1 year, 9,000 km on the Splendor Plus - still India's most sensible bike?

44 views3 replies5 Jun

Crossed the one year mark on my Splendor Plus recently, just over 9,000 km done, almost entirely city and semi-urban commute with the odd trip to visit family about 60 km away. Bought it purely on reputation since half my street rides one, and honestly it's lived up to it. Mileage has been the standout thing, I'm consistently getting between 60 and 65 kmpl riding normally, no hypermiling tricks, just regular commuting. I've seen a post online claiming close to 75 which seems optimistic for most people, but it shows what's possible if you're gentle with the throttle.

Running costs have been genuinely low, my last two services together cost less than a tank of petrol, and Hero's service network means there's always a mechanic nearby who knows this engine inside out. The i3S start-stop is a small but nice touch for saving fuel in traffic. Where it shows its age a bit is on the highway, anything past 70-75 kmph and it starts feeling a little strained. This is clearly built for commuting and short family use rather than long tours, and the suspension while great on our terrible city roads is on the stiffer side.

I'd bookmarked the Splendor Plus listing on this site while shopping around, the variant comparison genuinely saved me a showroom visit.

Anyone doing longer highway stretches on theirs regularly, how's it held up for you?

3 Replies

isha_carventures

5 Jun

Great to read a review with actual numbers instead of just 'best bike ever' comments. Question, did you go for the drum or disc brake variant, and if drum, have you ever felt it inadequate in city traffic during sudden braking? Been going back and forth on which variant to pick and real owner input on this matters more to me than the brochure numbers at this point.

manoj_garage

5 Jun

I'll offer a slightly different view, I did a 250 km highway trip on mine last year and while it managed fine, comfort dropped noticeably after the first hour. The seat isn't really designed for that kind of distance and neither is the riding posture. So I'd say it's excellent for what most people here are describing, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone specifically planning frequent long tours, there are other options better suited for that even if this wins hands down on running costs and reliability.

divya_autolove

5 Jun

100% agree on the mileage, mine's touched 63 kmpl average over almost 15,000 km now and it hasn't dipped even as the engine has aged, which honestly surprised me. This bike is built for exactly what you're describing, daily commuting and occasional family trips, nothing dramatic. I use mine partly for small delivery runs on weekends and it just doesn't complain, which is more than I can say for some 125s my friends own that need constant fussing. Only thing I'd add is get the chain lubed regularly, mine got noisy once I skipped a couple of services in a row.

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