Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

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AE86
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Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by AE86 » Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:24 am

Hi all,

Image

10 months? ago roughly, our family picked up a brand new Wave 110, carbureted version, but the FI version feels very similar in power delivery...and before I'm going to ditch the bike in favor of my 90 again, I wanted to add a review for anyone interested.

Video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0GdhsDjF78&t=240s

and below is what I think "on paper".

Background: My old daily rider is a C50 with a 90 motor in it (slightly modified up to 91cc, from 85, and high compression piston). A good day it will break 100 kph (62 mph), but usually 93-95 tops (58-59 mph). I've been riding Cubs as my daily rider for the past 6 years so I'm very used to them. I'm 5'7" and 9 stone.


The Wave: It is a 2016' 110 RSX model, front disk rear drum, same configruation and frame as most of the Waves, just different plastics. Bought new for me was £690 worth, but in the U.K. I imagine it a lot more, maybe in the £1600 range.

Build quality: This bike was manufactured and largely built in Vietnam (90/10 Vietnamese Japanese parts), and the build quality is alright. I'd give it a 4 out of 10 on feel, but for the price, even if it were nearly 2 grand, would still be a good bike in my opinion. The paint scratches ridiculously easily, so we had the same plastic you wrap mobile phones in, put all over the body. Works great.

Compared to a C90, the switchgear and feel is no match though. The C90 has a much more solid feel to it.


Reliability Having a 2011 Super Dream Fi with the same engine, and having serviced many of these bikes with higher mileage, I can say that the motors on these are indeed very good, at least until 18,000 miles. Most engines I've worked on have are not well maintained and overloaded with 5 or more people :lol:, so with the way they hold up, I wouldn't see any problem in the near future with these bikes. Only thing with the 110 bikes is that they are made of flimsy HT leads and caps, so the occasional snipping and cleaning is necessary. This Wave, no problem so far, but only 1,400 miles done on it. 18,000 miles I'd check the clutch brake & clutches themselves in terms of "major" components, on top of maintenance of course.

In short, about the same "major" dependability from a C90 Cub


Riding: Of course it's no rocket, but the noticeable increase in torque is great. I can start in 2nd gear without much problem, although I am a small person, but on my C90 it feels reluctant to get moving in 2nd, where as the Wave picks up and goes after a second or two. I like this engine more than the ANF 125 since it has a much flatter torque curve, but I've only ridden carbed Innovas so FI might be different. The Wave also is fine for high rpm power too vs. the Innova. It's like a mix (if you know what I mean) between the ANF's torque, and the C90's high rpm powerband. My person favorite motor of the current Honda underbones.

Suspension is good and competent for a small scooter and takes corners much much better than the C90. If you're not into high speed cornering though, I really don't care either way. Ride is a bit firm for my liking, so I put softer springs, but that's up to you.

One thing I do hate though is the seat and how slanted forward it is. It always makes me feel like I'm squished in the centre of the bike, and that's a deal breaker for me unless I redo the entire seat. I would do it if I wasn't getting rid of it.

Brakes are also a great improvement over a stock 90, unless you have an 05' and up C90 with the massive drums, so that is a much appreciated addition so to speak. I don't feel comfortable over 80 kph though if I'm honest (top speed is around 105). The bike is still on 2.75-17 rubber, so in my opinion it needs fatter tyres for higher speed usage.


Other/Misc: I like the exhaust note, kind of beefy for a small bike (just like the Innova), and I like the "1,2,3,4" shift indicator. Fuel gauge is nice too, coming from a round lamp C90 which doesn't even have a low fuel light. I also like the underseat storage, good for half an egg shell helmet. No luggage hooks though, and that's annoying.

I also like the much stronger chain guard which doesn't dent as easily, and the smoother action of the shifter. It's noticeable to me the difference in shifting smoothness, and I have a nearly new clutch in my C90.

Fuel economy, I get about 168 mpg or 60 kpl, and my C90 gets 59 kpl. I average 30-40 kph though (20? mph), so I suspect average UK economy will be the same as the C90 or even slightly better due to less "stress" on the engine.


Summary
Hands down it beats the C90 as a commuter bike. More torque, wide ratio 4 speed, better clutch system, and competent brakes and suspension. But, I'm still not sold on it. Maybe it's because my first bike was a Yamaha T80, maybe because I've ridden C90s for 6 years as a daily rider, maybe it's because I just like the look of the 90, but honest to God, I have no love whatsoever for it. It's a great bike though, and have definite improvements over the 90, even the 05' and up C90s, but I don't really care for it. Too much plastic, too much "style", and not enough fun.

