2025 Hero Splendor Plus vs Bajaj Platina 100 vs Honda Shine 100: Spec Comparison

Battle of the most affordable 100cc commuter bikes in the country

India’s best selling two-wheeler, the Hero Splendor Plus just got updated for 2025 with an OBD-2B compliant engine, but other than that, it remains unchanged. Although the Splendor Plus is considered the most popular in the segment, there are two other 100cc commuter motorcycles which directly compete with it. They are the Bajaj Platina 100 and the Honda Shine 100. Here's a specification comparison between these three: 

Engine 

In this comparison the Hero Splendor Plus gets the smallest engine but makes the most power (although by a very small margin). However, both its rivals the Platina 100 and the Shine 100 produce their peak torque 500rpm and 1000rpm earlier, which should make them feel a little more responsive in city riding conditions, theoretically.

Performance wise, the Platina 100 offers the best package as the bigger displacement helps in producing its peak power and torque a bit earlier than the competition. The four-speed gearbox common to all bikes should be adequate for city commutes.

Underpinnings 

All of these commuter motorcycles get a steel tubular frame and similar suspension setup which has been tuned to tackle our Indian roads with ease. In this comparison the Splendor Plus gets a 130mm drum brake setup at both ends while the other two get a 130mm front and 110mm rear drum. This should result in the Splendor having a slightly better braking performance overall. 

Out of the three, only the Splendor Plus gets a tubeless wheel setup which should make it a lot more convenient to manage during a puncture. Both the Platina 100 and the Shine 100 get a 17-inch alloy wheel setup which is smaller than Splendor’s 18-inch alloy wheel setup. Bigger wheels usually offer a better ride quality and stability overall, while 17-inch wheels should make the motorcycle feel a lot quicker to change directions. For a commuter motorcycle having a better ride quality is more important, so the Splendor should make better sense in this aspect. 

Dimensions

The Shine 100 weighs the least, which should make it a lot easier to manage in day-to-day scenarios. Less weight should also help in improving the mileage as it puts less stress on the engine. On the other hand, Bajaj seems to have understood Indian roads better as the Platina 100 gets a massive ground clearance of 200mm which is comparable to many Adventure motorcycles. 

The Platina 100 also gets a much bigger fuel tank which should result in a better tank range overall. The Platina gets a slightly taller seat height than the other two, at 807mm. This is manageable but might not suit shorter riders. 

Features

All of these motorcycles are entry-level commuters and don't come with a long list of features. They  get a twin-pod instrument cluster with analogue speedometer, odometer, fuel-gauge and warning lights. All of them also get halogen lights but the Platina 100 gets a LED DRL for a more stylish look. Only the Shine 100 gets a side stand engine cut-off feature, which turns off the engine whenever the side stand is kicked out.

Price And Verdict

All prices ex-showroom Delhi.

The Hero Splendor Plus is the most expensive motorcycle in this comparison as it is Rs 10,036 and Rs 12,036 more expensive than the Platina 100 and Shine 100 respectively. The premium is way too much as it doesn’t really offer anything substantially better over the other two to justify its high price tag. That said, going by the sales figures, it’s evident that folks are willing to pay that much for the Splendor’s reputation of being a no-nonsense, reliable 100cc bike.  Mind you, the variant we have mentioned in this comparison is still the most affordable Splendor there is, as the top spec Splendor Plus Xtec Disc variant costs a whopping Rs 86,051 (ex-showroom Delhi).

In the end, the Platina 100 and Shine 100 offer much better value for money while having all the basics in place. If you want something light, with Japanese refinement, then the Shine 100 is a better choice. Those who are looking for a bit more performance along with plenty of ground clearance to tackle bad roads can go for the Platina.

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