2016 Hero Splendor iSmart 110 review, test ride

 

The motor’s forte is a flat torque curve from about 3000rpm onwards which really does wonders for the bike’s tractability. In fourth gear, the motor pulls cleanly, if unhurriedly, away from as low as 20kph without stuttering and if you use the throttle gingerly, you can get away with this from even 15kph! And in second gear, the bike picks up from nearly standstill without any clutch use whatsoever. This should make it ideal in city traffic conditions and the motor really lives up to its “Torque On Demand” name. On the short stretch of road where we got to ride the bike, we could easily get it up to 90kph. With a little longer road, and a lighter rider, an indicated 100kph should be easily possible, albeit there is a distinct buzz going through the footpegs at those speeds. It can also dispense off the dash from zero to 60kph in a company-claimed 7.45 seconds, which is not bad at all. The bike also gets a new exhaust which the company says has been tuned for an “enthusiastic note” which honestly might require a little stretching of the imagination. Still at mid-range revs, it sounds bass-ier than other commuter motorcycles and certainly has what you might refer to as 'character'.

 

 

Hero MotoCorp didn’t just develop a new engine for the Splendor iSmart 110, but an entirely new chassis as well. The setup is still a fairly traditional tubular dual-cradle frame, but Hero says that it has far better torsional rigidity and strength to improve handling as well as provide better ride quality. And in that regard, the suspension rates have been revised as well. While the ride felt perfectly acceptable for the most part, we really didn’t encounter any roads that would’ve tested that out during our brief time with the bike. And nor did we get any corners to test the bike’s handling prowess. So, we’ll refrain from making those judgements at this point. But what we can say is that the bike feels nimble while slaloming it around without feeling nervous. That being said, when I was ferrying our cameraman around the shoot location on the pillion seat, the Splendor did weave around a bit at lower speeds. In all fairness though, we had loaded nearly 200kg worth of rider, pillion, camera equipment and breakfast on a bike that’s designed for a payload of 130kg. However, the bike’s rear suspension is adjustable, so dialling up the preload took care of this to a large extent, though not totally. Braking is handled by a 130mm drum at the front and a 110mm drum at the rear and can be described as just about adequate.

 

 

Of course, this Splendor’s i3S (Idle Start Stop System) is its highlight feature. The system remains similar in the way it works to the original Splendor iSmart. When you put the bike in neutral and the revs drop to idle, the engine automatically switches off after five seconds. To restart, all you need to do is pull in the clutch and the motor immediately kicks into life. And if you don’t want the system, it can be disabled by flipping a switch on the handlebars. Now, you think this system is more of a gimmick, but it really is more convenient than switching off and restarting the bike manually at a traffic light and every moment you spend with the engine off, fuel is saved. The same system was responsible for making the Splendor iSmart 100 one of the more fuel efficient bikes in the country and there’s no doubt it’ll do the same for this one as well. The other interesting feature is the automatic headlights, which are switched on as soon as the bike starts and have no off switch. This is really in keeping with international standards followed by motorcycle manufacturers and we’re glad that Hero is doing this even on its small bikes. However, be prepared to face a lot of oncoming people gesturing to you that your headlight is running in the day time.

 

 

Now it’s really difficult as an enthusiast to really say what makes commuters tick and what they look for in their motorcycles. But from whatever we can gather, Hero certainly seems to have checked all the right boxes – style, refinement, tractability, efficiency and features. At a price of Rs 53,300 (ex-showroom Delhi), it demands a premium of less than Rs 2,000 over the alloy wheel-clad version of the 100cc iSmart, and a fraction more over a similarly kitted Passion Pro. So, it delivers quite a lot on value as well. And apart from a few very minor complaints like the tyres not feeling too great under braking, rear view mirrors that feel a bit small and the lack of a disc brake variant, there are no real negatives about the bike either. If nothing else, the Splendor iSmart 110 is a shining example of how Hero’s CIT is getting things right, right off the bat. Now, time to get things right with some properly exciting motorcycles for the enthusiasts!