Before 15 days, i was in dillema which bike to go for.. I was looking for a 125cc good looking macho bike. Well, i used to drive @ 30-40 kmph with pillion but sometimes i want to have a rush even @ 80+kmph speed. So, my criterea was :
1) good look
2) good mileage around 60+.
3) good power
4) comfort
5) low ground clearance and high pick up
6) the bike should run @ 30kmph on its last gear i.e high torque.
7) the most important factor was it should not vibrate @ higher speeds like 70-80kmph.
Keeping the above mind, i short listed 1)bajaj discover 125 st (upcoming bike) 2) suzuki slingshot 3) yamaha ss125 4) honda shine 5) hero honda(not hero as glamour is a hero honda product)
I think bajaj discover 125 st clears all the requirements of mine, it has great look, great mileage and segment highest power. But, the question was upto how much time it can run?? Yes, reliability? I don’t want to discuss more about bajaj as you all know its reliable issue, ,
Then i removed slingshot due to its spareparts issue and also it is not yet established in india, i thought its condition might be like lml in future, so i quit this option. But, it was my 2nd choice due to its look and engine smoothness. But just 2 dafore i purchase my bike 2 slingshot owner changed my mind by telling its floctuation in fuel efficiency and one told that its giving 35-40 kmpl in city.
Yamaha ss125, even the delear told me that yamaha is for power racing. Don’t expect fuel efficiency. And also ss125 can’t run @ 30kmph at 5th gear. The dealer rather told me to purchase sz or szr.
Now, honda shine, it has nothing except the smooth engine. It vibrates even @ 50kmph speed. Look is like a old grand paa.. The vibration is due to its vertical engine, which is horizontal in case of glamour. So i quit this machine.
Finally i have one option left hero honda glamour. I was trying to purchase glamour pgmfi, but is costs 10k extra, so i go for glamour.
It has all the qualities i mentioned above: look, comfort, no vibration issue due to horizontal engine and one can ride @ 30kmph in 4th gear. The only question was about mileage, , , but i received a good response about its mileage in the new bikes i.e which are manufactured in 2012. So, i take a risk and purchased it @ rs 59, 200/- on road . With acessories, it became 60k+.
I loaded my tank with rs200 petrol and started my journey bhroom, , bhroom, , , , bhroommm, , ,
I drove until the the bike came for reserve, after 120 km of drive, it asked for reserve. Now i pressed the button on my digital console, which is meant to know how much km you drove in a perticular trip. It makes the trip console to reset from 0. Then i put rs30 petrol, and tried to know how much km it runs? I was shocked when i find its giving 75 mileage with a pillion rider and at a speed of 30kmph on highway . Believe me i am telling you the truth. Its giving around 75 kmpl mileage. Then i checked the mileage several times by puting rs 30, rs 40 petrols and everytime i got 75-80 kmpl mileage. I was totally surprised how a 125cc engine with descent power can give such a high mileage.
Then during my 1st servicing @ 600 km, i shared my experience with the mechanic, i was little bit upset because i was in doubt whether this high mileage may impact the engine. So i querried the same and the mechanic told me that, your bike is in proper tuning, bcz it is not stops when he used the clautch after starting the machine. He also assured me that, the new bikes are giving superb mileage. So i became happy and came to home. Then i also cheked the mileage many times, and found it to be 75-80kmpl. I am totally satisfied with its performance. Yes, one thing i want to share that, i drove all the distance within 40kmph speed . Its engine becomes butter smooth @ 40kmph speed. It has a good look, digital console and superb mileage and all in a price of less than that of honda shine. I am quite happy for my decession. :)
Thanks for reading my review :)
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Update : after 4000 km run...
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Yesterday my odometer crossed 4000 km barrier, in between i have already completed my 2nd servicing @ 2400 km. I am waiting for my 3rd service @ 4400 km which will fall within next 2 weeks. Before that, i want to share an interesting fact about my bike. I used to drive my bike @ 40 kmph speed and most of the time i drive on highways, so i used to extract a mileage of 72kmpl . Few days back, an incident happened with me. While returning to my home from my office through a bus, i forget my bag (with laptop) in the bus. When i reached @ home,
I remembered about the bag. Then i along with my younger brother drove towards the bus stand with my glamour. When we reached @ the stand, the bus had left for its destination (it was a long route bus) to a long distance. Then we querried about the contact number of the bus conductor at the ticket counter of the bus. Then we contacted the conductor immidiately, he asked us many questions on the bag like, where u had kept it? Which color? What was written over it? And finally he told us that, yes, your bag is in the bus.
Then i requested him to wait for me for sometime, in that time i will reach @ you. Then he told me that, passengers will oppose me if i will stay at anywhere. Then i requested him to plz stay for at least 10 minutes, within that time i will reach @ you through another shortcut way. I also asked him to give him rs.500 /- to wait for me. Then he agreed. And we started our journey to that location, my younger bro was driving the vehicle, i was sitting in the back seat. He was driving at 80kmph speed , i had never crossed 50kmph speed before, but anyways we have to reach at that place as soon as possible. While we were going, the conductor was calling us and asking us to come first otherwie i will leave.. Finally we reached at the place and collected the bag. The conductor and also the passengers denied to take money from me, but i forced him to take rs.100 /-. Then we left from the place with my laptop. Now the thing is that, while my brother was driving my glamour @ 80kmph speed, the engine was butter smooth, no vibration at all . Well, the mileage was decreased at that speed, i think it was something around 50kmpl . Although, this experience was a nightmare for me but in the same time i am quite happy that,
My bike can roar @ 80kmph speed without any vibration and engine sound. So, it helped me to understand my bike more. I am really quite happy about the performance of this machine. Well, after that, i started my driving @ 40kmph speed on highways and surprisingly it gave me a good figure of 72+ kmpl mileage as before. So i am quite happy now. My engine is butter smooth even now. One thing i can remember, while testdriving honda shine, the machine was vibrating just @ a speed of 50kmph but my engine has no vibration issue even @ 80kmph speed.. So, cheers.
In city traffic , it gives a good mileage of around 60 kmpl, which is very much good if we consider the power, comfort and style of the bike. Afterall, its a 125cc bike not a 110cc or 100cc bike. About mileage @ 80kmph, it was around 50 kmpl, but @ such a high speed any machine will deliver this much mileage maximum. Even 150 cc honda, yamaha or bajaj pulsar bikes will give this mileage @ 80 kmph speed. So, i am quite happy about its performance.
Hope my bike will give me consistent pleasure over years.
Thanks