February 2013 – Mileage Reviews

Hero Glamour vs. Hero Glamour PGM FI

The Glamour has been one of Hero Motocorp’s highly visible motorbike brands. The Glamour is a 125cc 4 stroke engine bike that comes in two variants – one with the advanced microprocessor based ignition system and the other PGM FI model that comes with a full transistorized fuel injection technology ignition. Fuel injection is a much more efficient way to burn gas and as a result of this, the latter variant can offer a better fuel efficiency compared to the former. This increase in efficiency comes at a cost though – the Hero Glamour is priced at Rs.52525 ex-Delhi while the PGM FI comes at a price of Rs.61650 ex-Delhi.

Tech Specs

Before we compare the fuel consumption of both the bikes, let’s look into the specifications and features both these bikes have to offer. The Glamour has a 124.7cc engine while the PGM FI has a 124.8cc engine. Both bikes deliver a max power of 9.1PS @ 7000 RPM with a corresponding max torque of 10.35Nm at 4000 RPM. Except for the ignition system, most of the other specifications are comparable. The bikes weigh around 125kg on dry mass with the kick-start variant while the self-start variants weigh around 129kg. The fuel tanks have a capacity of 12 liters with an additional 1.5 liters in the reserve.

Fuel Efficiency Comparison

Let us now look at how both these bikes compare with respect to their fuel efficiency. According to Hero Motocorp, the PGM FI is built with a technology that offers a more optimal fuel consumption system that will ensure the mileage offered is better than what is delivered by Hero Glamour. So that’s a given. What needs to be seen now is how much better is the PGM FI compared to the Glamour to see if this justifies the extra cost of the bike.

Let us start with the review on MaxAbout. The site notes that the latest variant of the PGM FI has these tinted visor with sleek cowl that make it that much more alluring. As for the mileage, the PGM FI is reported to be offering 5-6 kmpl more than the 60-65 kmpl offered on the Hero Glamour.

BikeAdvice is not happy about the graphics and the power output from the engine. However, on the mileage front, the Glamour FI makes every bit of justice to the additional price. According to the review, teh Glamour FI could deliver close to 75kmpl on city roads which is way more than the 50-60 kmpl offered by Hero Glamour.

MouthShut, the popular user reviews site has had mixed reviews of the Glamour FI. While some reviewers are extremely happy with the 70-80 kmpl mileage they have noted on their bike, others report a paltry 40-55 kmpl. With the Hero Glamour, the reviewers on MouthShut report between 60-70 kmpl of fuel consumption.

There have been other reviews too. For Hero Glamour, the Infibeam reports a mileage of around 55.2 kmpl. For the Hero Glamour FI, we have BikeDekho that reports around 60 kmpl of fuel economy. Again, IndiaGarage, a bikers forum reports between 60-65 kmpl which is good but not as great as what a few other reviews have made the bike to be.

Here is a tabulated list of fuel consumption as reported by various news sources:

Source	Hero Glamour	Hero Glamour PGM FI	Difference in kmpl
Official	81.1	81.1	—
MaxAbout	60-65	65-70	5
BikeDekho	–	60	—
BikeAdvice	50-60	75	15
Infibeam	55.2	–	—
MouthShut	60-70	40-55 / 70-80	10
IndiaGarage	–	60-65	—

Should you go for the PGM FI?

Technically, the fuel injection based Glamour should offer a better mileage. This is because fuel injection atomizes fuel and outputs a better air fuel mix to the engine. This should increase both the power and fuel economy by around 5-10%. From our review of mileages from various sources, we see that the PGM FI on an average increases the mileage by around 10 kmpl.

To be on the conservative side, let us assume 6kmpl to be the average gain in mileage going for the Glamour FI. Let’s now see how long it takes to recover the additional cost of the bike from these savings.

