Update:December 2015:- My splendor completes 10 years. Its disadvantages are not disadvantages anymore. Sucha a marvellous piece of machine. Its design was never outdated one but an evergreen one. The seat was OK even though a small one. You will get used to it for sure. Silencer guard was not a necessity. Headlight focus could have been altered to make it brighter.
Only two names can be associated with the Hero Honda brand; CD100- the retired legend and Splendor- the living legend.
Today I don’t know which showroom do I walk-in in order to get a machine like this - The Hero showroom or the Honda showroom?
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Original Review:-
My splendor is 5 years old. The positive side of the bike is that it is reliable, low maintenance bike.
What I didn’t like in this bike is
1) Narrow Seat: Some splendor owners might argue with me saying that its seat is OK. I have ridden several motorcycles. Splendor has the narrowest seat that a 100cc motorcycle can have. Please have a look at its seat before buying it.
2) NO silencer guard(heat shield): Almost all the motorcycles of the present day have silencer guard. But splendor doesn’t have that. Remember this is one of the costliest 100 cc bikes available in the market. If you keep any luggage on the side hook, it will get heated up and I don’t need to mention what will happen if you keep a plastic bag there. Even the cheapest 100 cc bikes have silencer guard.
3) Poor headlight: The headlight is not very clear for night riding, . I am surprised that it has halogen bulb!
4) Outdated styling: Only splendor owners like me think that it is a stylish bike. Sadly, it is one of the ugliest bikes in 100 cc segment.:(
5) If you are a tall person then don’t even think of buying this bike, Its seat height is about 785 mm. Even entry level bike cd -dawn has a saddle height of 805 mm . Indians are mostly short people, so it wouldn’t matter to many of you but someone like me who is 6 foot tall will feel like hell when I sit on this bike.
This is my honest review after riding it for about 5 years. Don’t think that I am a splendor hater. I like this bike for its reliability and decent mileage.That;s all. If you need a 100 cc Hero Honda bike then go for HH CD DELUXE which has a much better seat and it looks better than splendor and is cheaper than splendor as well.