HERO MAESTRO SCOOTER REVIEW

Hero Maestro review, test ride

We take Hero MotoCorp’s “male” scooter – the Hero Maestro for a quick spin around the city.

May 11, 2012

DETAILS

• Make  Hero MotoCorp 
• Model  Maestro 
• Edition  2012

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photos

    

The scooter segment in India is witnessing a noticeable transition. Manufacturers are now competing to give individuality to these utilitarian rides. Basic convenience of twist-and-go riding and storage space for daily needs is being complemented with sharper styling and more features as  Honda’s recent Dio, Suzuki’s new Swish 125 and Piaggio’s Vespa LX 125 have shown. Once again the industry leader Hero MotoCorp has defined its scooter by the sex of the rider; after the Pleasure, Hero’s new Maestro is trying to tempt the males.

The Hero Maestro appears as a sober looking scooter sporting conservative creases on its front apron and vast side panels. The front mudguard is well rounded while the front apron cleanly houses the clear lens indicators. The handlebar shroud features a bold headlamp and the rear view mirrors with two-tone casing lends the front profile a bit of style. The wide instrument panel is easy on eyes as it houses three pods – one each for analogue speedometer, a backlit  LCD information screen and the regular warning lights. On the handlebar section, the palm grips are impressive. Quality of switches and brake levers feel good too. However, the rear brake has a locking clamp which is inconvenient to operate. Maestro is equipped with a shuttered ignition key slot for safety. The setup includes a manual latch which can be pushed to lock the key access even in the absence of the key. This means that even if you forget to close the safety shutter after parking your scooter and you are not carrying the keys, you can still push the latch (which has a one-way movement) to shut the key access manually.

Sit on the scooter and you would instantly realize what the company means by positioning it as the scooter for males.  The flat floorboard is big in size which along with the bag-hook placed below the seat can be used to transport small goods. There is enormous amount of legroom which can easily accommodate taller riders. The glove box does not come as a standard option with the scooter; the Maestro gets the voluminous scooter-typical underseat bay. The vast side panels sport a boldly written ‘Maestro’ and lead to the tail section of the scooter which includes the brake light cluster and stylish rear grabs.

The scooter is powered by a four-stroke, single-cylinder, 109cc engine which generates smooth, vibe-free power. It quickly pulls from the stationery state with refinement and it churns out 8.09bhp at 7500rpm and a peak torque of 0.92kgm at 5500rpm. The transmission is the scooter favoured CVT.

The Maestro deploys dual linked shock absorbers in front and a single shock absorber at the rear. The scooter uses a steel fabricated underbone type chassis with the engine as the stressed member. The ride quality is comfortable with the suspension effectively doing their job. Also, the seat provides soft padding to the rider and the pillion against the road undulations. Braking is via 130mm drum brakes which use Honda’s combi-brake system (CBS). 

The Hero Maestro comes at a price of Rs 44,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) and is now available in six colour options – blue, green, red, white, black and silver. 

Fact File

Price Range (in lakhs)*

Ex-showroom price

Rs 44,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Engine

Fuel	Petrol
Installation	Single-Cylinder 109cc
Power	8.2bhp at 7500rpm
Torque	0.92kgm at 7500rpm
Power to weight	74.5bhp per tonne

Transmission

Type	Variomatic

Chassis & Body

Wheels	Pressed steel
Tyres                                90/100 x 10 F/R

Hero Honda Pleasure Review

This is the first time I am doing a review and road test of a Scooter, and I hope to do more soon. HeroHonda Pleasure is the first scooter launched by Hero Honda in competition to the Scooty Pep and Honda Activa. The price of this two wheeler is around Rs.36.5k (ex-showroom) in Delhi. The high pricing is because of the 100cc engine and the bike positions itself in the premium scooter segment.