Average cost of Petrol/liter	Rs. 75
Additional cost of the PGM FI bike	Rs. 9125
Increase in distance covered from 1 liter of petrol	6km
Avg mileage on Hero Glamour	60kmpl
Savings on every liter of petrol	6/60*75= Rs. 7.5
Fuel taken to recover additional cost of bike	9125/7.5 = 1216 liters

So by the time you fuel 1216 liters of petrol, you have recovered the additional cost spent on the Glamour FI. 1216 liters contributes close to 72,000 kilometers. So if you are someone who is going to travel so much with the bike, you should be definitely going for this bike. In any case, better fuel consumption is good for the environment and so it’s always good to go for a bike that offers better mileage although it comes with a cost.

So what would you be going for?

Hero Hunk Vs. Suzuki GS150R

It’s been a while since we discussed 150cc bikes. So let’s get back to where the heart is. Today we will compare two bikes that have both been around for a good 4-5 years now and are both popular among people seeking 150cc motorcycles.

The Hero Hunk was first launched back in 2007 and is one of the most masculine bikes around. Weighing 146kgs, this is heavier than most bikes in the market. Of course, a reason this is the case is also because the Indian market is full of entry level 100cc+ bikes. The GS150R on the other hand, is more of a traditional variety and focuses on the functionality aspects – it gives you mileage and power at the same time. NDTV conferred the GS150R with the ‘Motorcycle of the year award’ in the year after its launch. So without mnuch ado, let’s look up the tech specs of both the bikes.

Tech Specs Comparison

Both the Hunk and GS150R are known for their power. The Hunk delivers a max power of 14.4PS while the GS150R offers a slightly lower power of 14PS which is nothing to scoff at either. The torque is good to from both bikes. The Hunk delivers 12.8 Nm @6500 rpm while the GS150R can deliver 13.4Nm @6000 rpm. Let’s look at the other specs as well in a side-by-side comparison chart.

Specification	Hero Hunk	Suzuki GS150R
Displacement	149.2cc	149.5cc
Max Power	14.4PS @8500	14PS @8500
Max Torque	12.8Nm @6500	13.4Nm @6000
Wheelbase	1325mm	1335mm
Ground Clearance	145mm	160mm
Kerb mass	146kg	149kg
Fuel tank	12.4 liters	15.5 liters
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 66125	Rs. 72457

Most of the specs are comparable among the two bikes. However, the GS150R has slightly higher power and weighs slightly more than the Hunk. So gut feel tells me that the Hunk could deliver a slightly higher mileage than the GS150R given similar engines. However, like many times in the past, I could be wrong on this. Let’s look compare the mileages from both these bikes to see how it goes.

Fuel Consumption Reviews

The Hero Hunk is built with a low friction core-2 engine and the ignitition system is microprocessor controlled that effectively helps optimize fuel usage. According to the manufacturers, the Hunk will deliver 65.1 kmpl under standard testing conditions. Suzuki does not have similar tall claims on its 150cc bike though. They say the GS150R could offer a mileage of around 55.7kmpl under standard conditions. Do note that standard testing conditions are vastly different from regular city roads and so you should be seeing much lower fuel efficiency in your everyday commute.

The city performance of bikes are pretty different from official claims. So before we conclude the Hunk as the winner in this fuel economy contest, let us look deeper into what the reviewers have got to say about the two bikes in their city road tests.

First up, the Hunk. We looked at seven different sources. Both Wheelmela and IndiaMart report an economy of around 53kmpl on city roads. Three of the reviewers claim a figure of under 50. While IndianDrives claims 47.2kmpl from their test ride, ProdEase report 49.1 kmpl. We looked at the claims from actual customers on the BikeAdvice forum and the reported numbers consistently falls in the 45-50 kmpl range. This is also matched by customer reviews on MouthShut where the reported number falls in the 45-55kmpl range. The best review is offered by MaxAbout who report a city road economy of between 52-58kmpl on the Hero Hunk.

