The new Honda Shine 100 is the Honda motorcycle that is most affordable in India. It is also Honda’s first 100 cc motorbike, and it was created with the high goal of challenging Hero Splendour, the current market leader in the 100 cc commuter motorcycle category.
With the same decals, graphics, and silhoette as its 125 cc sibling, the new Honda Shine 100 has a comparable appearance.
However, the Honda Shine brand has been around for a while, and the new Shine is the popular 125 cc sibling’s 100 cc smaller brother. The larger 125 cc Honda Shine has been on the market since 2006 and is not just Honda’s best-selling motorbike globally but also the 125 cc motorcycle with the most sales in India. With it, Honda has established quite a strong brand with the Shine, and the 125 cc Shine is easily recognised on the road, appealing to consumers who are concerned about their wallets and their fuel efficiency.
Design & Features
The new Shine 100 might be confused for the 125 cc Shine on the street with ease. The reason behind this is that the body artwork, decals, posture, and overall proportions are all rather similar. However, up close, the Shine 100 appears to be a slimmer variation of the Shine 125.
The seat is wide and long, as is common for this market sector, to provide a comfortable perch for the family and to carry some load when necessary. Anyone can comfortably reach the ground thanks to the seat’s 786 mm seat height, and the seat’s 677 mm length makes it wide enough for the rider and pillion to sit side by side without feeling cramped.
The twin-pod instrument console is straightforward and provides the rider with a clear view of the required data. The gasoline gauge is prominently located in the right pod.
There are no sophisticated daytime running lights (DRLs) and the headlight is of the bulb variety, maybe as a cost-cutting measure. The switches look well-built while being straightforward and basic. An electric starter button is there, however the engine cutoff switch is absent. It comes in a single form that includes self- and kick-start.
Performance & Dynamics
The Shine 100’s riding position is neutral and upright, as it should be for a conventional commuter motorbike. The handlebars and controls are within easy reach, the seat is comfy, and the gear lever is set up for heel upshifting when the rider is seated on the bike. The Shine 100 immediately strikes the rider as a well-made bike when it is in motion. The performance of the little engine is smooth, and the four-speed gearbox with an all-up shift is quick and accurate. The 98.98 cc single-cylinder engine produces 8.05 Nm at 5,000 rpm and 7.28 horsepower at 7,500 rpm, according to the figures.
The engine’s sophistication is a strong asset, and the ride quality is also rather good. We rode the Shine 100 over various broken patches despite the twin shocks’ lack of preload adjustment, and found that the general ride quality is fairly soft and comfy. Overall, with its performance and characteristics, the new Honda Shine 100 should leave a lasting impression on potential buyers in the entry-level commuter motorcycle sector.
Cost & Competition
With a starting price of Rs. 64,900 (Ex-showroom), the Honda Shine 100 is competitively priced and placed between the HF Deluxe and the Splendour Plus, two 100 cc Hero motorcycles. The Shine 100 would have likely been even more appealing to price-conscious customers in this market if it had been available as a base model at a lower price point with simply a kick-start.
Additionally, a top-tier model with an optional disc brake may have given the Shine 100 a more premium feel than its competitors and provided better stopping power. Although it is still reasonably priced, the Bajaj Platina 100 and Hero HF Deluxe, two of its main rivals, are positioned above the Hero Splendour Plus.
| MODEL | Honda Shine 100 | Hero HF Deluxe | Hero Splendor+ | Bajaj Platina 100 |
| PRICE (Ex-showroom) |
Rs. 64,900 | Rs. 59,900 | Rs, 72,076 | Rs. 65,856 |
The Hero Splendor, the country’s best-selling motorcycle and the top 100 cc commuter motorcycle, continues to reign supreme. The Hero Honda CD 100, the first ‘Fill it, Shut it, Forget it’ bike that dominated the Indian motorcycle industry, served as the Splendor’s inspiration in the early 1980s. Honda’s 100 cc four-stroke architecture, which has since been carried forward over the years and evolved into what is now the Hero Splendour, served as its basis for the CD 100.
