The Splendor iSmart 110 is the latest product, launched by the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, Hero MotoCorp. It was showcased at the Auto Expo in Delhi earlier this year. While it bears the iconic Splendor name and badge, this bike is essentially a new product from the ground up for the company.
All new?
Oh, yes. The Splendor iSmart 110 is a completely new bike that bears no relation to the older Splendor, save for the name. Its got a new double cradle frame that feels much sturdier, and the 110cc engine is new as well. Design is refreshed and the headlamp is sharper. It comes with new dual tone paint schemes and body coloured mirrors. The design of the tail has been tightened as well and the bike looks more taut overall. Even the instrument cluster has been given a much needed update, with a smarter design and a digital odometer. This is the first bike to be developed completely in-house by Hero MotoCorp, and has made full use of the new CIT (Centre of Innovation and Technology) facility in Jaipur.
What else?
The biggest draw of this bike has to be the i3S technology. i3S stands for Idle-Stop-Start System and featured first on the 100cc Splendor. What it essentially means is if you stop at a traffic light, slot the bike into neutral and let go of the clutch lever, the bike will kill the engine in five seconds. It will start running again when you depress the clutch to shift to first gear when you want to set off again. The system works flawlessly and there were no delays in the engine stopping or restarting.
Another interesting feature is the Automatic Headlamp On feature. This feature means the headlamp is on whenever the bike is running and cannot be turned off, just like on large capacity motorcycles. While this means great visibility for the rider, as well as on-coming traffic, it is probably going to end up with a whole lot of people making comical gestures at you trying to tell you to turn your headlamp off.
Fun to ride?
The bike is actually great to ride as a commuter. It feels like a properly new product, a welcome change from the now ageing Splendor. The fundamentals of the Splendor haven’t changed — it is still an extremely easy motorcycle to ride, it is light and is fuss-free. The new Splendor feels more solid and well-built and this goes a long way in drawing in customers at this segment.
The ride quality is another thing this motorcycle has going for it. It is plaint, and bumps are well absorbed. The seat is comfortable as well, and rather long, which would make it a whole lot more comfortable for all those guys who think that motorcycles need more than two people sitting on them at a time.
The gearbox has four ratios, and like most other commuters, is in an all-up pattern. The lever is positioned comfortably and the ‘box itself was smooth to use. The only let down were the brakes. With drums on both wheels, the braking didn’t feel adequate enough to be confidence inspiring. Hopefully a disc brake variant in the near future should fix that.
Powerful?
The new 110cc engine makes 9.3bhp and 9Nm of torque. This is 1bhp and 1Nm more than what the regular 100cc Splendor makes. The bike feels adequately powerful and has good shove in the mid range. Hero claim a 0-60kmph time of 7.45 seconds.
Efficient?
Well, the i3S tech would definitely work wonders for fuel economy, especially when trundling around in city traffic. With this tech you should manage about 65kmpl in real would conditions. In addition to to being efficient, the new engine on the bike is BSIV compliant, a first for the segment. So not only do you get a more efficient bike, but a less polluting one as well.
Value?
The Splendor iSmart 110 is priced at Rs 53,300 (ex-showroom Delhi), and this allows it to sit between the drum brake variants of the TVS Victor (Rs 51,715) and Honda Livo (Rs 53,501). The new Splendor offers you some great technology at the price and hence, ranks very high for value.