Think twice before you’re going to buy BS6 / sensor-based Honda Activa vehicles, because these types of vehicles are good overall and works great, but once they get into some trouble, then you’ll face hell kind of experience out of it.
Generally, the battery in a Honda Activa 110cc gets down in 2 years or so, so you have to keep changing it, but it’s okay.
But after four years of using, changing two batteries and running for about 36000 kilometers, I noticed something strange, some unusual behavior in the starter switch which helps in self-starting the Honda Activa scooter.
So as a normal user in India, I went to many local mechanic/garages, they usually fix the scooter in few minutes because they just work on the shortcuts to make it work, not on a permanent solution, just to get a few hundreds or thousands out of it. The parts they use to replace or also not the standard parts available in the authorized stores.
So I always recommend you to go to the Honda authorised official service center to any kind of repair or service to your Honda Activa scooter, No matter if it costs you more than the local mechanic shops.
So I did so.
But for some strange reason, the service center I visited first, quoted a hefty price like nearly 10k for the repair of the problem (self-start issue).
Then the manager there suggested me to go to another service center in the city to get different quotation or a different experience (very rudely), I went to another center with the scooter. Literally broke and frustrated inside with the scooter and spent many thousands of rupees in repairing entire brake system, changing the fuses and the battery as well.
There in the new service center, first they changed the self-start switch, it worked. I thought okay, so this is the issue, the switch generally gets torn off with multiple uses, after replacing the switch, the scooter started as usual, so I brought back home, it cost some 1300 rupees, yes just for the switch!
But how just for the switch you can ask? Whenever you visit a service center they try to upsell and cross sell you with some or other offers, this time they tried to sell their annual maintenance books, which will cost me 30% less in the parts replacement or service-related expenses.
This is actually quite okay, I thought, but didn’t know that this is a big scam!
Because after few days, I faced the same self start problem, the scooter didn’t started again. So, I had to use the kick start to start the scooter.
I again brought it back to the same service center, then for the same reason, they changed the fuse of the scooter for some 20 bucks, strangely I have changed the fuse multiple times and it worked in the past for few days only, and I knew that this will also not work any way.
As expected, after 10 odd days I faced the same self start problem, generally the reason was the fuse near the battery gets blown due to some fauly wiring issue, which I later got to know after some online research and taking it back to the service center, this time the guys at the service center literally not happy seeing me again.
This time they took 2 days, just to open the scooter and check it and they didn’t even try to call me to inform about the situation. I called them multiple times; they even don’t try to respond to the calls.
I had to visit there personally and talked with the mechanic there for the status, and now they have to replace complete wiring kit.
So the mechanic there took a picture of the wiring set name, and gave it to me to buy it myself!
isn’t it strange? Strange, why?
Yes, it’s strange because in the first visit only I’ve paid them extra money to get the subscription to get discount for parts replacement.
But now when it’s the time to get that thing work and I get some discount out of it, they’re asking to buy it from an another authorized Honda Service store, as this part was not available with them, which will cost me complete MRP, and let me tell you they don’t give discount at least a rupee also.
The MRP of the wiring kit was Rs.3075 and they charged me the full amount rs.3075 rupees only!
So again, the frustration level is growing up day by day, but finally I bought it gave it to them. The big frustration I faced here is that after keeping the scooter 2 days, they opened it and kept in a corner without intimating me about the requirements or knowhows, about it, when I called them then also, they didn’t respond me clearly.
Then I had book rapido, and went there checked the things personally, talked with the mechanic and the store executives and then dealt it myself. It’s literally a frustrating journey, which you had to face if you’re going to buy a vechile which is if sensor based like the new BS6 models of Honda Activa 6g.
But if you’ve taken it’s better if you approach an authorised service center to get it checked and repaired becuase the local mechanics will surrender and raise their hands after a few try and will tell you to take it to the show room/ authorised service centers due to these are sensor based vehicles.