Let’s now look at the Suzuki GS150R. There are again seven sources we looked at. Both IndiAuto and MotorBeam report a fuel consumption of between 45-50 kmpl. The xBHP forum has a much wider base of reported numbers with the figure lying between 40-56 kmpl. MaxAbout which reported a 52+ kmpl figure on the Hunk reports only around 48kmpl on the GS150R. The reviewers on MouthShut have been more consistent with this bike reporting between 48-52kmpl on their bikes. The highest reported figure comes from Olx customers who report a number between 50-65kmpl. This is however a number that I will take with a pinch of salt considering that Olx is a classifieds site where customers will put up a pretty rosy picture for their bikes just so they elicit more response from potential buyers.

Here’s a comparison chart of mileages as reported by various sources

Source	Hero Hunk	Suzuki GS150R
Official	65.1	55.7
IndianDrives	47.2	—
MaxAbout	52-58	48
WheelMela	53	—
IndiaMart	53	—
ProdEase	49.1	52
BikeAdvice	45-50	—
MouthShut	45-55	48-52
IndiAuto	–	45-50
MotorBeam	–	45-50
xBHP	–	40-56
Olx	–	50-65

Both bikes fare almost equally in the comparison. However, the Hunk appears to have a slightly better mileage compared to the GS150R. Also, considering the fact that it is more macho-looking at a lower price, my choise in this comparison would be the Hunk. Is your choice different? Tell me why it is so in the comments below.

Hero Splendor Plus Vs. Bajaj Discover 100T

Yesterday we compared the new Bajaj Discover 100T against TVS Sport. It was a pretty interesting post considering we were pitting one new stylish 100cc bike against an older, more traditional looking bike. What’s interesting is that despite the differences, they turned out to be pretty similar on the mileage front and so there was no winner in that race.

Today we will see how the Discover 100cc compares against the Hero Splendor Plus. This is again going to be exciting given the fact that the Splendor Plus has been around for almost a decade. Of course the bike has relaunched a few times since then and so we are not talking of a 10 year old model. So how do they measure up? Let’s find out –

Tech Specs Comparison

Specification	Hero Splendor Plus	Bajaj Discover 100T
Displacement	97.2cc	102cc
Max Power	7.5PS @8000	10.2PS @9000
Max Torque	7.95Nm @5000	9.2Nm @6500
Kerb Weight	109kg	121kg
Wheelbase	1230mm	1305mm
Fuel Tank	11 liters	10 liters
Reserve	1 liter	3.5 liters
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 42950	Rs. 50500

At a specification level, the Discover 100T is better than the Splendor Plus for most things. It has a higher displacement, a better power as well as torque. These things are extremely crucial to help you maneuver the road. In addition to this, the Discover also comes with extra stylish features that would definitely help you stand out. However that comes at an additional 8000 rupees. But let’s not jump the gun – we will compare the mileage delivered by these bikes first before arriving at which one is better than the other.

Fuel Economy Review

The Hero Splendor Plus weighs around 12kgs lower than the Discover 100T at dry mass. This difference is crucial because the Discover would now need more power to carry this weight along – that’s more fuel and lower mileage delivered. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case probably because the Splendor Plus comes with a less efficient engine overall. Hero claims the Splendor Plus to deliver 80.6 kilometers for every liter of petrol. In comparison, the Discover 100T is expected to deliver 87kmpl. Do note that these are both noted under standard testing conditions which are vastly different from the regular city roads. So unless we compare the two under these real world conditions, it is pretty hard to say. And that is exactly what we will do here.

Let’s start with the Hero Splendor Plus. We looked at reviews from five very reputed sources online for their report on the Splendor Plus’ fuel economy under city road conditions. Two reviews from BikeDekho as well as MaxAbout note a figure of somewhere between 65-70 kmpl. However the report from the rest of the sources don’t seem to be as high. IndiaGarage reports the lowest at around 55kmpl while the user reviews on MouthShut as well as on Olx report a slightly higher number at 58-65kmpl and 60-70kmpl respectively. Considering that MouthShut reviews are from real-world customers, I would suggest you give a lot of weightage to what these reviewers have got to say.

