side compared to all-metal scooters like the Activa and Nova, this feeling accentuated by its comparitive lightness.

Ergonomics, Practicality: One thing I found a little funny in it: The footwell was inclined quite a bit, in the forward direction. Although I initially baulked at this, I realised I didnt notice anything when I rode, so it must be ok. I am a small-built person, so the leg space seemed cavernous for me. The pillion rider gets partially left out in the deal, he or she having to put their legs more forward than usual and on to dimunitive pegs. Luggage space satisfactory, no more.

Performance, Refinement: The Dio's engine is silent and vibration free at low revs.

Cane it, and the scooter really gets going, 50 coming up rather quickly, and even after that, acceleration is strong and steady uptil around 70. I reached around 80 in the wee hours of the day on an almost-deserted road. Mid range and low rev punch is good, the bike can leap forward to your command.

Handling, Grip: The Dio is extremely stable over rough surfaces, and she is confidence inspiring.

Through the bends, the rider is initially unsure of whether to push the bike, but it is completley safe to subject her to sudden direction changes, the Dio takes it all in her stride. Although she still is, and will remain a scoot, never approaching the dynamic ability of a bike.

Verdict: The Dio's main problem is the price, which, at around 36000 rs, is a little on the higher side, now that bikes have started appearing at enticingly( pun not intended) lower prices, so sometimes it makes sense to spend a little more and get a good bike.