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Talking to the people behind a product is always a fascinating exercise, and inevitably you stumble upon information that makes you see things in a new light. One such nugget was revealed to BW while at the unveiling of the Duet 125 and Maestro Edge 125 – if you want to compete in the 100/110cc scooter segment, you’re going to have to go up against many brands, and some of them are giants. However, if you look a little bit up the displacement ladder at the 125cc scooter segment, there are only one or two brands. Therefore, entering the premium displacement scooter segment is an easier entry to the buyers’ consciousness. Hence the surge in 125cc scooter unveils and launches, and hence the Duet 125 and Maestro 125. The Maestro Edge 125 has possibly the longest list of features we’ve seen yet on a scooter… but we’re now getting used to that from Hero Motocorp, because waiting in the wings was also the Xpulse 200. While most Impulse owners are hoping that it is to the Impulse what the Maestro Edge 125 is to the Maestro Edge, it isn’t an all-out off-road motorcycle. This means it will be more accessible to a wider audience.
The rest of the stall had the rest of the Hero range on display, with cosmetic updates for 2018 on those products that didn’t get them so far. The motto for Hero is clear: it already has the commuter segment firmly in the bag, but needs to keep growing, and market growth will now come from the higher displacement segments, so that’s where it is headed as well: upward.