Next up, let’s look at the reviews for Discover 100T. Considering that this is a recent launch, we have not had too many customer generated reviews. However, the test-ride based mileage reports from the likes of MaxAboutand MotorBeam give a clear picture on what this bike is capable of. MaxAbout and xBHP report a city mileage of around 65 kmpl while MotorBeam notes 70kmpl.

I’ve tabulated all the findings below. At first look, it may look like the 100T is the winner among the two. However, it needs to be noted that test-ride reports for both the bikes have been positive and hover between the 65-70kmpl range. It is the customer reports on the Splendor Plus that has brought its average down. We will have to wait a couple of more months before we can get a similar report for the 100T.

Source	Hero Splendor Plus (kmpl)	Bajaj Discover 100T (kmpl)
Official	80.6	87
BikeDekho	65-70	—
MaxAbout	65-70	65
IndiaGarage	55	—
MouthShut	58-65	—
Olx	60-70	—
MotorBeam	–	70
xBHP	–	65

So for now, I would say both these bikes fare similarly on the mileage tests. If you think paying the 8000 rupees extra is justifiable considering the more stylish looks and features of the 100T, go for it by all means. If you would prefer to save on that amount, Splendor Plus is your friend. Have you made your decision yet? Tell us in the comments.

TVS Sport Vs. Bajaj Discover 100T

We have been seeing a lot of visitors over the past few days looking for information about the new Bajaj Discover 100T. As you should already know, this is the latest addition to the 100cc segment and has won praises from a lot of people for its pretty stylish looks and features that are better than most bikes in this segment.

TVS Sport on the other hand is not as new. It’s one of the three TVS bikes that are built for the mileage conscious customer. Unlike the Discover 100T, the Sport 100cc comes with pretty basic offerings and honestly does not have many things that truly differentiate it from the rest of the pack. Anyway, let’s now dive right into the specs comparison.

Tech Specs Comparison

Specification	TVS Sport 100cc	Bajaj Discover 100T
Displacement	99.7cc	102cc
Max Power	7.4PS @7500	10.2PS @9000
Max Torque	7.5Nm @5000	9.2Nm @6500
Kerb weight	95kg	121kg
Wheelbase	1250mm	1305mm
Fuel tank	12 liters	10 liters
Reserve	2 liters	3.5 liters
Price (ex-Delhi)	Rs. 37555	Rs. 50500

Except maybe for the fuel tank, the Discover 100T is truly better than TVS Sport in every possible way. However, look at the price – the 100T is nearly 34% more expensive than the Sport and that should play a huge role in your purchasing decision.

Anyway, before you go there, it is imperative that you find out how much your recurring costs with respect to the fuel is going to be. Find the mileage delivered by these two bikes compared below.

Fuel Economy Comparison

Let us start with the official claims. According to TVS Motors, the Sport can deliver a mileage of close to 82.9 kmpl under standard testing conditions. This is almost on par with the rest of the TVS 100cc bikes (the highest claim is on Star City with 83.9 kmpl). Bajaj though makes a pretty steeper claim. They say the 100T can offer close to 87 kmpl under similar road conditions. Do note that these mileages were tested under the best of road conditions (not to forget favourable wind conditions). It’s not realistic to expect a similar efficiency on your ride to your office on the pot-holes laden high traffic city roads.

The performance of these bikes could differ vastly on city roads though. MaxAbout – one of our trusted third party reviewers of bikes, reports a mileage of just around 50 kmpl on TVS Sport in city conditions. Their test on highways yielded 65 kmpl. On the other hand, the reviewer’s test of the 100T yielded 65 kmpl on city roads. To be honest though, MaxAbout does not explicitly state if the reported number on Discover 100T was what they derived on the test ride or what was provided to them by the manufacturers.

