
Now, we might not be at the Owners Club for the classic cars, but we are certainly here for that circuit. Not the ideal place to test out a commuter we agree, not with its large cushy seat, its tall handlebar, and rider footpegs which are neutrally positioned instead of being rearset. Cornering clearance then might be an issue.
And it is, but not as much as we were expecting. In fact, the new Glamour 125 performed way above our expectations on the track. The new weight bias makes it great at turn in and to get it upright at corner exists. It has light steering, and the MRF tyres our test bikes were running - though narrow - offered plenty of grip in the dry. The only limiting factor then were the grounding footpeg feelers. These seem to scrape the tarmac a lot sooner than the bike's handling capabilities.

But, that's not the point of the Glamour, now is it. So, here's what we deduced from our time on the track. Given its chuckable nature, the new Glamour should be effortless to tackle city traffic with. The muted vibrations, the comfy seat, and the upright seating which never got uncomfortable or tiring even after an hour of riding on the track, should make it wonderful to spend long commuting hours in. The brakes meanwhile have good bite and decent progression. Add to it the light clutch and throttle action, and new-age commuters should feel right at home on this one.
The new Hero Glamour 125 will be in showrooms in March. And we expect it to be priced similar to the current bike, give and take a few thousands; it will replace the existing bike after all. As first impressions go, the new Glamour 125 comes across as a sweet and easy to ride bike that should fit its purpose of easy, comfy and efficient commuting to the tee. Our final verdict however will have to wait till we ride it in India, on our roads.

Photography by Vikrant Singh