My dad finally agreed to buy a new bike the day our trusty Kawasaki KB100 stopped working like it always used to! And most importantly, I was going to enter the biking world with that new bike! I was a beginner in biking about 4 months ago or so. I tried Pulsar 150, I wasn’t comfortable with it at first hand. Then my Dad came up with a rule which almost broke my heart – “NO bikes with engine capacity of 150cc and above.” I was like shattered and this tried my best to convince him at times, but, after many failed and futile attempts I gave in and agreed on that term, looking at economical side of the stipulation. You must look at Fuel Efficiency if you have someone ‘Dear’ to seat as your pillion! Being a youngistani, I hesitated on sporty looks, and performance.. Finally we decided 125cc segment. So as to get fuel economy near to 100cc bikes, but now my tough task was finding a bike which comes near to 150cc bikes in terms of performance and sporty looks.
The 6 options I had were : –
- Yamaha Gladiator
- Honda Shine
- Honda CBF Stunner
- Bajaj XCD125Suzuki Zeus
- Hero Honda Glamour
- TVS Flame
After Long research, I found Gladiator, Shine, Stunner worth buying, considering me and my Dad’s requirement. I personally prefer Honda and Yamaha over other companies simply for the Brand, Quality of parts, and close to zero maintenance. When I personally visited Honda and Yamaha showrooms, I was in love with the beauty ‘Honda CBF Stunner’. Why would i choose Shine if i have similar 125cc engine, with awesome looks and add-ons? My dad took a test drive of Stunner, and was comfortable with it. (it was an old model, still loved it).
Finally it was CBF Stunner vs Gladiator
We chose CBF Stunner for may plus points over Gladiator which are discussed in this review. After all I had to choose a 125cc which comes close to 150cc in performance, and looks sexier than the regular day-to-day bikes! I booked CBF Stunner, and paid Rs. 2000/- more on the price what I had booked it for. But it wasn’t a wrong decision for sure! I got the new Honda CBF Stunner, first delivery in the state of Maharashtra. What else could I want!!
New Features in the 2010 Stunner : -
- Tachometer: Finally A Premium Bike!
- New Engine cowl: Pure element of Attraction!
- New Graphics: Made me Drool over the bike!
- Half Chain cover: Sporty Trend amongst the Young Gen.
- Sporty RVMs: Haven t seen such amazing RVMs till date..
- Black Engine theme: That is what i was looking for in old Stunner.
- Bar End weights: less Vibrations YaY!
- No Kick- Lever: Latest Trend
- Maintenance Free Battery: No more topping up / leakages in the battery.
- Viscous Air Filter: Less maintenance
I was very much satisfied with the features I got at the price of Rs. 59,000/- OTR, alas! I chose best 125cc in almost every aspect!! I have completed 2300 kms so far and just got the 2nd servicing done. Here is what I feel about my machine till date.
Styling
*The best looking bike in its segment. Prolly best looking bike in Indian market. Though everyone has their own views. R15, Karizma and few high budget bikes are better though, but what more you want in 60k! Almost all new Features make this bike inside out sporty.
While riding it out.. I get FAQed about my bike frequently ;P
“Is this a new 200cc?”
“From where did you modify your Stunner?”
“What’s the cost? 80k? ” ;P
The bike is a pure reason for a head turn! I have seen very few new stunners on road, It feels so unique to have a machine which most of the crowd doesn’t. Overall black theme attracted me the most.. New engine cowl is a cool addition. Half chain cover gives bike a sturdy look. Split seat is also a unique feature in its category. Sharp tail-end is quite attractive, and unique in its category. Styling is the key feature of CBF Stunner. A must_have for every college hunk!
Handling
*Only bike having separate Handle-bar from dashboard in its segment.
I was very much in a need of a easy to handle bike! And as Honda’s CBF Stunner 125 has proven it ability by winning the ‘Best Machine For New Riders’ award (14th Motor Cycle News (MCN) Awards.) Its truly a easy handling machine! Me and my Dad both find it very much comfortable. Separate handle makes it easy to ride.You can turn the bike with the slightest force because there is no dead weight of the dash board and headlamps in clinging to the handle bar. Seating posture is sporty with those rear set footpegs but even after continuous long runs the bike feels relatively comfortable.. I have done a 150kms ride with pillion, it was a comfortable and joyful ride. Bike is very good at cornering.. Both shocks are fit for their work. Fuel tank is well architectured for knees’ placement. Long rides are much more comfortable. Being 125cc, bike isn’t much powerful, but is best in its class.