The low figure reported on TVS Sport by MaxAbout should not deter you though. Every other reviewer has reported a much better figure. BikeDekho and IndiaAuto have both reported a city fuel consumption of 70 kmpl while IndianDrives goes a bit higher at 75 kmpl. Most of the other reviews have painted a much more realistic figure between 55-75 kmpl. BikeAdvice reports around 55 kmpl while IndiaGarage notes a figure of around 68 kmpl. On the user reviews site, MouthShut, the reported number has hovered between 65-75 kmpl which is pretty good.

The Bajaj Discover 100T has not had as many reviews. MotorBeam, in their review, claim to be seeing around 70 kmpl on city roads while a reviewer on xBHP reports 65 kmpl.

Source	TVS Sport (kmpl)	Discover 100T (kmpl)
Official	82.9	87
MaxAbout	50	65
BikeDekho	70	—
IndiaAuto	70	—
IndianDrives	75	—
BikeAdvice	55-75	—
IndiaGarage	68	—
MouthShut	65-75	—
MotorBeam	–	70
xBHP	–	65

So there you have it. The fuel economy under city roads seem to be more or less the same on both these bikes. So personally, I would now take the mileage out of the equation while deciding on what bike to buy – would you mind spending 13,000 rupees more for better power, torque and more stylish looks? Or would you be happy going for more basic looks that perform as promised? That’s a question that only you can answer.

Do you have anything more to add for the rest of us looking for an answer? Do put it down in the comments below.

Bajaj Avenger Vs. Yamaha R15

Today we will compare two very powerful bikes available in India today. The Bajaj Avenger is a 220cc monster that is technically much powerful than the 150cc R15. However, in terms of power, the variation is not as much as you would expect. The Avenger delivers a power of 19.03 PS whereas the R15 can deliver up to 17 PS of power. Again, the Avenger is not for the mileage conscious, but the R15 is even more of that. The Bajaj Avenger 220 comes at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 76,835 at Delhi whereas the corresponding price for the Yamaha YZF R15 is a whopping Rs. 1,07,500.

Let us first compare the major tech specs of both these bikes side-by-side.

Specification	Bajaj Avenger 220	Yamaha RZF R15
Displacement	219.89cc	149.8cc
Peak Power	19.03PS @8400	17PS @8500
Max Torque	17.5Nm @7000	15Nm @7500
Fuel Tank	14 liters	12 liters
Kerb Weight	168kg	136kg
Fuel Claim	49.8 kmpl	46.93 kmpl

If you are someone who is contemplating purchasing either an Avenger or an R15, the mileage should be the last of your concerns. Both these are power bikes that are built keeping the requirements of the power and style conscious customers. When a motorbike is built with power as the priority, fuel economy is something that has to be compromised and it shows. Remember the comparison of 150cc bikes we made earlier this year? The R15 is at the bottom of the fuel claims chart that is topped by Bajaj Discover that claims to offer close to 72.3 kmpl.

Also, the 46.93 kmpl that we are talking here is the fuel consumption reported under standard test conditions. In the real world, where you have city traffic and pot-hole laden roads, this number is expected to come down much more drastically. Let us compare how the Avenger and the R15 compare against each other in the real world as reviewed by various sources including real world customers.

Bajaj Avenger 220 Review

The Avenger is a cruiser mode motorcycle that is not known for its mileage by any chance. PriceDekho in their official review report having seen around 32-35 kmpl on city roads. On the other hand, BikeDekho as well as ZigWheels, the Times group auto-review magazine in their reports claim a much better city mileage – they both report a consumption 1 liter for every 40 kilometers of city commute on the Avenger. While customers who had put up their Avenger for sale on Olx reported an average of 38 kmpl from their bikes, a few unhappy people on the customer complaints forum noted their mileage to be around 35 kmpl.

Yamaha YZF R15 Review

We reviewed the R15 from four different sources. According to a comment posted by a customer on MotorBeam, the R15 could deliver 40 kmpl with proper care. In a similar vein, an Ibibo user reports around 40-42 under city conditions. There are not too many reviews of the R15 from the point of view of fuel economy. According to one small blog called KannanKing, the R15 can extract around 32-35 kmpl on city roads.

