LITTLE THINGS

Subtle upgrades make Honda's humble commuter more useful every day

- By Manaal Mahatme Photographs Kaizad Adil Darukhanawala

The Shine 100 was never going to have it easy. I knew it, and so did Honda and the rest of the country. This bike was not just going after the Hero Splendor but its three-decade-old legacy, too. And after being around for just about three years, the Shine 100 has managed to sell a tenth of how much the Splendour has sold. To some, that might be a battle lost already; to me, it seems like the war has already begun, and the new Shine 100 DX is the next weapon in the Japanese marque's arsenal.

The DX brings a mix of cosmetic and meaningful upgrades. It now flaunts a chrome garnish above the headlight, a chrome heat shield for the exhaust and a chrome kick-starter to complement it. Furthermore, there are four new colours, too. But what actually makes a difference is the new LCD console, tubeless tyres and a wider fuel tank that holds one litre of fuel more than the standard variant. That may not sound like much, but a litre here translates to over 60 kpl, which means the DX's 10-litre tank should last more than 600 km on a tankful... as long as you ride it like it's meant to.