Can Honda win this war against Hero?

The Honda CD110 Dream is a motorcycle which is aimed at winning Hero Splendor customers, says Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com

After Hero and Honda parted ways, both these companies have drastically changed their approach. While Hero is busy setting up its own R&D and is chalking out plans to expand into new countries, Honda is busy improving its sales in India as it wants to be the number one two-wheeler company in the domestic market.

To fuel growth in the two-wheeler space, Honda is relying on commuter motorcycles and has launched not one but three offerings from the Dream series to woo entry-level bike customers. The most recent entry-level launch is the CD110 Dream.

The Honda CD110 carries very basic styling but it still manages to look decent. Carrying silver coloured alloy wheels and good quality, this Dream bike uses a fuss-free design to attract people in tier-III markets.

The bike does share a lot of its components with its elder sibling, the Dream Neo which helps Honda achieve economies of scale.

The engine gets the black and silver treatment while faux carbon fibre finish tries really hard to lift the appeal of this machine.

The instrument cluster is extremely basic and features two round pods with fussy graphics.

You get a speedometer, fuel gauge and odometer, that's it.

Tell tale lights include side indicators, high beam and neutral. Switch gear is basic and quality could have been better.

One sits upright and the feel is very much of a commuter which is a good thing as people find such an arrangement very comfortable for daily use.

The Honda Dream CD110 is powered by the same 109cc, single-cylinder engine which does duty on the other Dreams -- Neo and Yuga. This motor has been returned, producing less power at 8.25 BHP and 8.63 Nm of torque. The bike gets HET and is quite frugal with a claimed mileage of 74 km/l. The 4-speed gearbox is smooth and top speed is 80 km/hr.

The Dream CD110 has good mid and top-end power and features short gearing for improved tractability in the city. Being a Honda motor, it loves to be revved and is very refined as well.

There is good enough grunt in the low-end so the Dream CD110 scores well when it comes to performance and fuel efficiency.

The Honda CD110 Dream is a very light bike, it weighs just 105 kgs. Underpinned by a Diamond type single tube chassis, the CD110 has a good balance of ride and handling. The motorcycle rides very nicely over bad roads and irons out bumps with ease. Its lightness also helps in easy manoeuvrability in the city and you can simply tackle the smallest of gaps with ease.

Braking performance is average with no front disc offered even as an option.

The Honda CD110 Dream is priced at Rs 50,120 which makes it expensive for what it offers. Sure it's a Honda product so reliability and consistency in mileage is a given. However, if you want a better motorcycle which costs similar money, then you should also have a look at Indian alternatives like the TVS Star City+ and Mahind-ra Centuro.