Dear friends, as a satisfied owner of Hero Honda Splendor I felt obligated to write a few good words in this forum which many of us visit before making a ‘buy’ or ‘no’ decision. I bought my Splendor in March 2000 in Bangalore and since then it has been delivering a loyal service to me all along. My riding experience on it has been nothing short of pure pleasure. In eleven years it has done 75000+ KM and still going strong. It is still surprisingly impeccable and I am amazed how every time the engine starts on the first kick. It has never failed me – even when riding on roads that are knee deep water-clogged due to heavy rains – what else can one expect from a bike?
Hero Hondas have long life. We can still see CD 100SS models on road. I don’t think we can get to see any other brand bikes that old. Engine is from Honda and spares are from Hero’s affiliate companies. Hero Honda supplies spare parts to Honda’s own bikes too. In these many years I have had to replace some small parts here and there but nothing major. Spare parts are not very expensive either. Many other companies also produce spare parts but one needs to be choosy. Hero Honda service centers are aplenty all over India. This relieves owners because they can take their bikes for servicing any time, unlike some other brands which demand advance booking. I guess that’s why Hero Honda is Number One.
Having said these, there are some cons though: as far mileage, it doesn’t deliver the promised 75 kmpl, but gives 50+ which is also decent enough. Secondly, owing to thin tyre widths the bike loses stability on wet roads and needs to be considerably slowed down. And finally, the shock absorbers of Splendor are of average quality. Riding it over many years may lead to developing lower back pain. Even a TVS Scooty is much better in handling shocks. So perhaps Splendor is not suited for aged(say 35+) people who travel a lot. Gas charged shock absorbers are the best but as of now they are available only in 150+cc segment bikes.
All in all, Splendor is an excellent bike with great value for money. It is a very successful product, and Hero Honda loves it so much that it has released many versions of it such as Super Splendor, Splendor Plus, Splendor NXG and so on. They all essentially have the same engine and gear box with minor modifications and enhancements. If you are planning to buy one, go ahead. Rest assured that you will not regret and will greatly enjoy for years to come.