CLEAN LOOKS AND SOLID BUILD QUALITY
A shade more angular than all the later 125s to enter the market, the Ambition 135 is one smart number. A jazzy new sticker job ensures it looks contemporary, with a dual-tone outfit concealing the old bike within the new.
The front mudguard while retaining its contours has been gifted dual colours with its lower half left matte black. Above this, one notices the CBZ bikini fairing doing duty with a couple of extra graphics. A tad dated, the unit lacks a clear-lens headlight and tends to rattle where the flyscreen is screwed onto its housing. The light itself is battery-driven and can be operated even with a dead engine.
The not-too-well received ‘regal crest’ instruments are now swapped for what is the shell from bigger brother CBZ's twin pods. Unfortunately for users, the Ambition 135 lacks a tachometer in a segment where it is now common, while a trip meter is present. The fuel tank of this Hero Honda is particularly attractive and pleases the eye from any angle. The manner in which its knee recesses ensconce any size of rider is more than praiseworthy.
A comfortably padded and generously proportioned seat rides up onto this tank and is comfy enough to ensure even the longest rides are a delight. The side panels, which sport well-executed dummy air scoops, blend into a rear brake warning light that is as good as the best available. Looking beneath, the rear footrest mounts are in aluminium, and the sporty silencer has a chrome-clad canister.
Though we can live with the absence of an engine-kill switch, the 135 lacks a pass flasher in a market where most bikes have adopted one. Switchgear looks and works well when new, but we have sadly experienced that they do not work as well over time. Control levers, rubber bits, plastics and grips are all well thought-out articles.