So in the end, I'm ditching it (I already have), I want my 90 back.

dmw1950
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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by dmw1950 » Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:31 pm

AE86 wrote:Hi all,



But, I'm still not sold on it. Maybe it's because my first bike was a Yamaha T80, maybe because I've ridden C90s for 6 years as a daily rider, maybe it's because I just like the look of the 90, but honest to God, I have no love whatsoever for it. It's a great bike though, and have definite improvements over the 90, even the 05' and up C90s, but I don't really care for it. Too much plastic, too much "style", and not enough fun.

So in the end, I'm ditching it (I already have), I want my 90 back.
I was out bonding with the T80 (Don't think I can get arrested for that), just wondering want you thought of the T80, I don't use mine enough because of my other bikes, but when I do I really enjoy it.
Regards
Dave

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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by barker » Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:58 pm

I have a 250 scooter a new sh and some other bikes but my Honda cub and t80 are the most fun ,,on the right roads,, ,I think its going at a speed my brain can keep up with
I know my t80 cant match my sh for speed or brakes but its got that something the newer bikes haven't got

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AE86
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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by AE86 » Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:27 am

dmw1950 wrote: I was out bonding with the T80 (Don't think I can get arrested for that), just wondering want you thought of the T80, I don't use mine enough because of my other bikes, but when I do I really enjoy it.
Regards
Dave
Honestly, I was 11 when I first learned to ride it on dirt trails and didn't understand it mechanically and never got the chance to use it on the road. My first road bike was an XL175. I can't fairly compare it, but I'll never forget that little rusty 2 smoker. First bike I jumped, first bike I laid down, first bike I rode into a tree... :lol:

From what I remember though, I didn't do a bit of maintenance to it ever. 2 stroke oil, petrol, air in the tyre, that's all I knew how to do and it never missed a beat.

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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by wightegi » Fri Feb 17, 2017 6:53 am

T80 Yamaha Townmate shaftdrive cub. ;)

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Capitano
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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by Capitano » Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:49 am

AE86 wrote:2 stroke oil, petrol, air in the tyre, that's all I knew how to do and it never missed a beat.
If it was a 2T motor it was undoubtedly what we knew in the UK as a V80, not the 4T, shaft drive T80.

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AE86
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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by AE86 » Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:02 am

^^Thanks for that clarification. I honestly didn't know what my bike was, only that it was a Cub like 2 stroke with an 80cc engine. Probably is a V80 and I've been saying it wrong all these years.

That picture brings back memories, same colour as mine and everything. Good memories.

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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by Capitano » Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:08 am

I had no interest in either when they were originally around.

I only really learned the distinction when 2T ones started turning up at the annual runs for FS1Es and other 70s Sports Mopeds. :D

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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by drago76 » Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:06 am

i read one russian blog, who about a half of every year live in thailand.

there it buy a honda wave 110i and start travel -throught thailand, and also to neighbour too.

he has have thailand made wave 110i
at this time it done more than 50 000 km, and report, no any serious problem - only chains, tyres, oil and gasoline...

he also said, honda wave has very good reputation, in the same time, in vietnam wave are almost most cursed motorbike.
looks like, vietnamise version have not very good assembly quality, as, possible, chinese too.

if i'd have a choice, i stay with taivan made honda-s, i think...;)

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AE86
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Re: Review: Honda Wave 110 as a C90 owner

Post by AE86 » Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:52 am

Living here, I think the biggest problem with the Vietnamese bikes isn't Honda themselves, but the unscrupulous sellers that pass off bad fake stuff as genuine, whole bikes included with fake Honda labels, VINs and everything. Police crack down and populous revolt has gotten so bad that the sellers have resorted to doing business out of the country, shipping fake parts to themselves, have them stamped (made in Thailand) and then ship them back labelled as genuine Thai Honda. That's the latest scam going around here, and it's led to the demise of two of my engines already in just three months.

I hate to say it, but Vietnamese and Chinese are terrible for this kind of BS. It's tough even for us here, as we are constantly on the lookout for these people, and we hate it just as much as anyone else who is affected.

The genuine Honda parts I get here are just as good as the Thai made stuff, and I say that hand on heart. One of our workers has a Vietnamese made Super Dream II with 56,000 km and the bike still runs and looks great and that's the norm, not the exception.

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