Honda's Activa has ruled the ungeared scooter market for long now. Is Kinetic's
new 135cc Nova ready for a smooth takeover of this segment?

HONDA ACTIVA
List price (ex-showroom,
Mumbai) Rs 37,400
Top speed 77kph
0-60kph 13.13sec
Kpl 44.78 (overall)
For Stability, smooth engine
Against Optional front storage bin, oddly-shaped mirrors

KINETIC NOVA 135
List price (ex-showroom,
Mumbai) Rs 39,200
Top speed 85kph
0-60kph 10.29sec
Kpl 42.05 (overall)
For Nippy Performance, vast illuminated under-seat storage.
Against Lack of stability, brake lock

Even the most ardent motorcycle enthusiast is overtaken by time. Along comes a day when he starts detesting the extra gearshift and the clutch lever. The ubiquitous stop-n-go nature of Indian city traffic calls for a mind-numbing sum total of gear changes at the end of even a short ride. What's more, a motorcycle never fails to convey even the lightest monsoon splatter or cow pie to its owner's trouser and then there are other convenience aspects that tilt things in favour of the smaller-wheeled scooter -even the most capable wife is unable to lug as much as it effortlessly stows under the seat or on its footboard.
Let's say you are in the market for a gearless wonder, assuming the Kinetic Zing and TVS Scooty Pep are too diminutive for you. While Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) rules the roost with one identical scooter in two skins, the Pune-based Kinetic Motor is trying to knock back some shares of the same segment with a Nova variant enlarged to 135cc.
We take this new machine and pit it against the segment's best-selling Activa to find out if the challenger has the gall to dethrone the ungeared king.