Looks: I would boldly say that this scooter is the best looking one in India so far. Of course, many would argue that no one can beat Scooty Pep in the looks, but haven’t you got bored by it. I can see a Pep in every street in every city! Hero Honda Pleasure is designed in such a way that it is a perfect blend of a cute and yet a high capacity powerful scooter. It does not look fat like Activa or Suzuki Access and it does not look tiny either.

The only area which I wish to edit a little is the rear handle for the grips, looks a little too big I guess. The bike comes in nine colours, perhaps the only two wheeler in Hero Honda’s stables with so many colour options. You can have a look at the colour variantshere.

Performance: Hero Honda has rightly named the bike. It is actually a Pleasure to ride this bike. The engine is so smooth and silent that I can hardly believe it is on after a few minutes of driving. Definitely sounds better than the engine of Pep. The throttle response is not the best in class. While scooters like Honda Dio immediately respond to the twist in the accelerator, Pleasure takes a 1-2 second gap to respond in acceleration. The pickup and stability are quite good. The dashboard is neatly laid out. The speedometer indicates a green area between 30kmph and 50kmph which indicates minimum fuel consumption.

Features: Hero Honda Pleasure has a puncture resistant tuff up tube, which risists sharp objects through a ceramic layer which is placed on top of the air component in the tube. There is a nice compartment below the seat which is comfortable enough to hold a helmet. Though it does not feature an internal light like the Pep, it is still good.

You get a nice glove box in the front which helps in holding small shopping items and books or notes. A glove box is actually meant to keep gloves, but through time the word has come up for general utility box! You also get a hook for suspending shopping bags which will be situated behind your legs below the seat.

Conclusion: I would have bought this bike if I was a girl. It is a real Pleasure to own one. Even though TVS, Honda and Suzuki has competing models, I would recommend Hero Honda, the company which holds more than 60% market share in India and known for reliability and good customer service through the ages. The bike has a 2 year warranty (for upto 24,000kms) and six free services.

Hero Honda Pleasure Specifications:

Engine: 102cc, 4 Stroke, Air Cooled OHC
Maximum Power: 7.10ps@7000rpm
Maximum Torque: 7.85nm@5000rpm
Weight: 104.00 kg
Ground Clearance: 125.00 mm
Fuel Tank: 10.00 ltrs
Wheelbase: 1240.00 mm
Brakes: 130mm Drum brakes for both

More Cool Stuff:

• Hero Honda Pleasure Exclusive Photos
• Hero Honda Pleasure Official Website

Hero Honda Passion Plus Review

Alright, review time again. This time it is the Hero Honda Passion Plus. Even though I am not a fan of 100cc bikes, I have a special attachment towards Passion, because it was the bike which I decided to buy before I owned the Karizma. Hero Honda’s engineers have really worked well on the design. The bike looks beautiful from every angle. Passion Plus is designed with three things in mind… looks, looks, looks. The sticker design has been changing as the years pass by, but the basic design remains the same.

Hero Honda claims the Passion Plus to be a ‘Whole new world of style.’ And they are not kidding. When you look at the various colors that the bike has, you will understand that they are serious about it. Gone are the times where you buy a black, red or blue colored bike. Passion comes in six variants of multicolor designs. I feel that the best is ‘black and sport red‘, which has a black doom with red stickers and red tail with black stickers. That’s the color which they use for the TV commercial and the fastest selling variant. If you want to see more variants, visit the official website and click Colors.

The Passion has the same engine as that of the other 100cc counter parts from Hero Honda. There is nothing much to talk about the performace because its just a new wine in an old bottle. When I drove the bike, I felt just like when I tried Splendor NXG, except for the fact that I was driving a better looking bike. The tank is little bigger and better suited for people who feel Splendor is small for them. The dash board features the speedometer with a yellow backdrop as seen in the new Karizma R.

Some of the highlights that I cannot miss to mention are… the all black engine, alloy wheels and body colored hand grips. The black engine nicely merges with the overall look of the bike. I wonder why so many bikes still have the aluminum shaded engine. The bike costs Rs.49,000 on road. You can save Rs.3000 if you do not want the allow wheels, but I do not recommend spoke wheels because it will spoil the beauty of the bike.