Performance
*Highest BHP amongst bikes available in market, in its segment
CBF Stunner roars 11BHP @ 8000rpm, with acceleration of 0-60kmph in 5.2 seconds (According to Honda, based on actual driving conditions). Gears shift smoothly. It gives exactly the same roar i was looking for! Engine is Not that smoother on high speeds, but for 125cc, its best one can get. I have managed to touch 105kmph..But I am not raising the throttle much as its not recommended until you complete few services and few thousand kms. Bike weighs 128kgs and is firm on highways while heavy containers pass by. Braking is excellent. Tubeless tyres made my Dad nod yes to this beauty! Rear tyre is thick enough to assure you better grip. Fuel tank capacity is 10litres having 2litres of reserve. CBF Stunner has 5 speed-gears, which is rare in 125cc segment.. if you are at high speed, you surely think about having a 6th gear, but its better than having just 4 gears machine!
As bike has tough maintenance free battery, absence of kick lever shouldn’t make you worry. I start my bike without choke at morning, and it responds to my push at first try! Newly Added Tachometer helps in maintaining proper handling and getting utmost performance out of the engine. Tachometer is most wanted feature in old stunner, and Honda just got it at right time. Stunner is basically categorized as a commuter bike, but i see nothing wrong categorizing it as a performance bike in its category. The bike comes close to gladiator in performance.. But 5 gears, tubeless tyres, maintenance free battery surely makes Stunner worth buying.
Mileage
Stunner has served me with about 60kmpl in city rides. And very much satisfying 65kmpl on highways.. I always try to maintain 45kmph when low on Fuel, as it saves 20% of your fuel. Mileage ,though not best in its category, but is worth if you consider Stunner’s power and performance.
Few More Things
- CBF Stunner has got a Analogue dashboard, so if you are a digital-speedo fan, its a disappointment. I am quite ok with the conventional display, Dashboard is all new due to new addition tachometer and lights enough at night.
- Beneath the split seat, a small compartment is secured by a lock, which opens with the all-in-one key which is of bike’s and the fuel-tank’s compartment has a small space to accommodate , say a wallet plus a mobile (I have tried it). Compartment also has separate space for tool-kit and first aid kit provided by Honda.
- Beneath the split seat, there is a helmet holder. One doesn’t need to pay extra for a helmet lock. Split seat also provides a separate space to hold Bike-Documents safely.
- Choke lever has a separate position near dashboard.
- Passlight switch is a very useful feature.
- Tripmeter helps you calculating mileage. I was impressed with this utility.
- Split seat is just 1 cm higher than Unicorn’s. So Stunner is too high for pillion is just a myth.
- Rider’s seat just looks high, due to higher rear seat, but is actually lower than Unicorn, and it ensures sporty position, which is not at all stressful.
- No LEDs , No digital display. Yes, no goodies.
Honda CBF Stunner Specifications : -
Displacement: 124.7cc
Engine: 4 Stroke, Air Cooled, OHC Single Cylinder
Maximum Power: 11Bhp@8000rpm
Maximum Torque: 11Nm@6500rpm
Gears: 5 Speed (1 Down-4 Up)
Weight: 128kg
Ground Clearance: 173.00 mm
Fuel Tank: 10.00 liters
Suspension(Front): Telescopic front fork suspension
Suspension(Rear): 3 step spring loaded hydraulic shock absorber with boxtype rectangular swing arm.
Brakes (Front): 240mm Disc
Brakes(Rear): 130mm Drum
Verdict
CBF Stunner is a perfect blend of style, performance and fuel efficiency. Though its costliest in its category by few thousands, but is worth a buy because of its key features such as tubeless tyres, tachometer, 5-speed gears, maintenance free battery, looks, and quality parts. Honda has done a brilliant job by introducing this international model in India. Finally If you are looking for a bike that has awesome looks and great F.E. (in awesome looking bikes) and great power (in 125cc category) then this is the one for you, but be aware that this is not powerful enough for die hard power cravers. If you are on a budget like Rs.60k, and want a truly great looking high performance bike in 125cc category. New Honda CBF Stunner is a must buy. I enjoy the quality!
Pranav Kelkar
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wat idiot buys a stunner i really hav no idea
Nice review Pranav.
accept it Pranav dude you made a mistake of your lifetime by not going for the Pulsar 135LS. the Pulsar 135LS leaves behind even the Unicorn and the FZ :-)
@ORB
poser boys who pose without a helmet. poser boys
i guess motorbeam should rename this section as product advertisement rather than review…This review is written as if there are no short-comings in the bike….Stunner reminds me of Dzire in 4 wheelers…U got a good engine, good A.S.S and all you have to do is put a very odd looking body around it…the shape looks out of proportion from very angle…
Hi guys! Let me answer :)
@ORB:
Im sure you own a bajaj xD
Well , suggest me a bike , which is sure to serve me for years, gives me unique looks, and enough power to drive in city, im not intersted in top speed. I prefer to drive at midranges. And all this in 60k.
