[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/37615079614/[/flickr]

The riding position and seats are quite comfortable

Ergonomics – The wide leather perforated seats are of good quality and are quite comfortable for both rider and pillion. The footboard has a hook in case you wanna go grocery shopping. The Grazia also gets a small glove box under the handlebar that has a provision for a USB charger which is handy and the glovebox itself is big enough to house a big smartphone with ease. Both the mirrors provide good visibility unless you’re not wearing a thick jacket or have extremely broad shoulders. The 18-litre under seat storage is decent but isn’t big enough to house a full-size helmet but a half face helmet should fit. A major miss for this scooter is the lack of an exterior fuel lid, the addition of which would make this one truly practical machine but I suppose you win some, you lose some.

[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/38329917701/[/flickr]

The design makes it appear faster than it is

Performance – This scooter gets its engine from its sibling the Activa 125. The motor makes 8.52 BHP @ 6500 RPM and likes to build its power very progressively. Wack-open the throttle and you’ll end up feeling the 10.54 Nm of torque gently glide you forward once past 5000 RPM. This machine starts to run out of breath once you reach 83 km/hr but still pushes to as much as 94 km/hr. I love how the powerband feels so usable in the city and overtakes at city speeds are effortless. This powerplant feels vibration free at all times and there are no rattling sounds either.

[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/38298345412/[/flickr]

This is probably the most comfortable top speed run I’ve ever done

While accelerating you’re gently gliding down the road instead of any sudden bursts of acceleration

The sound from the exhaust too builds up once you pick up the pace and it actually sounds nice. The linear power delivery never gets boring and performance always feels punchy, this is one fun scooter to ride. When ridden with a light wrist, the mill pulls slowly and as soon as you twist your wrist, there is power available right on your doorstep. This machine has great low end and mid-range, it’s just the top end that feels a little hollow which isn’t a gripe, to be honest. Expect 35-38 km/l of mileage from the Grazia in the city, stretching to almost 40 km/l on the highway.

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This machine handles well and stays agile through leans and traffic

Riding Dynamics – The Honda Grazia feels light on its feet and always eager to change direction. I’m not really a scooter person, as it’s been a while since I properly rode and got used to one. When I got on this scooter, I was a little nervous at first as I wasn’t used to the dynamics but 10 minutes down the line and it felt right at home. I started feeling a lot more comfortable with changing direction and chucking it deeper and deeper into corners, enough to scrape the main stand. The top spec variant with us here gets 190 mm front disc brakes that have a really good bite and I felt extremely confident braking late and or just simply tapping the levers to break momentum, the lower spec models get 130 mm drum brakes and CBS as standard. You will find the same on the rear of the top spec and the braking is progressive yet surefooted. This is a very comfortable machine with the suspension being softly set up and the ride quality is extremely complainant even on bad roads. Finally, we have telescopic front forks and spring-loaded hydraulic suspension, but at higher speeds, the ride feels too wobbly. It’s best to ride this scooter in a calm way if one wants to simply glide through their commute.