Hero Splendor — L M TRAIL : It starts on the morning busiest hours in Karnal and proclaims an orchestra of honking horns, last gear swapping and the city has a restless energy about them to wake up to their chores.
42 year old government clerk Rajesh Kumar balances through the congested lanes with a Hero Splendor Plus, the bike he has been using for over 3 years on its narrow lane life in this urban jungle.
I RIDE A SPLENDOR (My father rode a Splendour, I ride a Splendour and perhaps my son will too as he laughs, hanging the Hero Splendor Plus on its peg in front of a tiny chai stall for its morning cuppa and the commute to office.
The Moto I – while sounding like a trite statement, it is vital to anyone caught in India’s ever changing automotive landscape describing the Hero Splendor as something larger than just a bike — an institution ingrained into generations.
The Cost of Daily Transport
If you know the true cost of every rupee saved, the value proposition of Hero Splendor starts with your registration and it goes much much beyond showing in garage.
Priced from just around₹74,932 (for basic) to almost ₹86,107 as a high-spec Xtec, the Splendor therefore offers one of the most economical first steps into powered personal transportation.
“None of the models come close, when I did a full total ownership cost comparison of all the cars,” Vikram Singh a personal finance financial analyst for the middle class offers Vik
2025 updates — not going anywhere in 20 years defaulting
The 2025 lineup of Hero Splendor serves as excellent example to the evolution managed by manufacturer not abandoning his roots — introducing some real improvements while ensuring key attributes that make the brand the same.
Particularly a 2025 OBD2B compliance across all variants in the wake of bloating emission standards but plugging the legendary fuel efficiency that Honda has been known for.
“I know that generally stringent emission norms are not met, but by some miracle Hero’s engineers just got their heads together and mileage figures either remain the same or increase a bit, as emissions come down ” says automotive journalist Rahul Mehra.
The improved XSens technology with 10 sensors that calibrate the air-fuel ratio based on riding conditions in near real-time, reinforcing that the manual Splendor is not an airbox box-plug-in burger courtesy of a simplistic looking machine.
Ownership Experience – Beyond the specifications
Data sheets and technical specifications do not tell the full coverage of the story that Splendor is, the lived Experience of Ownership throws up other finer advantages which may not always be featured in a marketing brochure.
One of the first things a new Splendor owner realizes is how nimble and rider-friendly it is, according to Priya Verma — motorcycle riding instructor in Delhi who teaches women.
Among the key features that make it easy for all size and state of riding a bike, she mentions the bike height of only 785mm and an easy weight around a mere 112kg.
With its easy nature of upright riding style and true ergonomics you can go for long hours without getting tired, which further adds stability with the level-loaded chassis.
“I can ride the splendor all day long without any pain unlike many premium bikes which put you into an unnatural posture and it starts hurting after just 30 minutes for me,” says Rajesh Kumar, who saunters the longer weekend road trips to his naboing district family in another bike from time to time.
The Competition: Features vs. Proven Value
2025, 100cc commuter segment: lots of choices including new features that hint at slicker competition from below o make some buyers abandon the undisputed market leader Splendor.
Attracting with models such as the Shine 100 of Honda, TVS Radeon and Bajaj CTL110 has certainly created good alternatives through their features (mostly related to more modern styling or additional options).
“As I believe that “competitors” often comes with contemporary design or their feature list at same price range,” motorcycle dealer Sanjay Garg mentions who sells across brands in his showroom Karnal.
And though ordered as such, he points out that the Splendor still trounces its competition on a largescale anywhere in most parts of India marginably.
“The Splendor has an upper hand once customers pick up on their long-term ownership costs, and not just only the features list or list price,” he concludes.
Real World Testing: Monsoon Challenge
It would not be the theory and specifications who tell a man the character of product but real application in hard conditions shows a genuine.
In 2024 Mehra a Car Scene auto journalist went in to a rich comparative study of the then-new Splendor Plus vs three mainstream commuters on motorcycle during rainy conditions [waterlogured roads &potholed highways] those performed during the monsoon season.
“As testing the bikes in the worst Indian conditions Indian commuters ride everyday— heavy rain flooded roads and water soaked bikes mechanics,” as he figures.
This test lasted two weeks and used the routes intentionally difficult to simulate a typical day in a commute; evaluating everything fuel efficiency, reliability and rider comfort.
“Mehra writes: “The Splendor showed why it was, for decades, unquestionably top dog: the car maintained near-90% of its regular fuel mileage under these conditions.
Future-Proofing: The Splendor in a Changing Market
As India’s automotive market gradually shifts toward electrification and increasingly stringent emission standards, questions naturally arise about how long the Splendor’s conventional internal combustion platform can remain relevant.
“We’re developing options for all future scenarios,” states Anand Sharma, a regional manager for Hero MotoCorp who spoke at a recent dealer conference.
He hints at ongoing research into alternative powertrains while emphasizing the company’s commitment to its core products.
Industry analysts predict that the transition to electric two-wheelers will progress more gradually in the commuter segment than in premium categories, with price sensitivity and charging infrastructure limitations presenting significant barriers to adoption.
