Dio

Overview

The Dio is the rare commuter scooter bought with the eyes and kept with the head. Its bodywork is angular where the Activa is round, it sits on five-spoke cast wheels that read sporty standing still, and it owns the highest output figure of any 110 here at 8.6 bhp — a motor that will spin into the upper rev band with more enthusiasm than the family scooters can be bothered to show. The 8.95 Nm is modest on paper, but Honda’s gearbox mapping hides that well in the first lane-opening of the morning.

Ridden daily, it is the most pleasant small scooter in the group. The steering is light without being nervous, the seat is low enough for any rider to plant both feet, and the claimed 55 kmpl is achievable — mid-40s is ordinary in traffic, which keeps the running cost within a few paise of the plainer rivals. The external filler and the keyless options on the upper trim are the same tidy Honda details that make the Activa easy to live with.

The price of the looks is measured in litres. The under-seat box is the tightest here and will not take a full-face helmet even with the hook folded, the rear end is firm over ridges with a passenger aboard, and the entry trim still runs a drum at the front despite the sticker price sitting above some 125s. Against the Access’s extra capacity for similar money, the Dio is the scooter for a rider who values being seen on it as part of the value.

• 8.6 bhp — the strongest 110cc motor listed here
• Five-spoke cast wheels and the sharpest styling on the shelf
• External filler and low 783 mm saddle as standard equipment of ownership