Honda Activa 6G SPIED testing in India

The 6th generation version of the best-selling HondaActiva automatic scooter has been spied testing at ARAI, Pune,  ahead of its launch early next year. Upcoming vehicles are routinely spotted at ARAI, which stands for Automotive  Research Association of India, a government organization based in Pune that homologates and approves vehicles for use on Indian roads. The Honda Activa 6G is meant to take this automatic scooter into the stringent Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission norms era.

Spyshot courtesy Motorbeam

The Honda ACtiva 6G is likely to feature a slew of cosmetic updates and new features. Key changes include telescopir front forks replacing the unit link suspension, new instrument cluster, a disc brake as standard on the front wheel,  new alloy wheels and a revised grab handle at the rear.

However, the biggest change  will be addition of fuel injection. The 110cc four stroke engine of the Activa will dump the carburetor for fuel  injection in the 6th generation model. This change is to help the Activa 6G comply with the BS6 emission nrms. The  addition of fuel injection will make the Activa costlier, and also result in a significant improvement in fuel  efficiency and better throttle response.

The higher fuel efficiency is expected to more than compensate for the higher price tag. It’s not just the Honda  Activa alone that will jump onto the fuel injection brigade. A range of other Honda 110cc, 125cc and 150cc two  wheelers that ae currently using carburetors will shift to fuel injection.

Apart from Honda, other two wheeler makers  in India including Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motors, Royal Enfield, Bajaj Auto and others will also embrace fuel injection  in order to meet the BS6 emission norms. An increase in prices across the commuter two wheeler segment comprising of both scooters and motorcycles will happen early next year. The BS6 emission norms kick in from April 2020.

Meanwhile, if you are wondering what fuel injection is, and its various benefits, you must read the following.

What is fuel injection?

Fuel injection is a way of injecting fuel to the engine of a vehicle through an injector that is governed by a  computer chip called the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The injector – an electro-mechanical part that pumps the fuel is controlled by the injector. This electronic control of fuel metering to the engine makes sure that fuel  wastage is minimum due to the more precise control that electronic fuel injection offers.

This allows engine designers to reduce tail pipe emission as fuel consumption reduces. The various benefits of fuel  injection are 1. Lower maintenance 2. Better mileage. 3. Crisper throttle response 4. Better throttle control at part  throttle openings and 5. Lower emissions. However, care must be taken to not ride the two wheeler with very low fuel as it could damage the fuel pump. Also, fuel injected vehicles are less tolerant to adulterated fuel. Finally, the  additional complexity of fuel injection means that parts are costlier to replace.