I’d my first experience at automobiles when I was in Std. X at 16 yrs. of age. I bought Hero Puch Shakti( Automatic) so that I can reach school and my tutions on time. After 3 yrs. of using the moped, I have come to the following conclusions which I suppose will be of help to all prospective moped buyers:
1.Mileage
Puch gives a very decent milage of around 60 kmpl on single riding and 55 kmpl on pillion riding. The mileage claimed by the company of 80 kmpl is under ideal conditions and it will be naive to expect such mileage. Some precautions to improve mileage are switch off the petrol when not needed, correct air pressure in tyres and general maintenance of the moped.
2.Maintenance
The bike needs servicing at least twice a year. Being a Hero product it has service centres all over India. So, servicing is not a problem. It is a 64cc. bike so one should handle it carefully. Proper handling increases the time gap between servicings by 2-3 months.
3.Looks
If looks are your primary concern then Hero Puch has much better looks than TVS or Kinetic mopeds but it definitely lags behind scooterettes. TVS scooty has much better looks. But, in moped segment Hero Puch is the best.
4.Overall Analysis
Overall my experience with this bike has been more than satisfactory. The comfort of this moped is not much but it promises trouble free riding.
Hero Puch is ideal for student commuters as also for poor sections of the society. Priced at around Rs.20000, it is easily accessible to all. It’s small design adds to it’s value as it can be parked in a very small space.
Hero Puch comes mainly in three colours, blue, red and Black. I had the blue one. The colour is of metallic type and doesn’t get spoilt easily. In fact is cleaned once in a month the bike can look new for may be 5 yrs. at stretch.
The Drawbacks
There are some drawbacks of this moped.
A. After 1 yr. of use it makes a strange rattling noise which no amount of servicing can cure.
B. The spare parts are expensive and are available only at authorised service stations.
C. Compared to other mopeds it is a little sophisticated and your local garage will not be able to mend any faults. The bike has to be taken to service stations.
D. It is not at all comfortable. The comfort level is 0. But in comparison to other mopeds it’s good.
E. It’s only a 64 cc bike and if you are a little obese, this bike is definitely not meant for you.
Conclusion
My 3 yrs. of experience has proved that, as my friend had said earlier, this is definitely a poor man’s bike, fill it, shut it and forget it. This bike is ideal for students from smaller cities and towns. It performs great in traffic jams and......
Use it for a while and you’ll fall in love with it.