Review And First Ride Of New Honda Dream Neo

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has just augmented its bike line up with the addition of the Dream Neo. Part of Honda’s Dream series, the Dream Neo is the manufacturer’s first motorcycle to get HET, or Honda Eco Technology. The Dream Neo is aimed at fuel efficiency conscious customers looking for a reliable daily commuter, & will sell alongside the Dream Yuga & CB Twister in the competitive 110cc commuter bike segment.




True to a commuter bike, Honda’s Neo is conservatively styled, its angular headlamp housed in a simple bikini fairing. Instruments are likewise simple, showing the rider an analogue speedometer & fuel gauge, both of which are easily legible. Palm grips are soft & switchgear on the Neo is Honda typical, as found on several Honda commuter bikes here, these including a pass light flasher.

The Neo’s 8 litre fuel tank feels slender, & comes with a hinge less fuel filler cap. The base model Dream Neo comes with 18 inch wire spoke wheels while higher variants are available with six spoke alloy wheels, in black. The Dream Neo’s engine, frame & exhaust are also finished in black. At the rear, the Neo uses a simplistic tail light & jaded looking tubular grab handle. Overall quality & fit & finish are however up to the mark, as expected on any Honda motorcycle, & the Neo faces no issues here.

The Dream Neo shares its HET enabled, four stroke, 109cc, air cooled & single cylinder engine with the Dream Yuga. There’s a four speed gearbox, operated via a heel and toe shifter in an all up pattern. The carburetted motorcycle makes 8.25bhp of maximum power at 7500rpm. The clutch feels light, & works with good progressive feel as apt on a city commuter like this. Power delivery is step free, & the engine pulls well from low in the powerband, making this an easy motorcycle to ride in urban India.

The 105kg Dream Neo uses a single downtube tubular frame, using its engine as a stressed member. For suspension, the Neo uses telescopic front forks & a set of hydraulic rear shock absorbers, coupled with a sturdy rectangular section swingarm. The Neo seats its rider in a commuter friendly, upright & comfy riding stance & provides its rider a well thought out ergonomic triangle. Ride quality is decent, & it’s also a light & nimble handling motorcycle in city. Barring the base model Neo, other variants ride on tubeless tyres, which provided us with sufficient traction in wet & dry conditions. Honda has equipped the Dream Neo with 130mm drum brakes front & rear, with no option of a disc brake available.

The Dream Neo is available in three variants, kick start/ drum brakes/ spoke wheels for Rs 43,150, kick/ drum/ alloy for Rs 44,150 & a top of the line self/ drum/ alloy variant priced at Rs 47,240 (all prices ex showroom, Delhi).

So, priced about the same as several rivals including Hero MotoCorp’s Splendor Pro & Passion X Pro, Suzuki’s Hayate, TVS’s Star City 110 & the recently launched Mahindra Pantero & Centuro, the Neo does show promise as a well rounded bike with Honda’s proven quality.

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