A Bike That Everybody Should Own.

A Bike That Everybody Should Own.

The Hero Splendor is without a shadow of doubt among the most important motorcycle to enter the Indian two-wheeler market. In fact, it can be credited as the product that made the masses switch to motorcycles. So it isn’t surprising that it is the highest selling two-wheeler in India and it still dominates the sales chart. But Hero MotoCorp wanted to give an update to its most popular model and that isn’t the easiest task for any manufacturer. Reliability and fuel efficiency was the traits that made the Splendor a legend in India and for its successor Hero turned towards technology for assistance.
The Hero Splendor iSmart is the first motorcycle on sale in India to be equipped with a start-stop technology. Yes, the same tech that has now become extremely popular in cars in Europe as they try and achieve lower CO2 emissions and higher fuel economy.
The i3S (idle Start Stop System) tech on the Splendor iSmart is supposed to do the same. So when a rider stops at a signal and selects neutral gear, the engine automatically gets shut after five seconds. Once the rider depresses clutch to engage first gear, the engine gets started automatically. It’s a simple and effective procedure which helps the Splendor iSmart in achieving even better fuel efficiency numbers. The styling of the bike is based on the Splendor NXG, which has been in the market for over half a decade apart from the addition of new graphics.
In terms of features, the bike gets equipped with tubeless tyres, split grab rails at the rear, analogue instrument cluster with a trip meter and side stand indication. The Hero Splendor iSmart uses the same 97.2cc engine that has been in service for decades now, but it makes slightly more power. The power output is a claimed 7.8PS. The torque rating is slightly higher too. Performance isn’t its forte but the motor is refined and reliable which are vital for a commuter motorcycle. The country’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer claims 102.5kmpl for the Splendor iSmart which makes it the most fuel efficient motorcycle on sale in India. The Hero Splendor iSmart costs Rs 47,250 ex-showroom in Delhi. It is more expensive than the likes of the Honda Dream series and the Bajaj Discover 100M. But given the goodwill of the Hero brand name, the eye popping fuel efficiency and features, the bike makes a curious case for itself.