Daily Rider – Episode 1
What makes a motorcycle a good daily rider?
Is it outright power? Comfort? Fuel economy? Reliability? Easy maintenance? Or simply the confidence that you can get on the bike every morning and ride it without worrying about what might go wrong?
For the first episode of our new Daily Rider series, we put one of Pakistan’s most familiar 150cc motorcycles through a normal riding environment: the Honda CB150F.
But this isn’t a showroom review or a first-ride impression. This particular CB150F has been owned and ridden by Taimoor since 2018 and has covered approximately 84,000 kilometers. It has also been used for countless tours and everyday commuting.
After nearly eight years with the motorcycle, the question becomes much more interesting:
Is the Honda CB150F still one of the best 150cc motorcycles you can buy in Pakistan?
What Is the Daily Rider Series?
With Daily Rider, the goal is simple: instead of only discussing motorcycles while standing next to them, we want to experience them the way most people actually use their bikes.
That means normal city commuting, traffic, maneuverability, comfort, acceleration, braking and everyday usability.
The first motorcycle in the series is particularly interesting because Taimoor has already spent years living with it.
And according to him, that long-term experience is exactly why he continues to recommend the CB150F.
Nearly 84,000 KM of Ownership
Taimoor bought this particular CB150F in 2018.
Since then, the motorcycle has covered approximately 84,000 km, including numerous tours and regular city riding.
Before buying it, he had considered several other motorcycles available in the market at the time. However, after riding the CB150F, he found its overall combination of comfort, performance and ride quality more appealing.
That impression has remained largely unchanged after eight years.
One of the strongest points of long-term ownership is that the bike has never made him feel that it was incapable of doing something simply because it was a 150cc motorcycle.
Whether it was used in the city, taken on tours or ridden in mountainous areas, the motorcycle continued to perform its job.
A 150cc Engine That Likes Low Speeds
The CB150F’s engine produces around 11.2 horsepower, according to the video.
On paper, that doesn’t sound like an enormous amount of power. But the way the engine delivers that power is one of the things Taimoor appreciates most.
He has nicknamed the motorcycle a “tractor” in the lower gears because of how smoothly it can operate at low speeds.
During the ride, he demonstrates this by dropping into third gear at around 20 km/h and continuing without the engine feeling rough or constantly demanding a lower gear.
This low-speed flexibility is particularly useful in Pakistani city traffic, where riders constantly have to slow down, accelerate and change speeds.
The engine’s smoothness makes the CB150F easy to live with.
Comfort: One of Its Biggest Strengths
For Taimoor, comfort is one of the defining characteristics of the CB150F.
Before purchasing the motorcycle, he had ridden several other options available in the Pakistani market. The CB150F stood out because of its overall ride quality.
After eight years of ownership, he still considers its comfort one of its strongest qualities.
And this isn’t limited to short city rides.
According to his experience, the bike can handle daily commuting as well as longer touring without leaving the rider excessively tired.
For a motorcycle that is expected to serve as an everyday machine, this is important.
A bike doesn’t necessarily need to be the fastest motorcycle in its class. If you can ride it for hours without feeling beaten up, that becomes a major advantage.
Will you choose a used cb150f over new ccr150? Comment here
Easy to Maintain and Easy to Find Parts For
Another major advantage highlighted in the video is parts availability.
Because the CB150F is a Honda product and shares certain components with other Honda motorcycles, Taimoor says finding parts and maintaining the motorcycle is relatively easy.
He specifically mentions components shared with the Honda Deluxe 125, including areas such as the front assembly, rear shocks and brakes.
For Pakistani riders, this can be a major consideration.
A motorcycle can have excellent performance, but if its parts are difficult to find or expensive to maintain, ownership becomes frustrating.
The CB150F benefits from Honda’s established parts network, making it easier to maintain in different parts of the country.
How Does the CB150F Perform in Traffic?
This is where the Daily Rider concept becomes particularly relevant.
The CB150F may look like a relatively large motorcycle compared with a typical 70cc or 125cc commuter, but according to Taimoor, it doesn’t feel difficult to maneuver through traffic.
Its balance and handling make it surprisingly easy to work through gaps in city traffic.
He also points out that once you develop a proper sense of balance on the motorcycle, the CB150F can feel extremely well balanced.
That is useful during stop-and-go traffic, where riders constantly have to balance the motorcycle at low speeds.
Braking Performance
The CB150F uses a front disc brake and rear drum brake setup.
Taimoor considers the braking performance good for the motorcycle’s weight and his own riding requirements.
