Here is a comparison for the newly launched Honda Twister and the not so new Yamaha FZ 16. Now, I’m sure that many of you will ask – What is the basis of this comparison? In fact, I asked myself that question too – nothing of these two bikes are even remotely similar – the Honda is 110 cc the Yamaha is 153 cc, the Honda is a 100% commuter the Yamaha is a corner carver, the Honda is priced at Rs. 54,000 the Yamaha is priced at Rs. 72,000. So, why did we do the comparison? For one very basic reason – to have fun!!
Unlike other comparisons that you might have read before, this one does not pit one motorcycle head on with the other. If we would have done this, the Yamaha would have won hands down on everything except the mileage. Instead, we rode one motorcycle after the other on different kinds of roads – we took both of these motorcycles on the highway and up to the hills. Mad people that we are, we forgot to compare the bikes in city riding – maybe we will do that some other day.
The 110cc mill on the Honda is quite a joy in the city. Torque is available the moment you get off the clutch so you never have to worry about that large SUV right behind you at traffic lights. The Honda gets a 4 speed – 1 down, 3 up – butter smooth gear box. Honda has given the Twister a bit of a sporty touch with the exposed chain, toe shifter and short, stubby exhaust. The Twister is on par with the Unicorn in terms of engine refinement and vibration. The 150cc mill on the Yamaha comes nowhere close to the Honda in terms of refinement. However, it does have that rev happy feeling – it just begs you to ride it hard. Since most of the torque is developed mid range, there is hardly any need to hit the redline before upshifting. The Yamaha gets a 5 speed – 1 down, 4 up – gearbox. Shifts are precise and smooth – no false neutrals to bug you.
The Honda, in spite of its small 110c engine, accelerates quite beautifully. For a while, you wonder if this in fact a 150cc – that is, until you reach 60 kmph. After 60 kmph, the engine feels just a wee bit strained. Top speed is a speedo indicated 100 kmph. Not bad for a 110cc, 100 kilo commuter motorcycle. The Yamaha, on the other hand, wants to be pushed hard all the time. The Yamaha develops most of its torque mid range so long distance rides are not a problem at all – you can easily cruise at 70 kmph in top gear and the engine wouldn’t even break a sweat. Top speed for the Yamaha is a speedo indicated 115 kmph.
Honda engineers must’ve been high on something when they were choosing the tires for the Twister – the rubber at both ends is barely there. 70 section for the front and an 80 section for the rear! I can already envisage hordes of Twister riders slipping and sliding around during the wet weather! The Yamaha, on the other hand, is more than adequately shod – a 100 section for the front and a 140 section for the rear. Rubber quality on both the motorcycles is top notch but the Honda doesn’t really inspire much confidence during twisty corners. Try a couple of fast corners on this bike and you will know what I’m talking about. The Yamaha absolutely loves corner carving – getting knee downs on twisties is absolutely no problem for this machine. There’s oodles of traction from the rear so you just want to go faster and faster.
On the design front, there is not much to say – both these bikes have been inspired by their elder, foreign siblings. The Twister has been styled according to the Honda CB1000R and the FZ 16 has been styled according to the Yamaha FZ 1N (European Model). Both bikes have a street fighter stance with the Yamaha coming off marginally better due to its bulkier design. The Honda is by far the best looking commuter machine available on the Indian market. Quality of switchgear on both these machines is top notch though lack of pass light switch on the Twister is a bit of a sore point. Also, in accordance with some weird Honda theory, there is still no pilot lamp on the Twister.
Honda has tuned the Twister beautifully – there is just the right mix of fuel efficiency and performance. According to Honda engineers, the Twister should give you about 60 – 65 kmpl. Performance for a commuter is good enough. Not many people who buy this bike will want to race around at full throttle inside the city. The Yamaha on the other hand, is tuned more for performance than for fuel efficiency. Yamaha engineers claim it should return about 50 kmpl but in real life, it doesn’t go much over 35 – 40 kmpl.
Well, we’ve already discussed almost all the aspects of both these motorcycles. If there is anything missing, please remind me and I’ll get it done before too long. I would like to end this comparison not by declaring a winner – both these motorcycles are from different categories altogether. Instead, let us end by deducing a feel good factor for both these machines.
Honda Twister – best in class for commuters. Feels good while out cruising with that special someone and you don’t need to go very fast. Insanely smooth and comfortable even for long distance rides.
Yamaha FZ – best in class for premium 150 cc segment. Always want to ride hard and take that corner faster than the last guy. Yamaha moniker says it all!
