We mostly rode the bike on wide, open roads and found that its engine performance is quite laudable in terms of refinement and tractability. The motor feels quite smooth up until 75-80kmph, and the said speeds also arrive in a linear manner. However, there's some buzz towards the higher speeds as the engine feels a little stressed. But the target buyer for the Shine 100 would seldom ride at higher speeds and so, it's not a bother per se.
Even the clutch is quite light, and you can pull it in with just two fingers while running through the gears. Speaking of the latter, the first two gears are rather short, so you would end up riding the Shine 100 mostly in the third and fourth gear, be it the city or the highway. That said, the need to shift from third to fourth gear comes as early as 45kmph. Post that, you can cruise along with a gradual increase in pace. The engine is quite tractable and doesn't demand a downshift even from the fourth gear for the most part. So, if you are stuck in steadily moving traffic, the Shine would happily crawl in the third gear with just a little conscious input of the throttle. The only shortcoming here is that feedback from the upshifts could be better, but nothing that would affect the overall riding experience.
The Shine 100's fuel efficiency figures are unknown as of now since Honda didn't reveal the numbers during the ride or at the launch. But fret not, once we have the Shine 100 for a road test review, it'll undergo the BikeWale fuel efficiency test, and we'll be able to tell you how frugal this engine is and what sort of range you can expect from its 9-litre fuel tank.
During our first ride, we rode the Shine 100 over a broken patch multiple times. While doing so, its front end felt quite light, and the forks felt to be on the softer side. So you can expect it to absorb most of the bumps if your commute route has potholes, bridge joints, or small speed breakers — like the ones you see in the mall/parking area.
The rear end came off a little stiff, but nothing jarring or hurtful to the rider's back. One also has to consider that the Shine 100 is likely to be used by a variety of people, including couples going to the office, your local milkman, and even farmers to carry sacks of vegetables or fodder. So, the added weight at the rear would change the way the springs respond. The extra load would help compress the rear suspension more and thereby offer a plush ride.
Apart from that, the bike is very responsive in terms of directional changes, thanks to its small frame. You don't have to wrestle around too much, and the bike tips left to right with very minimal effort. It's the same case with the Shine's turning radius as you need to put in minimum effort, and it can take a complete U-turn in very little space.
The front and rear drum brakes, although very basic, help you stop the bike very predictably. I even stomped on the rear brake pedal multiple times, but surprisingly it didn't lock even with my heavy right foot. It's the same case with the front brake as well. All you have to do is be mindful of the traffic ahead and press the lever at the right time since it takes a little distance before the bike comes to a complete halt.