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The Hero Splendor Pro Classic is the cheapest way to turn heads on a motorcycle, says Faisal Ali Khan
The Hero Splendor is the world's top selling motorcycle and the company has brought in multiple variants of this bike over time. The automaker recently brought out more interesting variants of the Splendor, including the iSmart which has start-stop technology and Splendor Pro Classic which is the world's cheapest cafe racer styled motorcycle.
The Hero Splendor Pro Classic is a cute looking motorcycle which carries the retro appeal in the right dose. Everything seems round here, right from the headlight to the rearview mirrors and the tail lights (both for the brakes and indicators).
The Splendor Pro Classic gets a chrome mudguard and tasteful spoke wheels.
Being a single seater, it gets a nice tail piece and all that adds to the flair of the bike.
The instrument cluster is nicely laid out. There are two pods with a thick chrome surround.
The Splendor Pro logo sits between the two pods.
However the console doesn't get any modern bits, uses analogue readings only and there is no tachometer; instead the other pod gets a fuel meter. There is however a side stand warning indicator which is indeed a nice touch for a bike of this segment.
Powering the Splendor Pro Classic is a 97.2cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine. This small motor outputs 8.36 HP of power and 8.05 Nm of torque, so the bike isn't powerful at all but its low weight of 109 kgs gives it slick performance.
The output from the Splendor Pro Classic is marginally more than what the regular Splendor model produces.
The mill offers peppy performance and has adequate grunt for city duties.
This engine in the Splendor, like other Hero bikes, is sourced from Honda and thus there are some vibrations near the peak of the torque band.
The punch at the low and mid-range is excellent and the tall gearing ensures stress free pulling power at most times.
The 4-speed gearbox is smooth and shifting gears is easy and quick.
Armed with a double-cradle frame, the Splendor Pro Classic has stiff suspension at both ends but in spite of that, ride quality is good and so is the handling.
The small dimensions give it good agility and manoeuvring it is a breeze. The Pro Classic takes sweepers with utmost confidence and has good brakes with the rear drum working most of the time for a bike of this type.
The tyres on offer might be puny but they are up to the job.
The Hero Splendor Pro Classic doesn't go as fast as it looks, there is no doubt about that. It might be styled like a cafe racer but it's not the bike you would like to race with.
Still, as a product, it does shine by offering a vivid identity of its own.
The Splendor Pro Classic looks quite appealing and draws a lot of attention on our roads.
Priced at Rs 55,460, this Splendor manages to appeal to more than the head.
The author is founder, editor of MotorBeam.com