CHANGE, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. Review on Hero Honda Super Splendor

Hi Folks,

I am giving below my never forgettable experiences with HERO HONDA SUPER SPLENDOR, which I have owned for a brief 5 months.

Day – 1. Took delivery. The Battery Fuse connection was missing. The mechanic “repaired” the same and delivered the vehicle. Paint on the frame portion near the Chassis number was already peeling off! I wondered if I was really buying a new bike.

A few days later ... No, the bike was not even 1 month old. Had 2 punctures in a row. While the first one was due to a genuine reason (picked up a nail which went right through), the second was un-believable. Went over a pothole (a bit of a hard one, I should say) and the Valve of the rear tyre cut into the tube (never saw that happen in earlier instances – been driving bikes from the past 4-5 years). The result – had to replace the tube itself. When the mechanic dismantled the rear wheel, it was at this time that I noticed the poor quality of the rubber pads inside the drum. Not to mention about the tube itself. At this juncture, I would like to compare similar parts of TVS VICTOR. These are, by comparison truly excellent and of very good quality. Take note that I had VICTOR earlier and drove it for over 38,000 KMS without a single instance of replacement of the tyre and tube. Only a few punctures spaced reasonably far in between.

A few months later … The “SARVA-GUNA-SAMPANNA” showed its true colors. The bike does not appear to be steady even at moderate speeds of around 60 KMPH. It sort of sways to the sides and it does take a good deal of effort to keep it steady. Another “feature” of the bike is that it slips on the slightest occasions. The bike skid on 3 occasions within 3 weeks, when both the brakes (front and rear) were applied simultaneously (as per my usual driving practice). No, it can’t be the rider’s fault on all three occasions. From what little I understand about motorcycles, I guess this has more to do with the equilibrium and centre of gravity of the “SUPER SPLENDOR”. This is something that HERO HONDA R&D Unit MUST revisit. Again, my experience with TVS VICTOR over the 38,000 KMS across 3 years was 100% accident free.

No, I am not a die-hard fan of TVS. I do respect their bikes. But this is my fair evaluation of the performance of the “SUPER SPLENDOR”. I have taken TVS VICTOR for comparison purpose, for the only reason that I had owned it earlier.

So, what did I do, with my 5-month old “SARVA-GUNA-SAMPANNA” bike?

Simple. I sold off the bike (albeit at a loss) and brought a new one (no, none of the HERO HONDA Models. They are not my cup of tea).

So, What do YOU want to do?...............