Expert Reviews on Hero Splendor Pro Classic

We have to say goodbye to our long term café racer a little prematurely. The bike hasn’t been selling well and chances are it will be taken off the market for good. And so, Hero called for it. But, in the time we spent with the Splendor Pro Classic, we learnt two things. First, one doesn’t need large capacity engines and high price tags to make a bike cool.

This month let’s talk fun. It’s a difficult concept, I know, when you consider the motorcycle at hand. It is less than 100cc, doesn’t even make 8.5bhp, and has a top speed that’s nowhere near 100kmph. But, that’s the thing, even with all these shortcomings, the Hero Splendor Pro Classic, is still a fun motorcycle to ride. In fact, it is because of these shortcomings that the Classic is fun. Let me explain.

Okay. So, we did finally fill up the Hero Splendor Pro Classic. And it returned an outstanding 72kmpl! This meant – not considering service cost – I spent less than Rs 1500 on running the café racer over the month; that’s about a rupee a kilometre. Just to get things in perspective, a 150cc motorcycle, generally costs me almost Rs 2500 on fuel alone, in a month. To me then owning and running this café racer – if your commute is as long as mine – is as good a savings plan as any.

It’s not fast. It’s not dynamic. And it doesn’t sell too well either. But, it is a café racer. Not the ton-up type – you need to get some serious slipstreaming to hit 100kmph – but it has a clubman style handlebar, chromed round mirrors, spoked wheels, a single seat, and even a bum-stop. It’s also got round dials (chrome-lined at that) and – for whatever it is worth – classic pin striping on the tank and side panels.

The Hero Splendor Pro Classic, the first ever 100cc Cafe Racer in India has started rolling into dealerships and we are the first to review this motorcycle.