For the family man. Review on Hero Honda Glamour

Styling of Glamour is not one that everyone would appreciate.I have heard several persons telling that it is a very ugly looking bike. On the other hand I have also seen persons say that it is a very good looking bike.I can undoubtedly say that HH Glamour has a very unique design. The earlier versions of Glamour had aerodynamically shaped air pockets on both sides of the head lamp. Hero Honda has replaced that with a panel which looks like a dummy light. It would have been very appealing had they used the space for dual city lights or even the blinkers. Probably they have reserved it for the next upgrade.

Even though HH claims that they have revised the graphics of the bike, the difference is too little for the common man to identify. Bike looks good from the sides, especially when parked using the side stand.I can easily figure out my bike from a distance even when parked among several bikes, due to its tall stance. I liked grooves in the tank as it has sufficient space for my knees. The treatment of the rear portion is simple with neatly designed tail lamps.

3 out of 5 for Styling.

INSTRUMENTATION, LIGHTING, SWITCHES AND PLASTICS

Instrumentation is basic with three dials and the one in the centre, the speedometer, having a chrome ring around it. The console lighting, with its red and black background is noticeably insufficient. At night, one cannot read the trip meter without the help of a street light. HH could have done better by providing a digital display.

I am sure, neither a rabbit nor a year old kid would move if you sound the horn. I had to change the horn to announce my arrival in a much louder manner.

The Headlight is decent and the bright tail light looks good at night. The self start switch is easily the cheapest  you would see on a 100cc+ motorbike in India. It is a pity that Hero Honda does not look into this aspect. The quality of other switches is satisfactory.

Quality of plastics, fit and finish etc. leave a lot to be desired. 6 out of the 10 Glamours I  see on the road have broken tailpieces. As in the case of any other Hero Honda bike, there is a yawning gap between the tailpiece panel and the brake light.

2.5 out of 5 for Instrumentation, Lighting, Switches and Plastics

ENGINE, GEAR BOX AND PERFORMANCE

Glamour has an extremely smooth motor which is excellent for city riding. I have almost forgotten what engine knocking is all about, since the day I purchased this bike. As I used to ride my friend's Honda Shine frequently, I can confidently tell that Glamour is way ahead when it comes to vibration reduction. Shine starts vibrating even at 50 kmph whereas my Glamour stayed vibe-free even at 80kmph. I could learn that this is due to the horizontal positioning of the Quantum Core engine.The clutch feel is quite satisfactory and I don't have anything to comment about it. As I have never been of the opinion that 125 cc bikes should have a 5th gear, I am quite happy to live with the 4 gears she has. Moreover, finding the neutral in my cousin's Apache RTR 180 has always been a herculean task for me. Quality of gear shift is pretty ordinary, as in the case of any other sub 150 cc Hero Honda bike. But as I have been using Splendor since 1999, I am least bothered about tight gear shifts. Nobody can deny the fact that Glamour has good commuting characteristics as it pulls without any hesitation from as low as 20 kph in the 4th gear, without a pillion rider. The engine brake, however, is not as prominent as in other Hero Honda bikes.

Glamour is not sporty if you compare it with slightly higher cubic capacity bikes like Pulsar 135 or Discover 135. It does pick up speed, but  with a little hesitation if you want to ride like a teenager. As the gear ratio has been thoughtfully decided with City riding in minds.  As I ride mostly in the city limits, I have not tested the top speed of the bike.

4 out of 5 for Engine and Performance.

FUEL EFFICIENCY

I have read several reviews in which people have reported very low mileage for Glamour. In spite of that,  I went ahead with the decision to bring her home as I have always seen any Hero Honda as the  " Fill It! Shut It! Forget It! " bike. Till date I have covered close to 3000 kms and done 2 free services during the four months. I have consistently received fuel efficiency of over 60 in Chennai city traffic. It has to be said that I have seldom exceeded speeds of over 50kmph and never indulged in any sudden acceleration or deceleration which kills the mileage. Considering the fact that Glamour is a 125cc bike, these figures are pretty much acceptable( I do agree that Unicorn or Suzuki GS150 also give similar figures). During a period when I used to commute at night when traffic, and of course stops at signals were very less, I got a stunning figure of 75kmpl. I strongly believe that if she is taken care of properly, would not disappoint her master in this aspect.

4.5 out of 5 for Fuel Efficiency

RIDE QUALITY AND HANDLING

Glamour has a very comfortable riding position and offers a very decent ride. The soft seat is not good for long rides and is likely to ache your back very easily. The front and rear suspensions are average.The drum brakes lack bite and I very badly miss a front disk. Bike easily loses its poise when subjected to hard or panic braking and hence falls behind in the braking department. I had a couple of close shaves  when the vehicle in the front applied the brake suddenly, but managed to escape without kissing mother earth.

I reserve my comments regarding the quality of tyres provided.  In the 4 months of my ownership, I have already met with two punctures and tube changes. It would have been much better had HH provided puncture resistant tyres as in its rival Honda Shine. As I am not very confident about my bike's tyres, I have not dared to test its cornering abilities.

3.5 out of 5 for Ride Quality and Handling

Overall 17.5/25= 70%, which is good.

To sum it up, this bike is not the one if you are looking at it from a performance pespective. This is an excellent commuter bike for the family man or a no nonsense kind of a guy. If you are looking forward to own a Glamour, go ahead with your decision if you have good riding habits and know to maintain your bike very well.

12000 kms UPDATE

My bike crossed 12000 kms in the 12th month of ownership. I have completed all 6 free services and still do not have anything to complain about the bike. The smoothness of the engine has increased, engine sound is hardly audible at city speeds and the gearshifts have become better. The best part since the day I bought this bike has been the remarkable fuel efficiency. With the petrol prices rocketing, I have been on a research to improve the fuel efficiency. I have made several adjustments to my riding style, which has started to give me rich dividends. Nowadays I consistently get a mileage of 80 kmpl in Chennai city traffic. I have kept it a policy that I fill petrol only from Bharath Petroleum outlets, and of course, only from outlets well known to me. I shall share my experiments to improve the fuel efficiency in a separate article. The only regret I have in a year's ownership is that I did not go for the PGM-FI version of Glamour.

36000 kms UPDATE

I have covered 36000 kms in 4 years. The highlight still is the stunning mileage which remains consistent at 85 kmpl. The lowlights are the plastics. The rear cowl has broken on its own in spite of the fact that my bike has never fallen or met with an accident. It still is running on the stock lights and tyres.