However, he makes an important point: he doesn’t believe riders should blindly trust the brakes of any motorcycle.
Instead, riders should always maintain a safety margin and ride according to road conditions.
For everyday riding, though, he considers the CB150F’s braking performance more than adequate.
Is It Fast?
The CB150F isn’t being presented as a performance motorcycle.
Taimoor describes it more accurately as a commuter motorcycle with enough performance in reserve.
During the ride, he accelerates through the gears and reaches around 100 km/h on a relatively short stretch of road.
The motorcycle’s 10,000 RPM tachometer also shows that the engine is being worked through its rev range.
But the important point isn’t simply the top speed.
The CB150F has enough performance to overtake slower vehicles such as trucks and buses when required, while still remaining comfortable during normal riding.
That makes its performance useful rather than excessive.
The Balancer Shaft Makes a Difference
One of the reasons the motorcycle remains comfortable at higher speeds is its balancer-shaft-equipped engine.
Taimoor points out that even around 100 km/h, the motorcycle doesn’t produce excessive vibration.
That is important for a bike intended to handle both commuting and touring.
A motorcycle that feels smooth at 80–100 km/h is much easier to live with than one that becomes tiring because of excessive vibration.
The CB150F’s engine refinement is therefore one of the reasons it continues to work well as an all-round motorcycle.
The Fuel Average After 84,000 KM
Perhaps one of the most interesting numbers from this long-term ownership experience is the fuel economy.
Even after approximately 84,000 km, Taimoor says the motorcycle is still returning around:
42–43 km/l
That’s a strong figure for a motorcycle that has spent years being used for both commuting and touring.
It also highlights an important part of the CB150F’s appeal: it doesn’t need to be exceptionally powerful to be useful.
It offers enough performance while maintaining reasonable fuel consumption.
What About the Oil Consumption Issue?
No motorcycle is perfect, and Taimoor does mention one known issue that he has experienced with the CB150F.
According to his experience, the lower piston ring can be slightly loose from the factory, which can lead to oil consumption.
However, he doesn’t consider this a major problem.
His solution was an engine rebuild involving replacement of the rings, after which the issue was resolved.
Importantly, this is based on the owner’s personal experience presented in the video rather than a claim that every CB150F will necessarily develop the same problem.
After eight years and 84,000 km, Taimoor considers the overall maintenance cost of his motorcycle remarkably reasonable, with the engine rebuild being the major expense he specifically mentions.
Why Does the CB150F Still Make Sense in Pakistan?
The Pakistani motorcycle market has changed considerably since the CB150F was introduced.
There are now several alternatives in the 150cc segment, including motorcycles offering different combinations of price, features, styling and performance.
Yet the CB150F continues to occupy an interesting position.
It isn’t necessarily the cheapest.
It isn’t necessarily the most powerful.
And it isn’t the newest design.
But it combines several important characteristics:
- Comfortable ride quality
- Smooth engine performance
- Good low-speed behavior
- Easy traffic maneuverability
- Adequate highway performance
- Good braking performance
- Strong parts availability
- Relatively simple maintenance
- Good fuel economy
- Proven long-term usability
That combination is what makes the motorcycle difficult to dismiss.
Is the CB150F Still the Best 150cc Bike?
According to Taimoor’s eight-year ownership experience, yes.
His argument isn’t based purely on specifications.
It comes from actually using the motorcycle for approximately 84,000 km.
He believes the CB150F offers one of the best overall packages in Pakistan’s 150cc category, particularly for riders who want one motorcycle that can handle daily commuting, traffic, touring and occasional highway riding.
There are cheaper motorcycles available, and there are newer motorcycles available.
But if your priority is an all-round motorcycle that is comfortable, practical, relatively easy to maintain and proven over years of use, the CB150F remains a compelling option.
Final Verdict
The Honda CB150F may not be the newest motorcycle in Pakistan, but its age is arguably part of its story.
After eight years and around 84,000 kilometers, Taimoor’s motorcycle is still being used as a daily rider, still returning around 42–43 km/l and still providing the comfort and performance he expects from it.
That’s ultimately what the Daily Rider concept is about.
Not just asking how a motorcycle performs when it’s brand new, but asking:
What is it like to actually live with one?
And based on this long-term experience, the Honda CB150F makes a strong case for itself.
It may not be the fastest 150cc motorcycle on the market, but it doesn’t need to be.
It offers a balanced combination of comfort, usability, performance, fuel economy and maintainability — and that is exactly why, after eight years and 84,000 km, Taimoor still considers the Honda CB150F one of the best 150cc motorcycles available in Pakistan.