@Jav
Thanks buddy :)
@Vicky:
I know pulsar135LS is good in performance.
My problem was , Bajaj quality. Anybody can cheers for bajaj for VFM n power they give, But they have to work A LOT on quality n safety area. Dont give me their sales figures. They are very good at making business.
And actually that pic was not taken as a pose :P
I received my bike from service center after the servicing, And dad just clicked it.
@kcra:
Well Stunner has lesser shortcomings than advantages, what should i do for it?
Let me list shortcoming of this bike ,
1) HighPriced :
Bike is premium, and costliest in 125cc segment. But it has some features n quality, that counts.
2) Not as powerful as 150cc
Though bike has highest power n best torque in 125cc segment
3) Gears are shortly placed
One always feels need of 6th gear.
But only 3 125ccs have 5th gear: Stunner, Gladiator, and Platina125.
Others have just 4 gears.
To be honest, I see no other shortcomings of this bike.
If you have some, list them.
And you think Stunner has odd looking body and has shape looks out of proportion from every angle?
:O
You must be one of a kind mate! Its sexy bike! :D
One more shortcoming:
4)
No LEDs and Digital Display.
Yes, No Goodies :/
Anymore? :P
ride the latest products from Bajaj Pranav to know the levels on improvement in quality. don’t judge by older experiences
I have tried P135LS,
its nice bike in terms of performance,
It looks ugly though.
Its lightweight, and has unnecessary high performance, Its very risky to drive it at top end.
Lets see what happens to it after a year or so.
@pranav i hav seen in ur review dat u need a bike to serve u for years …den y did not u try cbz in terns of mileage,pick up and maintenance bcoz i had also tried all vehicles and finally trusted in best two wheeler company HH bcoz i had taken cbz xtreme with new atfi engine its really rocking im happy to be owner of cbz xtreme
CBZ Xtreme is amazing bike, It has power tuned, super refined engine of CB Unicorn.
I wouldve surely went with Unicorn Or Xtreme. But If you have read , My dad gave me a condition of buying only 125 and below cc engines, So no 150cc for me :(
no prblem dude stuneer is equally good as cbz .
Happy riding
Hi dude ,
I am planning to buy a bike very soon and my choice is stunner.
Can any one say how often maintenance required for stunner ?
Well, My bike is 4 months old now.
I havent spent a single penny on maintenance yet, apart from nitrogen and oiling.
I hope it will continue for months!! :D
Honestly, No maintenance :)
i bought the new stunner 2010 and i am very much satisfied with it
With the commets i was confused but wzs ready to take a chance on the name of honda .
And what i found after buying is more than what i expected
Dude buy stunner a u will always be proud
Talking about pulsar 135,150 or any they have 0 quality its not that u have to b always 145km/h
Those who have them just ask them about their satisfaction
A big nooooo will always follow
I found stunner a fully loaded bike better then most of 150cc bikes
looking good with its new engine gaurd
dude tell me is there any problem wid pulsar 135
reply fast coz i am in a hurry
not able to decide which one is gud
pulsar or stunner
. hi,pranav .vry nice review ,.actualy, m jst going to buy d same stunner jst aftr two days .bt i hv heard sumwere dat stunner starts vibrating a lot evn at a speed of 60km/hr. . is it true .?.is stunner is smooth at high speed also and doesnt vibrate ..? i luv dis bike bt little bit confused ..
plz rply me fast.!
. i wil b thankful to u..
well yep stunner is dope…..i own d old pearl yellow model…in normal ridin condns….when handled wd luv it wl always gv a milg of 55+ fr sure…even has touched 60…have nt driven it on highway..only city conditions……but wen drivin rashly mlg may drop to arnd 40….its supa smooth till 60…but strts vibratin aftawds..(cumon…if u wanna race den buy sm higher cc byks)….superb pickup….better dan some high end cc byks….auto start wrks prfctly…havent spent a penny on maintnenc…though i hv chngd my engn oil frm d default honda one…but anyway.. in its segment it gets a 4 out of 5 stars for sure..!
