Fuel Injected Innova first ride

[Jon]

2010 Fuel Injected ANF 125i One lady owner (before me) with 6300 gentle miles. Rider wearing a big camo type shooting smock top over a fleece, 44" chest so a big old sail! Rear tyre at 60 psi, full face lid, GPS in left hand!

innova.jpg

The only difference on paper between this bike and the earlier carburettor machine is that on this bike, maximum torque is developed at 3000 rpm, some 2000 rpm lower than the older Innova.

Right...First impressions, the naked bike feels no more unwieldy than my C90 (with it's small top box and screen on). The seat feels less squashy, harder if you like and a tad higher. The rear suspension feels a little less harsh, and little more 'big bike' controlled.
The ignition switch complete with steering lock is facing you on the right hand side fairing near your knee. Turn the key and the dashboard does one of those clever whizzy things where the speedo needle goes round to the end then returns. On the left of the speedo there is a cluster of 5 indicator lamps; neutral and the 4 other small lamps, which light according to your chosen gear. Very clear, very attractive and fairly pointless for us wizened old bikers! On the other side of the speedo there's an LCD digital fuel readout with the ubiquitous 5 bars for full thing going on. within the LCD panel is the digital odometer. there is no trip (unless you can press a button to change the odometer to a trop meter, I have no manuel, from Barcelona or otherwise)

The very bright headlamp is on all the time the engine is running (dammit) and is very steady with no apparent flickering or dimming as revs drop.

Press the starter button and the engine instantaneously fires and settles into a perfectly steady idle which remains constant in speed hot or cold. If you engage any gear while the side stand is down, the engine stops.

On the move, handling is much like my C90 (my C90 has new suspension links at the front and much fatter and smoother rear spring units) but without the characteristic front end climb under braking. The rear end feels firm and controlled and there is none of that stiff but springy lack of control a stock Cub's back-end reveals. The front forks are firm and seem nicely matched, neither feeling harsh and jarring or soft with noticeable fork dive. Brakes are sharper but the front disc still requires a decent squeeze...It isn't going to spit you off if you forget you are on it and treat it like a Cub's drum.
The rear feels exactly like the C90's!


Naturally it pulls away in first much like a C90 does. It feels about the same with that initial sluggishness as the clutch takes up then moves off. Flat out in first the speedo is showing around 30 mph when it hits the rev limiter.

It is also quite happy to move off in fourth gear, especially down a slight incline, feeling much like the C90 does when that bike is asked to pull away in third.. Once on the move on the open road, it can be left in fourth and will pull smoothly and with enough authority from quite low speeds with the clutch's operation completely seamless.

Interestingly, it has very little more top speed than my be-screened stock geared 12v square lamp C90. My steep hill going up towards the village knocked the Innova back to around 30 mph indicated, when starting out from about 45 on the flat at the hill's bottom, and the c90 would settle to 30 on that incline too from a similar run-up.

Going up a long fast hill on the main road the Innova held around 50 mph indicated, a true 45mph. This was around 5 mph better than the Cub could do....that bike would fall back to 40 mph. Going down that same long fast hill the Innova's speedo got to 63 mph which was 58.2 true, and the bike settled to a steady genuine 56 mph on the flat after the hill.

Basically, because the Innova is much higher geared, and its rev limit is much lower, it has not got the spread of revs the c90 has, and as the C90 is substantially lower geared...Around 30% lower I'd guess) the older Honda feels pretty similar in terms of throttle response and medium speed hill climbing ability.

So basically, a good 12v C90 WITH a screen is not all that much slower in real world conditions than the 125cc innova. I think a decent screen would allow the Innova to sit at a true 60 mph (indicated 66mph) on the flat, and the Innova of course is not working as hard, especially in terms of revs, to be there.

The Innova is likely to be stronger with a load on, probably more stable and happier at speed, two-up and the sophisticated injection system will ensure it is as if not more economical at higher speeds.

