Dear Friends,
The HH Passion Plus is one of the tried and tested bikes from the Hero Honda stables...
Amidst many bouquets and more brickbats, the passion has steadily increased its market base over the years.. So much so that now, if one goes to a HH showroom, the only biek of which one would see more is its cousin the splendor +
Sporting the same 100cc engine as the splendor plus, the passion improves marginally over the splendor +
I now list out all the details as per my view....
Engine : The engine leaves little space for crticism... Although many people have termed the ancient technology and a load of other things, the engine is still very reliable delivering the usual Hero Honda performance of steady reliability... Yes, it is not powerful, as one can’t expect too much power from a small mill, but people have ridden that very engine for years and years and had absolutely no complaints... The only one being that the engine heats up a little too quickly....
Gearbox : The gearbox of the passion is smooth and easy to use with a heel and toe all up mechanism... One rarely has a problem of false neutrals though the time before services can make the gear shift a little stiff...
Mileage : The mileage of the Passion + is just a shade lower than its cousin the Splendor + though this is justified as the ride is a tad better... In any case the Passion gives a very regular 60-65 when ridden in normal conditions with little engine strain
Riding comfort : The riding comfort of the Passion + is reasonable though at times it can eb a bit stiff... The slightly wide seat makes for better space when considering two largish people... The suspension can be nice and soft with a pillion sitting and makes for good riding comfort on long rides....
Braking : This department in the Passion + leaves a little to be desired... The Passion was briefly introduced with discs but stopped cause the grip was not good enough for disc brakes... The tires on the passion + are a little thin and HH would do well to have a slightly broader rear tire so as to reduce the sliding chances of a Passion...
Finish : Initially upon introduction, the Passion + had a few issues with the fading of paint with time... HH has rectified that (to my knowledge) though it still does leave a bit to be desired... My advice to new buyers is, go in for a metallic or black finish as the other colours tend to fade easily...
Handling : The handling of the Passion + is very good with a good riding position... On long drive, the Passion + is pretty comfortable, leaving little cause for backaches... Addition of alloy wheels to the passion is an unnecessary extravagant expense as it only enhances the looks and hardly makea difference to the handling....
Well people, I would definitely recommend new buyers to get this bike of all 100cc segment bikes as its reliability is legendary... And the service network of HH is good with well trained mechanics...
The only thing missing in this bike is an electric start... If HH adds this simple little extra, its buyers will really love it, as in city traffic one does tend to spend a good amount of time at signals... especially in cities like Bangalore where I stay...