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S. Muralidhar

THE 125cc-engined premium commuter segment bike market is only a step away from the entry-level 100cc segment, and yet seems facing a peculiar situation. Comparable volumes continue to elude this segment, which is positioned midway between the entry-level and the premium bike segments both in terms of price and performance.

Have manufacturers got the combination of factors that buyers in this segment look for at the time of making the purchase decision? Is the buyer in this segment focused more on mileage or power or looks? Is he willing to accept the bike's possible lower mileage, or is he unwilling to make that compromise? While answers to these questions are still evolving, what is amply clear is that the buyers in this segment are are still fuel efficiency conscious, even as they want better looks and performance.

One more joins the queue

Manufacturers queued up and launched five new models in this segment over the last about a year's time. Before the launch of Hero Honda's Super Splendor, the most prominent of the 125cc bikes were the Yamaha Fazer, TVS Victor GLX and Bajaj Discover. Despite the manufacturers being in the know of the mixed expectations amongst 125cc bike buyers, volumes in this higher priced exe-commuter segment continue to be lower.

But that has not deterred bike-makers from launching new models with 125cc mills. Though its entry was delayed into this segment, Hero Honda had marked its foray with the launch of the Super Splendor earlier this year.

The Super Splendor attempted to woo 125cc and 100cc bike buyers with its simple, yet chic design and its new `Quantum Core' engine that promised to deliver mileage, which would be on par or better than the Splendor's — Hero Honda's long standing benchmark in the fuel efficiency department. The name — Super Splendor — was meant to communicate the message to bike buyers of the new model being better than the original Splendor in all the parameters.

Now, after the relatively lower response for the Super Splendor, Hero Honda has developed and quickly put out one more 125cc-er to run parallel with its existing bike in the segment. From its looks and the advertising that Hero Honda has planned for the Glamour, it is obvious that unlike the excessive focus on practicality and economy that it had given the Super Splendor, the Glamour will attempt to offer buyers in the same segment a bike which is more stylish and yet also retains the focus on practicality (of the previous bike) to a large measure.

Style and substance

The new Glamour is one more Hero Honda bike that is not completely new and yet makes it obvious that considerable development efforts have been put into it. This bike's side profile is by far its best, making it look like a well-designed, curvaceous and comfortable bike, though we still feel that the Glamour is not as good looking as the simple, yet extremely well finished Passion Plus.

At the front, the Glamour features a new bikini fairing that is broader and cutaway at the sides to make it is design look more aerodynamic. The steeply raked fairing houses a Passion Plus style clear-lens headlamp and the same triangular instrument pod that is also found in the Super Splendor. The simple instrument cluster includes three circular pods that display the speed and trip meter, fuel gauge and the bunch of warning lights.

The large fuel tank is completely new in design and is set high. The oval lines of the fuel tank flow to merge with the stepped seat. Extremely practical, deep knee recesses have been built into the fuel tank giving the user a comfortable, bike-hugging riding position. Topping the fuel tank is a flush-type, aircraft-style matt-finished tank cap and lock. The low, straight set handle bar features the same switchgear as is seen in the Super Splendor. Bar end weights are absent and the wing mirrors on either side are body coloured.

The handle bar stem lock incorporated into the ignition key slot can be used to lock the handle bar to either the left or the right. Clear-lens type hexagonal turn indicators are new, as are the checkered decals (`stickering') that adorn the side panels and the lower part of the fuel tank. Striped rear side panels seem to have been borrowed from the Ambition 135 and together with the new decals add an element of sportiness to the Glamour. At the rear, the U-shaped tail-lamp cluster incorporates a number plate light and the housing topped by a broad aluminium die-cast grab rail.

The Glamour's chassis is the same dual cradle tubular frame that Hero Honda has adopted for a number of its other bikes too. Sub-frames are also tubular and the only change in the Glamour is the rectangular section swing arm, which has proved to be capable of dramatically improving stability in bikes that sport this feature. The chassis and all the sub-frames get a special coating and paint treatment to increase rust and scratch resistance.

Charming handler

Together with above average ground clearance and the low set, straight handle bar, the Glamour will give most riders, who are shorter than six feet in height, an upright riding position. Suspension has been carried forward from the Super Splendor. The chrome-finished suspension coil springs at the rear and the chrome and matt-black silencer add a touch of class to this bike. Silencer design and heat plate are unique to this bike.

Fresh from the success of the `Quantum Core' engine in the Super Splendor, which has proved itself to be capable of coming up with class-leading mileage, Hero Honda has carried this engine forward into the Glamour too. The engine has been co-developed by Hero Honda in collaboration with its Japanese partner. This 125cc engine is a very refined mill, delivering power and torque in a fairly linear fashion and with very little fuss. Vibrations are kept to a minimum. Rubber mounts and fins separators have been used. Vibration and harshness at the foot pegs and handle bar ends kick in only after 80 km per hour is clocked.

The 125cc engine develops a peak power of 9 bhp at 7,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 1.05KgM at 4,000 rpm. A considerable load of torque is available at the lower rpm bands. As a result, the Glamour offers quite an easy ride and manages to chug along at as low as 32 km per hour on top gear without any knocking. Shifting to a lower gear often in city traffic is also minimised.

In the Glamour, the engine is mounted in the same near horizontal format that Hero Honda has adopted for all its bikes. The four-speed gearbox is, as is always from Hero Honda, silken smooth, except for a slightly uncharacteristic clicking that our test bike was prone to. The bike is extremely stable at high speeds and also handles well while taking tight corners. High ground clearance makes the Glamour very capable of handling deep turns. Foot pegs are spring mounted and feature scrape protectors at the bottom. Fit and finish quality more than meet Hero Honda's stringent benchmarks.

The Glamour's should be capable of a top speed of about 93 km per hour. Mileage numbers that the bike could offer will vary from 55 to 60 kmpl depending on riding style and road conditions.

Hero Honda has launched this new bike only in the four southern States. Clubbed with the extremely frugal engine and priced at Rs 44,650 for the drum brakes and kick-start version, the Glamour is an attractive option for bike buyers in the 125cc segment.

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