Honda and Hero have been battling out for the top spot in the two-wheeler segment in the country for over decades now. With the introduction of the automatic scooters in the market, this battle has only gone onto intensify further more with both the companies trying their best to upstage the other. Their latest offerings, the Activa 3G from Honda and the Duet VX from Hero are among the top-rated gearless scooters in the market currently. Today, we pit these two scooters against each other and compare their strengths and weakness.
Engine
The Hero Duet VX includes a larger engine at 110.9cc against the 109.2cc engine on the Activa 3G. This allows the Duet VX with an added maximum power advantage of 8.31 BHP at 8000 rpm while the Activa 3G is only able to extract a peak power of 8 BHP at 7500 rpm. Both the scooters have a carburetor fuel delivery system and the engines are fitted a single-cylinder, 2-valve, air-cooled systems. However, the Activa still shades the Duet VX in terms of torque offered of 8.83 Nm at 5500 rpm against the 8.3 Nm at 6500 rpm from the Duet. The Honda Activa 3G top speed is tested at 75-80kmph but it depends upon the weight of the rider. The Duet also manages to touch a top speed of 80kmph without too much vibration.
Winner: Hero Duet VX
Fuel Consumption
There is no competition between the Activa 3G and the Duet VX in this segment. The Duet VX shades Activa 3G in every aspect. The Duet is equipped with a 5.5L fuel tank capacity and another 1.8L in the reserve against the smaller 5.3L fuel tank on the Activa 3G with 1.3L in the reserve. The average mileage offered by Duet VX at 63.8kmpl beats the same offered by the Activa 3G at 52kmpl by a very large margin.
Winner: Hero Duet VX
Wheels and Tires
Both the Activa 3G and the Duet VX uses 10-inches sheet metal tires in their specification which are smaller than the usual 12-inches wheels found on most scooters in this range. The Activa 3G just pips the Duet VX in terms of tires used as it uses a pair 90/100-10 Tubeless tires against the 90/100-10 53 J tires on the Duet VX. The tubeless tires protect you from a sudden puncture while travelling on the road.
Winner: Honda Activa 3G
Chassis and Suspension
The difference between the chassis type used on both the gearless scooters is clearly evident as the under bone type chassis used on the Duet VX is more rigid than the one on the Activa 3G. The suspension package on the Duet VX a telescopic suspension on the front side and a unit swing with a spring-loaded, hydraulic dampener on the rear end. The Activa 3G, in comparison, comes with a spring loaded hydraulic suspension on both ends.
Winner: Hero Duet VX
Brakes
The Hero Duet and the Activa 3G both use a 130mm sized drum brakes on both sides to power the braking system. However, the Duet VX uses an additional internal expanding shoe type brake to provide extra safety and security.
Winner: Hero Duet VX
The Last Words
The Activa has a Honda Activa 3G top speed of 78kmph as compared to the 80kmph top speed on the Hero Duet VX. The Duet has a better engine performance and fuel efficiency and better braking system than the Activa 3G. Despite being priced cheaper than the Activa 3G, the Hero Duet VX beats the 3G in almost every department they are up against each other.