If you are a student, never even think of buying Splendor, which is for aged people, he he!  If you want a bike from one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers from the world, if you do not want to spend too much and yet have cool looks, if you want great mileage so that you need not keep asking your dad for filling the tank every week (like I do)… then what are you waiting for? Passion Plus is your choice!

Passion Plus Specifications:

Displacement: 97.2cc
Maximum Power: 7.50ps@8000rpm
Maximum Torque: 7.95nm@5000rpm
Gears: 4 Speed
Clutch: 159
Weight: 116.00 kg
Ground Clearance: 159.00 mm
Fuel Tank: 12.80 ltrs
Wheelbase: 1235.00 mm
Length: 1980.00 mm
Width: 720.00 mm
Height: 1060.00 mm

Additional Resources:

• Passion Plus Official Website
• Passion Plus Photos

Hero Honda Passion Pro Review

I'am the proud owner of the GLEAMING Black Passion pro . ! This is the best bike if you want to have style with performance .! Not only this , this bike has been rewarded for being one of the most FUEL EFFECIENT bike .  YOU should go for it as it will flaunt your style and Passion pro means STYLE STYLE AND STYLE with performance . !                                                                                                    

Here are the specifications :-

Hero Honda Passion Pro Specifications

Overviews Engine Type : Single cylinder Displacement : 97.2 cc Compression Ratio : N/A Maximum Power : 7.37 HP (5.4 kW)) @ 8000 rpm Maximum Torque : 7.95 Nm (0.8 kgf-m or 5.9 ft.lbs) Cylinder Bore : 50 mm Stoke : 49.5 mm Ignition : DC-Digital CDI with TCIS- Throttle Controlled Ignition System Starting : DC-Digital CDI with TCIS- Throttle Controlled Ignition System Wheel Base : 1235 mm Tyre Size : 2.75 x 18 - 4 PR / 42P 3.00 x 18 - 6 PR / 52P Wheel Type : 18 x 1.60 -Spoke Wheel & AlloyWheel Efficiency Fuel Efficiency : 69 kmpl Fuel Capacity : 7.5L Fuel Reserve : 2 L Fuel Type : Petrol Charging Duration : N/A

Dimensions Length : 1980 Height : 725 Width : 1075 Ground Clearance : 165 Saddle Height : N/A Curb Weight : 116(kick) 119(self) Total Weight : N/A Weight Carrying Capacity : N/A Chassis : N/A Safety Brakes : Front Drum - InterN/Al expanding shoe type-130mm Disc - 240mm Dia Disc Rear - InterN/Al expanding shoe type-130mm Suspension : Telescopic Hydraulic Shock Absorbers Swing Arm with 5stepAdjustable hydrolic shock absorber

Drive Train Clutch : Multiplate Wet Gear Box : 4 Speed constant mesh

HERO HONDA SPLENDOR PLUS REVIEW

Hero Honda Splendor Plus Specifications

Overviews Engine Type : 4Speed Displacement : 4Stroke SingleCylinder AirCooled OHC Compression Ratio : 97.2 cc Maximum Power : 8.8:1 Maximum Torque : 7.5@8000 BHP@RPM Cylinder Bore : 7.2@5000 Nm@rpm Stoke : 50 mm Ignition : 49.5 mm Starting : Electronic Wheel Base : KickStart Tyre Size : 1230 mm Wheel Type : Front 2.75 X 18 - 4 PR / 42P Rear 2.75 X 18 - 6 PR / 48P Efficiency Fuel Efficiency : N/A Fuel Capacity : N/A Fuel Reserve : 75 kmpl Fuel Type : 10.5 litre Charging Duration : 1.4 litre

