PERFORMANCE
Engine and Gearbox
The Honda Trigger retains the Dazzler’s 149cc motor cranking out a similar 14 bhp @ 8500 rpm and torque output of 12.5 nm @ 6500 rpm. A light dab on the starter is enough to fire the engine to life in typical Honda fashion. Similar to the benchmarks set by the Unicorn the engine is hardly audible during idling and extremely rev-happy retaining the refinement throughout the rev range. Its only while hitting the rev limiter at the 10,000 rpm mark does it starts showing some sign of resistance. We pushed the Trigger to its rev-limit (10,000 rpm) and following are the speeds the Honda managed to hit on the speedo:
1st gear – 38 kph
2nd gear – 68 kph
3rd gear – 93 kph
4th gear – 111 kph
5th gear – 119 kph @ 9100 rpm.
This was the top speed recorded with the bike refusing to budge ahead.
Talking of cruising speeds on the Honda Trigger- 60 kph comes up at 4600 rpm, 80 kph at 6000 rpm and 100 at a rather high 7900 rpm- all while riding in the 5th gear.
The smooth Honda motor is mated to an equally slick 5 speed gearbox with a universal one-down five-up shift pattern and retains both the toe and heel shifter unlike the toe-shifter on the Dazzler. Complemented by a light clutch, the gearbox is effortless and precise to operate, the shifts affirm the gears having slotted in their right place. Being closely spaced, the gears are on the shorter side as evident in the speeds vis-à-vis the engine revs mentioned above. Though this suggests a high revving characteristic, the Trigger is an extremely easy to ride motorcycle in stop and go traffic. One can trundle along at 2nd or even in 3rd gear in slow paced traffic and it shows no signs of knocking while moving around comfortably at 25 kph in top gear. Wring the throttle thereon and it will gather momentum without the need to downshift.
All in all, the engine is a delight with its high levels for refinement. (120 kph for a 150cc machine seems fair enough, unless we’re nitpicking)
Handling and ride quality
When it comes to handling, the Honda Trigger is pure joy. It’s a bike you would love to take every day to the hills and ride hard to your heart’s content. Very predictable in its handling, the Trigger is an extremely nimble machine. It changes direction effortlessly and would hardly ever run wide from your chosen line around a bend. It won’t be surprising to find yourself going faster after every corner- it is that assuring. We happened to ride both solo and two up, but the Trigger didn’t seem to be bothered by the extra weight it was carrying. It attacked the corners with the same poise and intensity widening the grin on our faces till we had our lips nudging our ears.
The tubeless MRF Zappers showed great road holding manners both while riding through the wet Khandala Ghats and the Expressway to a dry and twisty laden section of the old Katraj Ghat. Unfortunately we couldn’t get cornering shots (except one) as our cameras ran out of battery power. But nonetheless, the Trigger was an absolute feast to ride and this very trait would come handy while cutting through routine traffic too.
The ride quality on the Trigger is slightly on the stiffer side. Though the front suspension offered optimum travel and resistance, the monoshock felt a tad too stiff on bumps and bad roads. Even while riding two up, we couldn’t feel much travel on the monoshock at the rear with the pillion complaining of a stiff ride. The Trigger was taken for a brief off-roading session and though navigating the bike wasn’t much of a task, the stiff ride turned into a bit of a bother. On one hand where the Trigger delights you on good stretches, on the other, it isn’t exactly at home negotiating rough patches
Braking
Sporting a 240mm front and 220mm rear disc setup similar to the Dazzler, further complemented by a Combi Braking System (CBS), the braking is another high point of the Honda Trigger. While the front operates independently, application of the rear brake seamlessly brings the front brake into action resulting in smoother slow-downs and stops. As claimed by Honda, the CBS works well and makes braking a breezy affair. We tried some high speed braking both in wet and dry utilizing the CBS and came away impressed.
While on one hand it might be a great tool for people (new riders in particular) who have their own apprehensions on using the front brake, the CBS would work well in panicky situations. If we have to compare, the braking experience of the Trigger was very close to the ABS feel of the Honda CBR250R- yes, it’s that good. Unfortunately the Combi Braking System is available only in the top end model and you would have to shed a few thousands extra for this feature. But if the cost is to be disregarded, we’d say it’s a fabulous feature to have on the motorcycle.
NEXT PAGE FOR FUEL EFFICIENCY, CONCLUSION AND TECH SPECS