The Hero Glamour 125 was one among the three bikes unveiled at the Hero World 2020 event. This model has been made new from ground-up and features a new 5-speed transmission, a first for the brand in the 125cc category. This is a segment that consists of some pretty popular motorcycles, like the Bajaj Pulsar 125 and Honda's SP 125. Hero has been burning the midnight oil with this one, and it can be seen, for it gets a new BS6-compliant engine and a new gearbox. You also get a whole lot of features that should help it take the fight to its rivals. Ever since its launch many years ago, it has been known to offer great mileage, a good design and above all, practicality. We tell you what's important about this model.
Commuter looks?
While it may share design cues with the motorcycle it replaces, the new Hero Glamour 125 certainly looks sportier and younger after having restyled some of its panels. The dual-tone colour theme remains along with the chequered flag graphics, but the graphics are more liberally used. The headlamp too, has been redesigned and the 'H' pattern that forms the tail light cluster looks pretty cool. What also enhances the appearance of the bike is the shape of the fuel tank. It even sports red suspension springs at the rear and we like the five-spoke alloy wheels. Hero Bikes offer the Glamour 125 in four colour options. The bike looks like it's made to appeal to a younger generation now. The digital/analogue instrument cluster features an identical layout but does include some subtle changes. The deep blue colour for the backlight is new, and there's a display that shows real-time fuel efficiency.
125 makes all the difference
The Hero Glamour 125 is powered by a 124.7cc, single-cylinder engine, producing 10.7bhp and 10.6Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed gearbox and comes with fuel-injection. The bike is also quicker in terms of acceleration, making performance its forte. The Glamour features the i3S start-stop system and Auto Sail. While the former functions by starting the engine when you pull the clutch in neutral, the latter lets the bike creep forward in traffic. At high speeds, the engine never felt strained, so keeping it at around 85kph wasn't much of an issue. However, its Honda equivalent feels smoother. Also, we really like how the exhaust sounds. In terms of fuel efficiency, this bike can deliver up to 60kpl in the city, which is remarkable. Power delivery is smooth and mid-range performance impresses. We were happy to note that throttle response is good and the light clutch, along with the slick gearbox, makes riding it in the city an easy affair. Mild vibrations tend to filter through post 50kph and the motor gets rather loud at 100kph.
The Hero Glamour features an all-new, lightweight diamond frame; the suspension has a bit more travel but feels a bit firm at times, particularly over sharp ruts and pot holes. We think a pillion on-board should help sort out the firmness. However, this also means the bike strikes a perfect balance between ride and handling. The bike handles with confidence and gets a 240mm disc up-front and a 130 drum brake at the rear. The brakes bite well but there's no ABS.
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The final conclusion
The new Hero Glamour is sold in two variants: one with a disc brake up-ahead, and the other, with a drum brake. The new model obviously gets priced over the BS4 model, and it manages to undercut the Pulsar 125 on this front. Do bear in mind that, at the price it is being sold, it really does offer you good features and refinement. Like all its other products, Hero has a done a great job with the Glamour 125; it feels like a huge step-up from the bike it replaces and has sufficient grunt for regular commutes. By and large, the Glamour is a very competent product, and with its stylish new look, youngsters who can't afford splurging on a KTM should definitely consider this as a great bike to start with. It's an honest-to-goodness motorcycle, but once again, if you live in city full of road undulations, this may turn out to be a little uncomfortable