Dimensions Length : N/A Height : 1980 mm Width : 1045 mm Ground Clearance : 720 mm Saddle Height : 159 mm Curb Weight : N/A Total Weight : 109 kg Weight Carrying Capacity : N/A Chassis : N/A Safety Brakes : N/A Suspension : Front Internal Expanding shoe type 130mm Rear Internal Expanding shoe type 130mm

Drive Train Clutch : N/A Gear Box :N/A

Hero Honda Splendor Pro

Hero Honda Splendor Specifications

Overviews Engine Type : 4 stroke Air-cooledSingle cylinder OHC  Displacement : 97.2 cc  Compression Ratio : 8.8:1 Maximum Power : 7.37 HP (5.4 kW)) @ 8000 RPM Maximum Torque : 7.95 Nm (0.8 kgf-m or 5.9 ft.lbs) @ 5000 RPM Cylinder Bore : N/A Stoke : N/A Ignition : Electronic  Starting : N/A Wheel Base : 1230 mm  Tyre Size : 2.75 x 18-4PR  Wheel Type : N/A Efficiency Fuel Efficiency : N/A Fuel Capacity : 11 litres  Fuel Reserve : 1.4 litres  Fuel Type : N/A Charging Duration : N/A

Dimensions Length : 1950 mm  Height : 1040 mm  Width : 720 mm Ground Clearance : N/A Saddle Height : N/A Curb Weight : N/A Total Weight : N/A Weight Carrying Capacity : N/A Chassis : N/A Safety Brakes : Front Brakes Drum type  Rear Brakes Drum type Suspension : Telescopic hydraulic fork

Drive Train Clutch : N/A Gear Box : 4-speed constant mesh

Hero Honda Splendor NXG Review

I did test drive the Splendor NXG. Did you know Hero Honda named it as NXG implying it is for the next generation? This deluxe segment bike comes priced at 42k approximately for the alloy wheels version and has so many similarities to the old Splendor, although, it is a little lighter than its older brother. Ever since its launch Splendor NXG is giving its competitor Platina from the Bajaj a chase for its money. However, TVS Star City is the one that Hero Honda would be looking at seriously and gearing its arsenal to beat the competition in this segment.

Splendor is a bike designed to give fuel economy, reliability as well as low cost for maintenance. Well, the Splendor NXG is expected to leverage the strengths of the largest selling bike brand carry forward the same with advantages. I can say that Splendor NXG is an overhauled version of the Splendor to make it more youth appealing as regards to looks and style.

Splendor comes in about 5 colors and varying stripe combinations. Styling though looked a little better. The wheels are 5-spoked aluminium alloy type, which of course come as optional. The headlight is big and stylish trapezoidal multireflector type that gives bright light at low speeds as well, because of powerful battery and this gives the direct current high beam that is not dependant on the rpm of the engine. The taillight is big and improved by looks as compared to old splendor. Although, Splendor NXG looks much similar to its elder brother, the improved side decals, rear and front cowl and new sleek instrument panel with a trip meter and the fuel tank (capacity of about 10 liters) that has a knee grip mold and new and improved visor give the bike more stylish looks.

Hero Honda says that the 97.2cc Splendour NXG has a new engine altogether. Hmm…..cant believe! The power of Splendor’s engine is 7.7 ps at 7500 rpm, and it is marginally improved over the Splendor Plus. Maximum torque is about 7.6 nm and The motor looks like it’s the same one as that in the CD Dawn version and let me tell you, that it does sound nice and does not noise out too much as well even on a long drive. What I liked the most is the low end torque of the engine to give a no-noise drive even at 20 kmph in the fourth gear; and guess that sets Hero Honda apart from other bike manufacturers. The Splendor NXG has a smooth gearshift complying with the industry standards.

The bike has drum brakes and kick start options with a ground clearance of 160 mm. But the wheelbase is 1230 mm and it should have been improved. Probably Hero Honda wanted to keep the bike weight under 110 kg. The maximum achievable speed is about 90 kmph and the mileage is about 75 for city and highway combined and that is laudable!

