Honda Grazia vs Suzuki Access 125
A crucial part of developing an idea lies in its very inception. Scooter makers in India find themselves coming full circle as they try to reinvent the wheel. In this case, going head to head with their ideas of a modern 125cc premium scooter
The turn of the millennium saw a marked shift in trends across industries. Blackberry was no longer just a fruit, more polls were now being contested on Facebook and Twitter and, Eminem introduced us to the real Slim Shady. It was also a time when Honda’s VFR set the benchmark for a sport-touring motorcycle and Suzuki’s GSX-R 1000 from then, became the last of the widow-makers. But at another end of the spectrum, the humble scooter was quickly being forgotten with the in flow of better motorcycles and needed a desperate revival in India.
Honda stepped in with a helping hand by launching the Eterno - a 150cc, 4-stroke scooter for the blue collared office goer who picked up the kids from school and went back to their hard-working lifestyle. Although, at that time the Japanese manufacturer was thinking about the future. They thought of these very kids growing up to a more active lifestyle. One where even their mundane daily commuters became an extension of their style statement. Where a 150cc engine and a manual gearbox was already being reserved for a premium set of motorcycles. The Eterno then, got axed but only after topping sales charts and etching a strong impression in the minds of Indian consumers about the reliability, efficiency, performance and low cost of owning a Honda scooter.
Suzuki meanwhile, sat back and skipped
THE GRAZIA VERY EVIDENTLY IS AIMED AT A YOUNGER AUDIENCE SO THERE ARE HINTS OF THE SPORTINESS IN ITS DESIGN
through the years of changing choices and hit the competition hard with the Access 125. And despite never touching the sales success of Honda, it stood out with a better performing 125cc engine. It’s an engine capacity that evaded Honda’s line of scooter offerings till only three years back when the Activa 125 broke cover.
The kids are now called millennials and yearn for much more than acquiring daddy’s scooter. That said, the scooter still is the quintessential grocery-shopping, errandrunning machine attempting to make college commutes stylish. And that’s where the Honda Grazia comes in. It was the need of the hour for Honda rather than being just another model jostling for space in their everpopular 110cc scooter stable. The Grazia very evidently is aimed at a younger audience so there are hints of the sporty Dio in its design. From the sharpness of the body panels to the split grab rails to the extended lower fairing, all define sportiness in various measures. Not just that, in an attempt to dazzle the competition it brings along LED headlights, a first for a scooter in India and also complies with digital demands of the millennials with fullydigital instrumentation, a second for scooters in India.
The Suzuki Access is quite a contrast to the Grazia. Retro-chic seems to be the theme here but more for the yuppies than the requisite college-going coolness. Thus
RETRO-CHIC SEEMS TO BE THE THEME HERE BUT MORE FOR THE YUPPIES THAN THE REQUISITE COLLEGE-GOING COOLNESS
the Access is more conservative in its styling with rounded panels and a complete absence of drama in its design. Basic, minimal and in this shade of flat black courtesy the Special Edition trim, it has its own appeal making it holds its own. Both scooters here will manage to stand out of the crowd now but it’s only a matter of time before they start blending in. Thus none of them are really pathbreaking in their outright design.
Their performance however will still retain some exclusivity, as there are only a handful of 125cc scooters in the market. The Grazia is quick to sprint to 60kmph but it can hear the more refined thrum of the Suzuki not too far behind. 0.3 seconds to be precise and that’s not even a scooter length away to put things into perspective. An impromptu (ok I’m lying) drag race then saw the Access pull away strongly to display a stronger top-end performance. Seat-of-thepants feel through the butt-dyno then reflected on the VBOX testing equipment, verifying the results. The beauty of the Access’ 125cc motor lies in its refinement and better overall gearing that almost gives it a long-legged nature, pulling cleanly till its higher true top-speed of over 90kmph. No vibrations, no rubberband effect of the CVT gearbox and slick throttle makes the Access’ motor more likable. The Grazia on the other hand is sprightly in its initial acceleration but accompanied with judders starting from a standstill. The tacho shows that the rear wheel starts spinning only at 3,000rpm. That could be a safety mechanism as cold starts with the choke on, holds revs at 2,000rpm sparing another 1,000rpm for a frenetic throttle hand
THE GRAZIA IS QUICK TO SPRINT TO 60KMPH BUT IT CAN HEAR THE MORE REFINED THRUM OF THE SUZUKI NOT TOO FAR BEHIND
eager to twist it at a standstill in adolescent excitement. The digital tacho builds its Tetris blocks till a heady 9,500rpm but the seamless CVT gearbox sacrifices top-end performance for low-end grunt. Max torque comes in at almost half that rpm and clearly, Honda wanted the Grazia to sail through heavy traffic with more ease.
Both scooters are undersquare engines or long-stroked with nearly identical bore, stroke and power figures thus the Suzuki’s refinement is commendable compared to the Grazia’s gruffness off the line. Talking about traffic though, there are more factors to be considered.
An underbone chassis relies heavily on its suspension for handling and the same components also decides on ride quality and passenger comfort. The Grazia’s taut suspension allows more travel on the front and rear against the stiffer set, comparatively limited travel suspension of the Access. Where the Grazia is more pliant over nasty potholes the Access transmits the shocks to the rider. They’re more prominent at
slow speeds while smoothening out at higher speeds compared to the former. The softer damping of the Grazia’s suspension helps here but makes for a slightly bouncier ride when settling after a bigger undulation.
That’s just comfort while in the handling department, the Access proved to be more stable overall although a tad lazier tipping into corners. Once turn in is initiated, it’s also easier to hold a line on the Access. The quicker turning Grazia seems a little on the edge when pushed harder through a long corner due to the absence of weight in the front and softer damping. On the flip side, the quicker turn-in and grip helps in faster side-to-side transitions while negotiating traffic. Both scooters almost evenly match up in handling for their intended purpose and target audience but personally, the Grazia makes for more overall comfort with a better contoured and padded seat.
So what did it finally boil down to? Price in this comparo wasn’t a decider and neither were plain power figures on paper as both were nearly matched in these aspects. If at all, they merely contributed to the verdict by helping us delve deeper into real world performances. Similar engines meant similar fuel efficiency figures too so that’s another factor eliminated. Not just that but wheels and tyres and basic features are common. Both manufacturers will also give you optional charging sockets for your smartphones too.