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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
With the iSmart, Hero has given the Splendor a world first technology which boosts the efficiency of this frugal motorcycle even further, says Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com
The Hero Splendor is the world's highest selling motorcycle. It has led the 2-wheeler sales chart in India for a long time as well.
Cashing on the popularity of this brand, Hero MotoCorp has launched the Splendor iSmart, a new variant of the popular motorcycle.
The Splendor iSmart was first unveiled late last year and is a premium variant in the competitive 100cc space.
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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
The Splendor iSmart comes in a dual-tone paint job which makes it look good.
The styling is attractive: the bike has swoopy and edgy side panels while the front is dominated by a neat headlight cowl.
The Splendor iSmart gets rim stickers which is unseen in this category while the grab rails are split, another rarity in this class.
The exhaust appears quite dated and has a shiny black finish on the top.
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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
The Splendor iSmart comes with an analogue instrument cluster. This console is inspired from the one seen on the Splendor NXG.
The Splendor iSmart gets a colourful speedometer, with the various colours used to signify the speeds at which the motor is the most efficient.
The instrument panel also gets a side stand warning, which blinks to remind you that the side stand hasn't been disengaged.
There is a light for the i3S function as well. Hero has used faux carbon fibre finish below the cluster to give the bike a sporty feel. The quality of switchgear is good.
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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
The Hero Splendor iSmart uses the same tried, tested and totally proven 97.2cc Honda motor.
This unit generates 7.8 BHP of peak power at 7500 RPM and 8.4 Nm of peak torque at 4500 RPM.
The powerplant is very smooth and refinement is strong with only minor vibrations being felt at idle.
Low and mid-end performance is very good and you have plenty of grunt on offer for city duties. The 4-speed gearbox shifts smoothly.
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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
The biggest highlight of the Splendor iSmart is the i3S (idle stop-start) system, which basically turns off the motorcycle when you come to a halt (after waiting for 5 seconds), powering it back to life as you depress the clutch: no need to start the bike the traditional way.
What this system does is, it saves fuel by preventing excessive idling.
Compared to the regular Splendor, the i3S equipped iSmart returns 2-3 km/l of extra fuel efficiency.
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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
The Splendor iSmart uses a double-cradle frame and the suspension is stiffly sprung.
The balance between ride and handling is good, the bike changing directions quickly.
Ride quality is excellent and the Splendor iSmart is planted at speed, taking sweepers without any hitch.
The brakes offer good stopping power, the front not so strong but the rear compensating for it.
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Why Hero Splendor iSmart is one excellent bike
The Splendor has already proven to the world that it's a reliable and no-nonsense motorcycle.
With the iSmart, Hero has given the Splendor a world first technology which boosts the efficiency of this frugal motorcycle even further.
Priced at Rs 60,750 (on-road, Mumbai), the Splendor iSmart is an excellent 100cc motorcycle which ticks all the right boxes of a commuter bike buyer.
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