The Splendor may be one of the most charmless bikes around, but so many people have bought it it’s not funny. Boring it may be, but when you have a lakh of people buying one of these every month, no one really wants to take chances with it. And while the competition laughs at Splendors, they’re working as hard as they can to replicate it – if not the bike itself, at least its sales success. Want proof? Despite so many Splendors being sold, try finding one second hand. And find one manufacturer who wave off Splendor sales as irrelevant. Save for Royal Enfield, that is.
Like it or loathe it, the Splendor really is a legend. At BSM , we aren’t very easy on bikes that are as unexciting as the 97.2cc Hero Honda and while none of us would be caught riding one, we respect it for the sheer acceptability it enjoys. To put that in perspective, while we’re not moved to tears by the bike, it has excellent, durable engineering, unflinching fuel economy numbers and what the bike has done for Hero Honda’s bottomline is impressive and commendable.
So imagine our surprise when we first cast eyes on the so-far hush-hush Hero Honda 125cc machine. Hey, that looks just like the Splendor! We later confirmed that almost everything on the bike is new, but it’s quite amazing how it still manages to look the same. There are a few bits that haven’t changed, but that is a short list – the BSA Champ style handlebar and a fuel tank. Almost everything else is calculated to neatly bring up images of the Splendor. For instance, the new fuel tank lid is very similar to the Passion’s, while the new side panels look the same, but are actually completely different.
In tune with the rest of the 125cc machines, the Super Splendor also wears a bikini fairing. I really like the way the screen flows from the headlamp upwards to the upper edge. The twin pod instrument cluster has been replaced by a unit that reminds one of the Fiero F2. And yes, the tachometer is yet to make its Splendor debut. One of the instant irritants is that the choke is still on the carb, rather than on the switchgear – that’s not convenient. To round out the styling, the Super Splendor gets a carbon black finish with comprehensive chrome heat shields that span the length of the muffler and a good part of the header pipe as well.
A prod on the thumb starter will wake up the all-new 124.7cc engine. The motor got so much attention at the launch that it is obvious that Hero Honda is betting big on it. To maintain continuity with the Splendor, the engine retains the horizontal format. It even retains the Splendor’s engine note, as it settles into a steady idle.
The four-speed gearbox – come on Hero Honda, a fifth was due – retains the all-up shift pattern. However, like the CD-Dawn, the toe shifter is now a flat pedal, and those who toe-shift all the time will have bruised toes, unless they’re wearing heavy duty boots.
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