Hi All,
I am very confused between Stunner and Pulsar 150. As per above comments can someone clarify about the vibrating problem ? I am in hurry because I m planning to buy a bike next week…………….
dude…what are ur needs??….if u want a maintenance free long lyf type byk…go for stunner….but if u want high speed xtra power type wheels den go for pulsar….for city stunner is perfect…!
p.s. pulsar with tym will burn a serious hole in ur wallet …. so i wud say go fr stunner.! d only drawback wd honda is der servicin is a bit poor in many places..but d byk is dope!
if u cn spend 72000 on a fz and say its good value for the money u pay…inspite of the fact that it gives less dan 40 mileage and the fact that pulsar 135 almost the power…how the hell cn u say dat stunner isnt value for money….evn yamaha dealers told my frnd dat FZ wont last for more dan 2.5 yrs….cus its engine parts ar made frm cheap stuff…honda is the most reliable company is india now…and then there is suzuki!!!…yamaha sucks big tym!!!!!!ll they have is some rotten looks!!!…
hiiii..
i’m going 2 buy a bike next week.so i’m in a rush,can any one tell me why should i choose stunner over cb twister.milage,maintainence,pickup n staibility at 75+ kmph is all i’m concer about.
n wat is hunks milage in city??
so…plz rply fast
for 75+….well u betr go for hunk dude….though i own a stunner…and iam happy wd it… but lookin at ur requirements i d suggest hunk…. it wd be perfect fr u!! mileage is also good…ask some1 who owns it
good review dude.
one point i have to make is rear seat even though sporty ,is placed a little higher. its tough for woman to get on it my cus have this bike …it good on city nice handling compare to pulsar 135 …135 lack initial torque but 135 will be good on highways … any way stunner definitely out-beat 135
hey pranav,
hey i just found from ur blog that there is no kick lever? isnt that worrisome? how much more could you rely on the self start always. i am planning to buy in next one or two days. but in the pics on their website or in any other, i did find. its the only place here that i learnt about it. please reply soon..
Guys…byke dosn’t matter…its all about driver who drive… i have seen guys beeting pulser 200 with yamaha rx100 and honda deo…its all bout your comfort…if u r confortable with rx 100 no one can beet you…..and if not even heavy duty will beat a pulser…..well let me just come close to above topic.. I have Stunner 2009…average hurts me a lot..but torque and pick up is awsm ….better than pulser 135 or discover
Ya I agree I have purchase the stunner on 3/7/2010 . from 4 months I have enjoy the riding have good performance……..
New stunner CBF is for only person who demands for pickup and chromic look…………. Y2J
Hi
Would like know two things:
how is the performance of self start.with no kick lever, could the self start be a problem
Also is the rear split seat uncomfortable for pillion rider
thanks
Hi every body!!
thanks to share your valuable experience. I’m planning to buy an used honda stunner(year of 2009). It’s costing me around Rs-30000 and it’s ran around 11000 kms. please tell me is it worthy to buy or not? I’ll use it only for city use. please tell me as soon as possible coz i have to take a decision with in 2-3 days.
thank you
who the heck said pulsar 135 is good.its a dump waste bike.i owned a pulsar 150cc bike.within 2 months its giving a worst sound..i told to the service engineer.they charged 4000 for carb problems.but it didnt rectified..really guys dont buy it.now my brother asked his bike by replacing super splendor.after i had gone on some research in net.we bought stunner.its a awesome bike.it feels so comfortable.its gear is so smooth.and it costs cheaper.for 60000 u are getting half fairings,five speed transmission.good mileage,sporty looks.i went 110km in highways.the bike didnt vibrates..the major problems is i cant go slow in stunner since its design and performance is getting me race……
Hmm, Stunner Is awesum byke. I have also one purchased on 9/4/2010. The Bike gives me a pleasurable rides in city traffic. Pickup and torque is great. I reached the top speed of 115 km/hr in city when i was raced with p180… u knw p180 guy asking me is the bike have same 125 cc engine or any modified. So that time i think yes i my decision is good that i am goin with stunner… And Maintenance is totally none for this bike. just full ur oil tank and ride….
i want 2 buy a honda stunner can i go 4 it
yes sure u can go for it.its a money worth bike.
Guys, i want to know the onroad price of honda stunner in Bangalore.
can we use the bike 4 stunds
Stunner pgm fi costs 75000 for 125 cc,no digital speedometer,but great look
honda unicorn dazzle costs 72000 for 150 cc
pulsar 135 ls cost 59000
but the milage they show are nearly same.so i am confused 2 buy which one.i want milage,long lasting,stylish look.
Please help me any one . . . It will be my 1st bike.i don’t know many thing about bikes.so please tell me which bike i should buy ? ? ?
Guys i am planning to buy the new stunner pgm-fi. it has fuel injection and is it worth 75k?
i really like this bike, awesome looks and specifications are top notch than most bikes around. i have tested a 2009 model stunner and the ride feels smooth and awesome. So is the new pgm-fi model good? suggestions pls.
@Tharanath: the new pgm-fi on road in bangalore is 76k.
I like stunner very much. new stunner has nice looks. good pick ups. riding comfort is great. for indian roads, honda made a great thing. i think some peoples are saying comments without even ride the vehicle.
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