Bike Of The Year 2007

That it was a photo-finish is an understatement. In contention for the top honours among bikes this year, there were three new 125s launched by Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha, and the 150cc CBZ X-Treme. Suzuki's eagerly anticipated re-entry into the Indian market with the Heat/Zeus was not met with enthusiasm. Though the Zeus comes with superb fit-and-finish and a bargain of a price-tag, the lack of features and an unexciting top-end power delivery saw it wilt under the strengths of its rivals. The Honda Shine, on the other hand, is a virtual template of a small-displacement motorcycle. It is built to survive decades of abuse andoffers incredible amounts of refinement too. But its safe, ho-hum styling, the absence of a vital fifth gear and a mundane instrument cluster meant it lost out to the others.

So the real battle was between the Yamaha Gladiator and the Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme. The Gladiator showcases benchmark 125cc styling, refinement and a free-revving yet unstressed engine. And it made up ground in BSM's objective parameters, especially in economy and price. Yet, the new CBZ was too strong for the Yamaha, which ultimately got beaten to the post by less than one per cent of the total points available.

So that leaves us with the CBZ, which won perfect scores for its engine's performance, handling and being fun to ride, and did very well in almost all other areas. The CBZ X-Treme's handling abilities are perhaps unmatched by any other motorcycle on sale in the country today, while its eager mid-range means it is fun in traffic, yet capable on the open roads. It is also ergonomically designed, without losing out on the overall looks front. And after all that, it wears a typical Hero Honda value-for-money price tag. So it's no wonder that the Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme is the Business Standard Motoring Bike Of The Year 2007. Congratulations Hero Honda!