Hero Honda Glamour

Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin !

Hero Honda (HH) have learnt their lesson well ! While it took more than a year for Plain Jane Jassi to morph into hot stuff Jassi, HH shortened the morphing period of their Plain Jane (old Jassi) 125 cc Super Splendor, and launched their new GLAMOURous Jassi within just couple of months !

I have done a 600 km, full-speed, full-load (double seat) test on Super Splendor from Pune to Dabhol and back, as well as done my standard fuel economy test on it. Note that Super Splendor and Glamour are exactly the same bike with different looks, just like old Jassi and new Jassi is the same woman with different looks !

On this full speed (80-90 kph speed as much as possible), full load (155 kg==double seat on each bike), Dabhol Test Ride, in addition to Super Splendor (==same as Glamour), there were three other bikes: Fiero F2, Pulsar 150 DTSi and TVS Star Deluxe. Measured on a tankfull-to-tankfull basis, all these four bikes gave mileage between 40 and 45 kmpL, which is normal under these conditions. The bike performed very well, pulled very well and showed excellent road behaviour. Headlight beam quality could be better.

Glamour is powered by the same 125 cc Super Splendor engine having bore x stroke of 52.4 mm x 57.8 mm, which produces NINE bhp at 7000 rpm and develops max. 10.35 Nm of Torque at 4000 rpm at a compression ratio of 9.1. The max torque at such low (4000) rpm, and the long-stroke (stroke/bore ratio==1.10) gives this bike excellent Low End characteristics, which means minimum gear changing in city traffic as well as excellent mileage / average in city traffic, even riding double seat. Between these two, apart from different looks, the only apparently visible technical difference is in rear tyre thickness, which is 2.75 in Super Splendor and 3.oo in Glamour, Same as between the 100 cc HH models Splendor and Passion. One can say that relation between Super Splendor and Glamour is the same as between old Splendor and Passion.

Other notable differences between the two is that Glamour has a 13.6 litre fuel tank and 240 mm disc brake, while Super Splendor has a 12 litre tank and a 215 mm disc.

My standard fuel economy tests on Super Splendor, riding single seat (my weight=62 kg), using ordinary cheapest green petrol, gave the following results. Since Glamour has the same engine, gears and cycle parts, it will also give the same mileage as above. Difference due to thicker rear tyre and 5 kg heavier weight of Glamour if any, will be negligible.

Version to version, Glamour is @ Rs.2,800/- more expensive than Super Splendor. On road Pune prices of various versions of Glamour (including RTO & insurance) on 1.August, 2005 are as follows:

1>Drum brakes

+Kick start==Rs.49,326/-.

2>Drum brakes+Self start==Rs.51,592/-

3>Front disc brake+Kick start==Rs.51.516/-

4>Front disc brake+Self start==Rs.53,789/-