ACTIVA
NOVA 135
Silken Honda VERSUS brawny Kinetic
HMSI's 102cc Activa and Kinetic's 135cc Nova both use centrifugal force-operated clutches and variomatic gearboxes. Mutually, their single-cylinder four-strokes are force air-cooled. They differ by way of the Nova 135 boasting a significantly larger bore. This endows the Kinetic with a larger power output at 8.5bhp developed at 6500rpm, where the Honda settles for 7bhp at 7000rpm. It's worth noting that the smaller Honda shines in putting out a healthier specific output of 68.62bhp per litre to the Kinetic's 62.96bhp per litre. Both scooters have electric starters, with a kick being part of their tackle.
The Nova 135 sounds a bit gruff in delivery, nothing intrusive and more fun, while the Activa purrs like a pampered Siamese cat, no matter what the conditions. Neither engines put out any vibrations, both running smoothly at any speed. The Nova 135 needs a dash of choke to get it cranked each morning, and Kinetic has provided a lever for this, conveniently located above the rear brake.
Both engines are responsive, though the larger capacity of the Nova 135 means only a light twist of the throttle will see the scooter lunge forward enthusiastically as it rides a wave of torque en route to higher speeds. Sixty kilometres per hour and more feels not so much a chore to the Nova 135 as on the Activa.
No prizes for guessing who's the faster performer, a factor that doesn't matter to a great extent on such urban runabouts. The telling pony advantage makes the Activa pale in comparison to the nippy Nova 135. The bigger Kinetic pushes 60kph from rest in a scant 10.29 seconds, the Activa reaching there at 13.13sec. Hustling them for max speeds, we managed to squeeze 77kph from the Activa while the Nova 135 peaked out at a true 85kph.