CBZ-Xtreme

Hi guys!!Hereby I sit down and give you the lowdown on the HERO HONDA CBZ-Xtreme.
Stunt.Street.Speed.Sensation.These are the very words that crack the mind of a urban 20 something Indian when he thinks of CBZ.Of ruling the Indian stunt arena.The CBZ has enjoyed the cult status in the premium segment of Indian biking since time when the shift from scooters to biking took place.The new CBZ carries on the legacy of the coveted CBZ brand in the 150cc category, the older ones being CBZ and CBZ*.It was officially launched by Hero Honda in November 2006.The bike comes in five colours,viz.,Black,Blue,Blazing Red and Silver and Maroon.
Specifications*:
Name-Hero Honda CBZ-Xtreme
Engine Type-Air Cooled, 4-stroke single cylinder OHC
Engine Capacity-149.2 cc
Maximum Power-14.4 BHP@8500 rpm
Maximum Torque-12.80 Nm@6500 rpm
Starting-Self/Kick
Clutch-Multiple Wet
GearBox- 5 speed toeshift/1 down-4 up
Suspension(F)-Telescopic Hydraulic Shock Absorbers
Suspension(R)-Swing Arm with multiple Hydraulic Shock Absorbers
Brakes(F)-240mm Disk
Brakes(R)-130mm Drum
Tyres(R)-100/90*18 56P
Tyres(F)-2.75 * 18 42P
Fuel Tank Capacity-12lts(1.5 lts usable reserve)
Kerb Weight-143 kg(self)/141 kg(kick)
Price-58225(Self) Ex-Showroom (Delhi)
55755(Kick)Ex-Showroom(Delhi)
*Source:Hero Honda

Engine and Performance











The bike comes with the 2nd most powerful engine in the 150cc category in the country after the YAMAHA R15. The brand CBZ is known for street racing and performance for the enthusiast.And the current version does not dissapoint either.The bike urges you whirl the accelerator till eternity. The reponse is lightning quick as the relatively torquey engine propels the bike from 0-60 in just under 5 seconds and thrillls you all the way to a respectable 111 kmph. The short shifts make breezing through the stop-start city traffic a joy in the 2nd gear. However, more emphasis on performance has led the engine going harsh. The vibes are generously felt at high speeds.

Styling
The most controversial part of the bike to say the least. The styling is not to everyone's liking-the point of contention being the size of the front fairing which looks tiny for the size of the rest of the bike. The rest of the looks are more or less in-sync with each other.The tank has been so as to make the rider-knee fit into it, which actually does.The mirrors and rear suspension are body-colored .The streamlined middle-rear section of the bike is magnificent and conveniently gives you a big bike feel. The chrome inserts in the middle section provide the bike a modern character. Riding with the times, HH has rolled out the bike with black alloys front and rear.The alloys are thick and strong and provide a sturdy feel unlike the Apache ones which look like plastic-made.The engine carries the same black finishing making it look upmarket.The speedo other gadgetrycis simple and effective.However, one unusual problem that I found with the bike was that the Speedo and the Tacho needles are not parallel to each other. While the Tacho needle is perfectly placed(see pic) the speedo needle points in a more advanced position.Though this seems harmless,what it does that it even at slow speeds it gives an impression to the rider that the speeds are way more than what it is. This could have been desirable in commuter segment, but since this bike is aimed at enthusiast biker this won't help the rider's mindset.The instrument pod and the overall headlamp assembly of the X-Treme have a more trapezoidal shape looking like Karizma. The new turn indicators have been integrated into the headlamp housing and the tail lamp cluster features a segmented stop and brake light section with the turn indicators built into a single unit that wraps around the brake light’s bottom side. Both these features will help you to save your indicators in busy road condition. LEDs have been used replacing the conventional bulbs and together with the new Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTS-i becomes one of the first bikes to feature this kind of lighting at the rear. X- Treme also features split grab rail first of its kind in indian bikes (also featured in recently launched Pulsar 200cc)

Ride and Handling
HH has opted for a harsher suspension at the rear end which makes the ride bumpy.The stones and pebbles in the common Indian street filter through and are felt by the pillion. But the better half of the story is that the hard suspension in turn does a hell lot of good to the handling. The bike's handling is very forgiving is a God-send in city traffic as well as during high- speed slingshot maneuvering. It tends to spoil you for considering yourself as next to GOD on streets. The 240mm front discs provide for excellent feedback and make the rider invest his confidence in them.









GearBox
The bikes with a 5 speed toe-shift gearbox providing single down and four up shifts. The occurence of the solid thud in each gear change(especially during change from 1st to 2nd)is music to the rider. The shifts are short are provide for quick response from the bike. Though the same old 5th gear problem with the Indian bikes is not addressed .The 5th gear gets stuck frequenly which leads to extreme levels of vibration.

Fuel Efficiency
The bike provides for acceptable average in city as well as highway driving. While smooth city driving will return you an economy of 55kmpl.On highway it manages it cough up a healthy 62kmpl.

The Final Word
The CBZ establishes its supemacy in the 150 cc street arena all the more with the advent of the X.It takes the performance goalpost all the more further from the competitors. But still what HH needs to do is rectify the minor glitches like vibes and front-fairing so as to make it all the more lucrative buy for the Indian customer. The introduction of the handsome HUNK has helped matters for the global biking leader but not for the CBZ.Inspite of co-existing with the
Hunk CBZ hasn't lost even a bit of the fan following.

Ratings
Engine and Performance-****1/2
Styling-***
Ride and Handling-****
Fuel Efficiency-****
Gearbox-****
Overall-****

In short
PROS-Performance,Handling,HH quality
CONS-Bumpy Ride,Controversial Styling,Vibes
Why go for it-You love f****ng the show offs-the P150 and P180 on street
Why not go for it-Wanna impress gals with style and useless funky gadgetry.

Recent Upgrades













Going by popular demand,HH upgraded the CBZ,though the upgrades are only visual.The bike now comes with dual tone colours(including mirrors). The fairing now gets a chrome insert while the console gets a carbon-fibre insert.Different coloured front and rear rims are now optional. The colour of the grab-rail changes. The indicators are now tarnsparent providing a refreshed feel. Though looks are subjective but HH has seriously dissapointed the enthusiast community by not upgrading the performance parameters of the bike.It comes with the same old engine delivering the same performance.The bike comes emblazened with a ATFT logo(nothing new, it always existed).The older version of the CBZ also co-exists so its upto you what you select for yourself....But one things certain-shortcomings aside,YOU will never feel cheated with the kind
of performance this bike offers.See ya...