The Hero Splendor Plus comes with the same design as the original Splendor, there aren’t many changes that can be easily noticed. The design overall is simple, straightforward and practical. The bike gets a rectangular halogen headlight and square shaped bulb-type indicators at front. The side panels are clean and maintain the bike’s straightforward look. The rear features a pillion grab rail/luggage rack with a chrome finish. 

Powering the Splendor Plus is a 97.2cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that produces a modest 8.02PS and 8.05Nm. The power figures are good enough considering the low kerb weight of 112kg. So the engine has enough peppiness to keep you engaged. 

It has good acceleration as well, and is able to go from 0-40kmph in 4.19 seconds, 0-60kmph in 8.51 seconds and 0-80kmph in 16.38 seconds. Decent figures for a commuter motorcycle. The roll on acceleration is also good and the bike can accelerate from 30-70kmph in 10.09 seconds in the 3rd gear and 40-80kmph in 13.8 seconds when riding in the 4th gear. 

The Splendor is one bike that is well known for its easy and effortless handling, it is able to handle most potholes and uneven roads with ease. The front fork helps in making sure that you aren’t spending most of your time wrestling the handlebars for control. The rear suspension comes with 5-step preload adjustability and the ride quality stays the same when riding solo, with a pillion or even more (but we don’t recommend it). The bike is also quite light and easy to manoeuvre,  so flicking through city traffic is easy and effortless.

The only downside is the brakes. While the current braking set up of 130mm drum at the front and rear with IBS-integrated braking system (combined braking system) doesn’t feel inadequate, it could have been made a lot better, if the bike came with an optional disc brake at the front. The brakes are decent overall and manages to ensure a linear and progressive drive to a stop.

The Splendor gives the rider a neutral and upright riding posture making sure that there’s no strain on the rider when going for short commutes. The single piece seat is also well padded and makes long commutes an easy and comfortable experience. In the comfort department, the Splendor definitely does a good job.

The Splendor Plus now comes with a fully-digital instrument cluster that gives real time mileage readout along with speed, fuel level, odometer and trip metre readouts. The setup is very basic and only gives the necessary readouts, but the one on the Xtec variant gets Bluetooth connectivity which gives Call/SMS alerts as well.

Another interesting feature that Hero has added to the bike is a USB charging port. It is located under the instrument cluster and is convenient when charging on the go.

The Splendor Plus is an iconic motorcycle and over the years has earned its name as champion of the people. But retaining that title is easier said than done now that the Splendor comes at a higher price than even 110cc motorcycles.

The bike also comes with more features such as a digital instrument console and a USB charging port, but it doesn’t really justify the price hike. For a slightly lower price you can get yourself the base variant of TVS Radeon which is a 110cc bike, offering more performance and a similar set of features along with a few extra additions like a side stand sensor with beeper.