First Ride All New Honda Vario 160

 The All New Honda Vario 160 is the newest scooter product in Indonesia. The presence of this product replaces the Vario 150 which was previously Honda's mainstay in the 150 cc segment and now comes with a more powerful engine update.

First about design. Overall, the Vario 160 looks bigger and wider than the previous model. This can be seen from the dimensions that have changed. The latest Vario offers a length of 1,929 mm, a width of 679 mm and a height of 1,088 mm. When compared to the old model, the dimensions are 1,919 mm long, 679 mm wide and 1,062 mm high. The new model looks longer and taller than the old model thanks to several changes, such as the use of wider tubeless tires measuring 100/80-14 at the front and 120/70-14 at the rear.

All New Honda Vario 160

The dual keen LED headlight design, which was previously present in older models, is refined on the Vario 160. The headlamp with LED technology is now even more assertive with the presence of DRL lights that cut the front cover of the motorcycle body. Honda's approach to the new Vario is premium while maintaining its sporty character

Another change is present on the steering cover at the front, from the previous convex, now using a squared and contoured design to present a sporty impression earlier. At the back, the stop lamp still uses LEDs, which have now changed to a narrower shape, although they still look large for clarity at night.

we had the opportunity to try out the ABS model, which is the top variant in the latest Vario. Some that are quite interesting are the presence of the Honda Smart Key system for safety and ease of starting the engine, USB charger type A which is now present in the left compartment. In addition, there is still a Digital panel meter which continues the convenience of the previous model.

This panel meter provides complete information including speed indicator, mileage, fuel, Smart Key indicator, digital clock, fuel consumption, battery voltage indicator, oil change indicator, trip meter, ISS indicator, and ABS indicator for ABS type. For buttons, on the left handlebar there are horn buttons, turn signal and headlights while on the right there are idle start stop and starter buttons to start the engine.

Not to forget as a premium scooter, Vario 160 still provides convenience in carrying a variety of needs with a luggage capacity of 18 liters which is also present in the previous model. Regarding the size of the fuel tank, the latest Vario provides a fuel capacity of 5.5 liters.

Driving Position

The discussion of driving position is closely related to the changing dimensions. Oto.com height is about 169 cm with a weight of about 90 kilograms. The use of 14-inch rims with a wide tread slightly increases the ground clearance of this motorbike to 140 mm. As for the seat height, Vario 160 has a height of 778 cm. There is no significant problem to put the whole foot on the ground, either one foot or two feet. 

All New Honda Vario 160

 The driving position is also quite comfortable. Thanks to the seat size which is wide enough with anti-slip material to make driving feel comfortable. The shape of the seat also has a different height between the rider and the passenger which makes the rider's hips get additional support when sitting long enough on the motorbike.

There are several questions regarding the leg area on the Vario 160, is it quite narrow, especially at the knees. This is after seeing the compartment design that juts out enough to make attention to the knee area narrow. In yesterday's short test drive the Vario 160, the leg area had no space issues. The knee can still move freely with enough space left and does not touch the left and right compartments. The legs are present more comfortable. Thanks to the use of a new frame, Honda revealed this footrest area to be wider. Riders with a foot size of 44 or around 27 cm have no trouble placing their feet on the Vario 160 deck. This area can also be used as a place to store bags or groceries because it has a large enough space.

The comfortable sitting position is also felt thanks to the length of the steering handle that is not too wide. Moreover, the design of the steering handlebars now looks more bent inward which makes the rider's hand grip not too tense which certainly has an impact on the comfort of long driving on the motorbike. The position of the steering handlebars that bends also makes access to the buttons on the Vario 160 easier.

Riding Sensation

The main concern at the Vario 160 launch event was clearly the presence of the new engine. Honda embeds a 156.9 cc 4 stroke 4 valve ESP + engine with liquid cooling that produces 15.4 ps of power at 8,500 rpm and 13.8 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm. On paper this engine is up 2 ps and the torque is up 0.4 Nm from the old model.

This new engine is the same as that used by the latest PCX which on paper has a power of 16 ps at 8,000 rpm and 14.7 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. Investigate, AHM uses a testing method with RON 88 gasoline which is considered the most widely used by potential consumers of the Vario 160 in various regions, so that the record output of power is lower than PCX. It can be said that the original power of the Vario 160 is equivalent to the latest PCX.

This is evidenced by the feeling of power that is channeled through an automatic transmission with a Vario 160 centrifugal clutch immediately felt at the lower rounds. This latest engine is capable of catapulting a rider weighing 90 kilograms from rest to 60 km per hour quite quickly. It's a shame that we haven't been able to get through to the 100 km per hour mark due to the limited testing space at AHM, but the estimate to reach that speed is quite easy.

The matter of the power distribution capability is also heavily affected. The Vario 160 now weighs 117 kilograms thanks to the use of the latest eSAF frame technology. This frame weighs 11.7 kilograms, lighter than the previous model which is 12.8 kilograms. This means that in terms of weight to ratio, the Vario's power is greater than that of the PCX, which makes the sensation of this new 160 cc engine even more powerful.

The new eSAF frame also has an impact on the handling of the Vario 160. In the testing arena, AHM provided a winding route with a narrow road width for participants to pass. Interestingly, turning this scooter feels easy thanks to the combination of a larger lower rotation power supply, as well as a relatively comfortable driving position. There is no difficulty in turning the Vario 160 during sharp turns, the position of the rider's body is also easy to adjust the balance to the left and right.

The ease of handling is also more convincing thanks to the use of wide tread tires measuring 14 inches at the front and rear. The tire grip is quite felt on the hot asphalt track which makes turning confidence also increase.

The stability of driving the Vario 160 is also felt thanks to the use of telescopic suspension at the front and swing arm with a single suspension at the rear. Honda revealed that the rear suspension has been refreshed thanks to the use of a new frame. From a brief use yesterday, this suspension feels rigid for daily use which is enough to make this scooter stable to maneuver.

Precise control is also felt thanks to the presence of single-channel ABS braking with a single-piston 220-inch disc at the front and a disc brake at the rear for the ABS variant. Braking operation also feels easy thanks to the brake lever which is quite sensitive when pressed. The ability of this brake is also convincing to slow down the speed of the motorcycle.

Conclusion

It takes more time to feel the advantages of this new Vario 160 architecture. However, with the changes, compared to the old model, this scooter is certainly not to be missed for consumers who previously felt the old engine was less powerful and potential customers who wanted a 160 cc engine with a compact form aka not a scooter with an extended sitting position.

About the design back to the taste of each. Many say that the latest design of the Vario 160 is actually less sporty than previous models and sees no significant changes in form. But this has indeed been confirmed by Honda that they present the Vario with the same design DNA, namely the premium sporty typical of the Vario 160.

Furthermore, regarding the price, the All New Honda Vario 160 comes with an on the road (OTR) price for DKI Jakarta of IDR 25.800.000,- for the CBS type and IDR 28,500,000, - for the ABS type. The increase with the old model is around Rp. 1.2 million, which is quite small for the changes offered by Honda on the Vario 160.

The All New Honda Vario 160 is marketed with 2 types, namely CBS and ABS. For the CBS type, there are Active Black, Grande Matte Black, and Grande Matte Red colors. As for the ABS type, there are Active Black, Grande Matte Black, and Grande White colors. The ABS type has wheels with burnt titanium color and a touch of the Vario emblem which increasingly gives a more premium impression.