The downside of Splendor NXG, I feel, is wanting of an electric starter and I think TVS Star City has done brilliant to give one at almost the same cost. If ever Bajaj has to give any competition probably they should come with a 90cc bike offering features of Splendor NXG at less than 40 k cost! What say?

Splendor NXG Specifications:

Engine: Aircooled single cylinder 4 stroke OHC
Displacement: 97.2 cc
Maximum Power: 5.67 KW (7.7 PS) @ 7500 RPM
Maximal Torque: 7.7 N-m @ 6000 RPM
Gear Box: 4 Speed
Brakes: Internal Expanding Shoe Type 130 mm (Front) 110mm (Back)
Tires: Front: 2.75 x 18, Rear: 2.75 x 18

Hero Honda Glamour 125cc Review

Hero Honda Glamour is a perfect blend between the higher end so called sporty bikes and lower end 100cc bikes. Today I had the Glamour 125cc delivered to my home for a test drive.

Hero Honda Glamour 125cc

Styling: The bike stands out with its unique design in the hood. Aerodynamically shaped air pockets on both sides of the head lamp adds to the head turning effect of the bike.

With sporty stickering on the sides and optimum overall size of the body, the bike will be appealing to majority of the Indian audience. The grooves in the tank are perfectly blended even for a 6 foot tall man to accommodate his knees with comfort. The size of the tank is not too big nor too small. Perfect. The fuel switch is significantly different than other bikes, big and easy to handle.

The sides of the tails looks like it is adopted from former Ambition 135. The tail lamps are also perfectly designed, not too aggressive nor too plain.

Performance: The bike has a 4-speed gear system, all in one way. Great for city riding. If you are finding it difficult for changing the gears in one down, four up system, you would love Glamour. The 125cc engine gives a very good job of giving a smooth ride at higher speeds. This is primarily because of the positioning of the engine. Note that unlike other bikes, the piston in the engine moves back and forth instead of up and down. So it is natural that the vibration is reduced in this case.

Before talking about performance I shouldn’t hide the fact that many users have reported poor mileage for Hero Honda Glamour. On an average the mileage of the bike is 45 – 50 kmpl. But after 3 months of regular servicing, you should get more than 50 kmpl for sure. Some have reported 60kmpl constant mileage.

The dash board has three dials as shown above. The most viewed speedometer is placed at the center prominently which I appreciate. No digital display! May be in the next version of Glamour we can expect one. Cute fuel indicator and other leds.

Verdict: If you are buying a 125cc bike, you most probably will upgrade it after a few years of use. So before you buy, don’t just think about the performance, but consider the give away aspect. Hero Honda and Honda bikes have better resale value than Bajaj and TVS. The engines are more durable and gives good performance even after years of use.

Mr.Ganesh who owns a glamour says “Hi! I have been using Hero Honda Glamour for the past 1.5 years and  travelled arround 25000 Km. But still I am feeling as a new bike. Because the bike has great pick up, smoothness, good looks and control on any speed up to 100. Fuel consumption is good. It is depends upon our driving. I am totally satisfied with this bike.”

Pros: Looks, Smoothness, Quality

Cons: Varying mileage across different units

Hero Honda Glamour Specifications:

Displacement: 124.7cc
Max power: 9bhp at 7000rpm
Max torque: 1.05kgm at 4000rpm
Specific output: 72.17 bhp per litre
Valve gear: 2 per cylinder, sohc
Compression ratio: 9.1 : 1
Ignition and fuel: Electronic CDI, carburettor
Tyres front: 2.75 x 18 inches
Tyres rear: 3.00 x 18 inches
Front Brakes: 215mm disc/130mm drum
Rear Brakes: 130mm drum
Length: 1995mm
Width: 735mm
Height: 1095mm
Wheelbase: 1295mm
Fuel tank capacity: 13.6 litres
Kerb weight: 125/129 kg