SLICK SHIFTER WITH ADEQUATE Performance
Hero Honda is renowned for its ultra-reliable and refined engines. The Ambition 135's 133cc four-stroke, air-cooled single-cylinder unit is no exception to this standard. This motorcycle is the only machine which at present offers an optional electric starter to this segment, but is set to rapidly lose this exclusivity, with the soon-to-be-launched Bajaj Discover.
A bored-down CBZ platform is employed for the 135, having refinement heaped anew on it. Breathing is through a Keihin side-draught carburettor and its dual ignition maps are allied to a throttle position sensor, christened the AMS or Advanced Microprocessor ignition System. The engine feeds fresh air to the exhaust gases in a bid to keep emissions down. Maximum power of 11bhp comes up at 8000 revs and the engine is entirely buzz- and knock-free. The smoothness this motor provides is simply a treat while riding through any conditions.
The Ambition 135 with its five-speed gearbox stands among the better-equipped 125cc bikes. It sports accurately spaced ratios and shifts positively in the international one-down and four-up pattern. A perfectly-weighted clutch helps the rider draw out the best from this engine.
Performance disappoints when seen in light of the Ambition's considerable capacity advantage over the new crop of 125s. The bike posts comparatively strong roll-ons from 40kph-60kph as well as 60kph-80kph in fourth and fifth gears, thanks to its well-spaced five speeds. However, it manages to pull 60kph from rest only in a lingering 6.77 seconds. Thrashing for top speed, we found its limit to be 105kph.