Hero Honda CD-Dawn vs Kinetic Boss

With the launch of the Hero Honda CD-Dawn, Hero Honda has entered the economy commuter segment. Not that it wasn't there before, but at Rs 36,000 plus, the Dawn was more in a league of its own. While the CD-Dawn may not dent the sales of the market leader Boxer, Kinetic's Boss may come under fire. Even with Kapil Dev on it!

There is a similar element in both the machines and that is the engine. The Hero Honda CD-Dawn uses the same 97-cc horizontal single as used in the Splendor and while the company claims minor reworking on the engine and better fuel efficiency, the mill is essentially the same slung under millions of Hero Hondas on the road.

The Boss uses an engine that looks suspiciously similar to the Dawn's and is in fact a reworked, reverse engineered copy of the same. Imitation is flattery but it sure has its limitations as is evident in the slight rough edge that the Boss' mill has. The CD-Dawn on the other hand is smooth, reliable and very boring.

In the styling department, the CD-dawn looks very much the bike it is - cheap bike, that is. The looks are plain Jane, especially in black and the sticker job could have been better. But what is a definite no-no is the dummy pod with the telltale lights which only look tacky and nothing more.

The Boss on the other hand looks much smarter, especially in the Kapil Dev signature edition trim which also gives you a small headlamp fairing and a neat Kapil signature on the petrol tank. Apart from that we feel that chromed mudguards look better than painted ones and clear glass headlamps look better than so here too the Boss gets our nod.

On the move, the Boss' engine has a rough edge to it while the CD-Dawn stays silk smooth all the way. Inherently, in the interest of fuel efficiency, both bikes remain uninteresting. In the end it all boils down to the price as this category is all about money.

Here the Hero Honda CD-Dawn priced at Rs 31,899 ex-showroom Delhi wins over the Kinetic Boss which retails at nearly Rs 33, 5000 ex-showroom in New Delhi. This is the standard Boss model and one has to pay extra for the Kapil Dev signature edition, reason why the CD-Dawn is the one to buy.

First Published: May 03, 2003 10:36 IST