The Innova's a cracking machine. It's real-world smooth, real world fast enough (where the Cub is perhaps just a smidgen too slow), just as delightful to ride if you are like me and like to stick it into top and let the bike do it's job, and appears to be durable and well screwed together (although the jury is still out on that fancy display)

What this really highlights is how good a stock 12v c90 is. the clever choice of an engine small enough to rev out to nearly 10,000 rpm safely, coupled with lower than expected gearing because of that rev limit, has given the old 90 a unique set of riding characteristics which are almost impossible to reproduce as engine capacities rise. The Innova has four gears because with only 7500 rpm or rev band to work in, it has to be higher geared blunting it's responses and it would struggle with three. If it revved out safely to 10,000rpm it would only need the first three gears and would be pretty nippy!The C90 on the other hand has just three gears because it is uniquely flexible enough not to need four.

with a screen, I'd said the 125 Innova would cruise at 60 mph whereas the C90 with a screen will cruise at around 53 mph. Without a screen the Innova is maybe 3 mph quicker on the flat although I think wearing leathers would increase that quite a bit

[horobags]

Interesting report, cheers, I like the anf, I think of it as the modern big brother to the 90. Ive recently bought a s-wing 125, which is a great machine, I think I should have had a go on a anf first, I think id like it, and I could have saved myself a bleedin fortune.

[Jon]

Interesting report, cheers, I like the anf, I think of it as the modern big brother to the 90. Ive recently bought a s-wing 125, which is a great machine, I think I should have had a go on a anf first, I think id like it, and I could have saved myself a bleedin fortune.

thank you!
I was worried the Innova would be more 'small motorcycle' and less 'Cubbie' but it's still a Cub, just a Cub with a party frock on.

what they could have done is built a 150cc 180 degree twin cub motor. that would have retained the rev band AND given a useful extra bit of oomph. ...But a twin adds expense and complexity and although the essential characteristics of the Cub are not 'budget', the perception is...

[detector2000]

I have the fuel injected innova also have a puig screen will sit on 60 all day no problem but as you say big hills down to around 50, but hay its a 125 but a great little bike that has taken me all over the place without a missed beat. Rob.

[Jon]

I have the fuel injected innova also have a puig screen will sit on 60 all day no problem but as you say big hills down to around 50, but hay its a 125 but a great little bike that has taken me all over the place without a missed beat. Rob.

the speedo on mine is a little fast. At around 64-65 mph indicated it was doing a true a 58.2 mph (max speed indicated on my GPS) so it's around 10% fast. which is typical for vehicle speedos. Strangely my C90 Cub speedo is exactly correct according to my GPS with 50 mph indicated on the Cub's clock showing as precisely 50mph on the GPS. In fact it's spot on at all speeds...Highly unusual!

My Innova would hold an indicated 60-62 on the flat which seemed to be between 55 and 56 mph on the GPS. I reckon with a screen it would hold a true 60 (66 on the speedo). It may also gain a little speed as it's thrashed in some more...

[Jon]

I ordered a Puig screen on the evening of the 27th of January off eBay from bs-motoparts-uk, a German supplier because it was around a tenner cheaper than M&P. It arrived beautifully double boxed in perfect condition on the morning of the 30th.

Great service!

[spikeyboy60]

I'm getting one for this year as well....just need to sort the puncture first

[Jon]

I'm getting one for this year as well....just need to sort the puncture first

I had to splash out now before that last of my 'fire sale' money (I sold my 1.4 Corsa, an Alfa 166, My Cub, and my XR250 to buy the Innova and a 1.5 diesel Pug 106) drained away into the sump of general day to day living...

[Boo]

1.5 diesel Pug 106

Great choice of motor I reckon.

[Jon]

1.5 diesel Pug 106

Great choice of motor I reckon.

I'm very pleased. Every 100 miles on the trip I put £10 worth of fuel in and so far, I'm making a diesel profit... At this rate the tank'll be full in a month or two!