Hero Glamour

Little do people remember that India’s first fuel-injected motorcycle came in 2006. No, it wasn’t the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi as Hero beat it to the punch by a few days with the Glamour 125. Over the course of the following 14 years, the Glamour has seen a lot of colour updates and a complete overhaul in 2017. For 2020, Hero hasn’t done a lot of tweaks to its 125cc commuter visually. Yes, the motor is now BS6-compliant and there is a new 5-speed gearbox but there are also some minor differences that might not be so visible in the flesh. What are they and have they made an impact? 

Despite being the more stylish of the two 125cc commuters from Hero, the Glamour’s design still feels a lot understated. There is a hint of sportiness to the design but it does not look quite out there like the Honda SP 125 or the Bajaj Pulsar 125.

The overall design remains fairly similar to the older Glamour as subtle styling tweaks around the side panels and headlight cowl are only noticeable when looking at the two bikes side by side. Of the four colour options on offer, the Glamour’s edges and panels are best accentuated in the pictured Sports Red option. The rest of the options use a lot more black and thus, small design elements might not pop out as much.

Switchgear quality is okay and so is the paint finish on the plastics. The uneven panel gaps and poorly finished welds are definitely an eyesore. Plus, some panel fasteners became loose and one even fell off while testing. Hero’s motorcycles are renowned for their bulletproof reliability and build quality so these flaws are disappointing. 

The semi-digital info cluster isn’t completely new. The digital inset as well as the analogue speedo remain very much the same, the only difference is in the layout of the tell tale lights. The inset displays an odometer, a tripmeter, average fuel efficiency indicator and a fuel gauge. It gets a blue backlight to make it legible while riding at night.

Halogen bulbs are found in almost all lighting systems, no LEDs here. The system works well and does a decent job of lighting up the road.

Fuel injection and i3S start-stop tech were always present but Hero has introduced a new feature called AutoSail. It is pretty much the same as TVS’s Glide Through Traffic technology that allows the bike to crawl forward by gently letting go of the clutch lever without giving any throttle input. The system is active in all five gears, enabling you to cruise up to 25kmph.

The 124.7cc mill has lost some and gained some in the transition to BS6. It has lost out on power and torque but more importantly it has gained an additional gear. As a result, the Glamour manages to be as sprightly as before with the performance deficit not being quite so significant.

The Glamour might have the same old heart but its skeleton is all new. Yeah, a new diamond frame, a new telescopic fork and different twin shocks. The suspension units have more travel now but their tune is not on the plush side. Commuter bikes like the Glamour 125 are usually the people carriers, or even goods transporters, in semi-urban and rural India. Once you load the bike up, the suspension units soak up bumps better. However, when riding solo, you experience a lot of sharp bumps.

The handling is quite neutral as the 1,273mm long wheelbase (11mm more than BS4) makes it quite a stable handler. It is still lively though, cutting through traffic like a hot knife through butter. But don’t expect it to blow you away in the bends. It is still a commuter at heart, mind and body.