So you want to buy a new Hero bike right? Well, you made a good decision because the entire Hero lineup provides affordable and quality motorcycles. But Hero has a huge lineup of bikes and it’s important to keep some points before buying a Hero model that’s ideal for you.
Buying a Hero Bike: What should you keep in mind?
Budget
Firstly determine how much you are willing to spend. Although Hero motorcycles are affordable they still cost money and not everyone can readily shell out 1.5 lacs to buy a Xtreme 160 4V. So, first set a budget and make sure you are not stretching your wallet and putting yourself in a financial crisis to buy a bike. Check the list of Hero bikes in each segment to get an idea of each model.
Handling and Control
After you set your budget, visit your nearest showroom and take a look at all the models that sit under your budget. Take a test ride of each model and check how the bikes respond to your input like if it feels smooth or sluggish. Also, check you can move it around at lower speeds like in tight spaces. Keep in mind that a bike should feel like an extension of your body.
Suspension and Ride Quality
Indian roads are like mini adventure courses with random bumps and potholes, so check out how your selected model’s suspension handles these unexpected problems like whether it soaks up those random bumps smoothly or if your entire body gets a shock every time you pass a pothole.
Performance
Even though you want to buy a commuter like the Splendor or Passion, you want some kick out of it aside from mileage sometimes, right? It’s up to you how much power and acceleration you want so make sure to check that. Also make sure to take a look at how the brakes are performing because while it feels good to reach 0-60 in a few seconds, the braking power should be equally good enough to stop your bike in time.
Hero Motorcycles at each segment
Commuters
Hero has a wide range of commuters and most are below Rs 1 Lakh. Firstly you have scooters like the Hero Pleasure Plus, Xoom 110, Destini Prime and 125 and Maestro Edge 125. In motorcycles, we have the Lord Splendor, Super Splendor, HF Deluxe, Passion and Glamour.
Premium Commuters
Hero currently offers the Xtreme 125R, Super Splenfor Xtec, Xtreme 160R and 160R 4V in this segment. The latter can be considered in the bigger bike territories but we will consider them as commuters.
The 200cc Segment
Hero offers a bunch of options like the Xpulse series for adventure lovers or Xtreme 200s 4V and Karizma XMR 210 for racing lovers.
The Big Boy segment (400cc)
Hero’s only offering here is the Mavrick 440 which is basically the Hero version of the Harley X440 but with a more neo-modern design language.
