Hero Splendor Plus

The Hero Splendor Plus is a dependable workhorse delivering a comfortable ride while being reliable and fuel efficient. The bike comes with a set of decent features but with the market full of bigger 110cc alternatives at around the same price point, it’s a little hard to justify in terms of sheer value for money.

• The Splendor Plus has been tweaked quite a few times over the years.

• That said, the bike still retains the iconic silhouette of a Splendor. Every time I see this one on the road, there’s no mistaking it for anything else.

• The compact nature of the bike and its simple-looking design is loved by its target customers, which is why Hero has not made any substantial changes to the look

• It gets a twin-pod analogue instrument console. The bike also gets a useful side-stand indicator.

• The bike also gets i3s technology (Idle stop-start system) for better mileage, especially in stop-go traffic.

• The Splendor Plus is offered in four variants: Standard, i3S, i3S Black & Accent and i3S Matt Axis Grey.

• Hero MotoCorp offers a 5 year/70,000km warranty (whichever comes earlier) as standard on the Splendor Plus.

• The Splendor comes with a small box on the right side that can fit your toolkit, documents and first aid kit.

• But if you need additional storage, you can mount a side pannier box.

Rider Comfort:

• The Splendor Plus gets a long seat. It can accommodate the rider, pillion and some luggage. No complaints here for space.

• The seat is  narrow. That means with my taller frame, (6’0) my knees stuck out a bit more than what I would’ve liked. A slightly wider seat could’ve made the Splendor that much more accommodating.

• The seat is quite soft which feels nice in short, city rides. But it gets uncomfortable after a 2-3 hours of riding.

Pillion comfort:

• Since it's a single-piece seat, the pillion faces the same issues as the rider.

• Changing the seat foam or getting a new seat made to your comfort shouldn’t be an expensive modification if you intend to ride it for longer durations.

The Splendor Plus' engine is tractable and has good low and mid-range performance.

City performance:

• The bike’s torquey nature helps it lurch forward the moment I release the clutch, and that makes it extremely easy to ride in the city.

• The bike doesn’t need a lot of gear changes. It  has enough torque to chug along even if you’re in a gear higher. I needed to downshift only when making an overtake.

• The refinement levels are reasonable. While I did feel some vibrations, it was never all that annoying while riding in the city.

Highway performance:

• After 60kmph, the vibrations started to increase significantly, they were uncomfortably strong in the seat beyond the 65-70kmph mark.

• The engine has enough grunt to cruise at around 80kmph, provided one can put up with the vibrations.

• After 80kmph, the performance starts to taper-off, so reaching 85-90kmph is a struggle. That said, it is a 100cc bike after all, so that’s understandable.

Mileage:

The Splendor has always been fuel efficient. It gave us a real-world mileage of about 80kmpl in the city. In fact, some of the more gentler riders in the office even got a mileage of upto 100kmpl!

Suspension and Ride quality:

• The bike has always been comfortable. The suspension absorbs most of the bumps and bad patches of the road easily.

• I felt the bike was in control even with a lot of luggage on. The suspension never bottomed out with the added weight.

Handling and Braking:

• The Splendor is super light and agile, hence the handling is effortless.

• It changes directions with minimal effort, and filtering through the traffic is easy.

• The drum brakes are  okay but lack bite. So, I had to plan my braking well in advance.

• The Splendor Plus will handle daily commutes as well as the occasional highway rides well.

• It is beginner friendly, and is light enough for even newer riders to feel at ease.

Other bikes to consider:

TVS Radeon

• Reasons to consider: More affordable, bigger 110cc engine

• Reasons to ignore: After-sales service experience may not be the best 

Bajaj Platina 110

• Reasons to consider: Slightly more powerful engine

• Reasons to ignore: Build quality could have been a bit better

Final Thoughts

• If I was in the market for a no-nonsense, simple 100cc commuter, the Splendor Plus would be my pick.

• While the pricing might seem a bit expensive, given its competition, the sheer peace of mind you’d get with a Splendor would be worth it for most.