Bottomline

It’s evident that the R15 can return slightly better economy compared to the Avenger – maybe an additional 3-4 kilometers for every liter. However, the decision to purchase one over the other should not be based on these numbers. Avenger is for cruisers while the R15 is a powerful machine for a 150cc bike. Test ride both the bikes and see where you fit better and go for that one.

Best 100cc Bike In India

The entry level bikes segment is amazingly crowded with more than a dozen offerings in the 100cc to 110cc segment. Today we will compare some of these bikes side-by-side to see which of these bikes perform the best under city road and highways conditions.

First the specifications. At the entry level, you do not get a lot of power in any case. However, that doesn’t make this a feature that is not aspired among the customers. While you may not expect a 10 BHP from the 100cc bikes, a better power while maintaining a good mileage is always something that the customers will be interested to see on their bike.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the engine capacity, power, torque and official mileage as specified by the manufacturers of the various 100cc bikes we will discuss today.

Bike Model	Engine	Power	Torque	Official Mileage (kmpl)
Yamaha Crux	106cc	7.6PS	7.5Nm @6000	91
Hero Splendor Pro	97.2cc	7.8PS	8.04Nm @4500	90.1
Hero Splendor NXG	97.2cc	7.8PS	8.04Nm @4500	87.7
Bajaj Discover 100T	102cc	10.2PS	9.2Nm @6500	87
Honda CB Twister	109cc	9.1 PS	9Nm @6000	85.7
TVS Sport	99.7cc	7.4PS	7.5Nm @5000	83.9
Hero HF Dawn	97.2cc	7.8PS	8.04Nm @4500	82.91
TVS Jive	110cc	8.4PS	8.3Nm @5500	82
Hero Splendor Plus	97.2cc	7.5PS	7.95Nm @5000	80.6
Bajaj Platina	99.27cc	8.2PS	8.05Nm @4500	75 (city)
Hero Passion xPro	109.1cc	8.7PS	9.36Nm @5500	70 (city)

This is definitely not an apples-to-apples comparison considering that a couple of these bikes have an official mileage reported under city conditions while most of them are under standard test conditions. But what this table will tell you is how the bikes stack up when you sort them by the official mileage claim. Yamaha Crux is right there on top with a 91kmpl claim while the likes of Hero Splendor Plus are pretty much down at a claim of just 80.6 kmpl under standard conditions. And to see that Crux still offers a slightly higher power than Splendor Plus is a major setback to the latter in this comparison.

City Road Fuel Efficiency

If you have been reading this blog regularly, you will know that I normally review the city road economy by taking up reports from a number of sources (customer feedbacks as well as test rides) to give you a perspective of what you could possibly expect. But with so many bikes in the fray, it could be a little messy if I have to talk about these various sources like MouthShut or MaxAbout separately. So what I’ve done here is pick the median value of city mileage as reported from various sources for each of this bike. By this, I could eliminate the extreme values and take up what is the most likely fuel consumption that you could see on these various bikes.

Bike Model	City Mileage (median kmpl)
TVS Sport	70
Bajaj Platina	67.5
Bajaj Discover 100T	65
Hero Splendor NXG	65
Hero Splendor Pro	65
Hero Splendor Plus	65
Hero HF Dawn	65
Hero Passion xPro	62.5
Yamaha Crux	62.3
Honda CB Twister	57.2
TVS Jive	54.5

The table above is sorted in the descending order of the median mileage reported on the various 100 cc bike models we are reviewing. The biggest disappointment of all would have to be Yamaha Crux – this bike tops the list in the first table at 91 kmpl and on the second one is barely escaping the bottom at 62.3 kmpl. On a similar note, the bike that excites me the most is Bajaj Platina – it doesn’t create a splash as far as the official reviews go, but from real world reviews, it seems to be a great bet.

How has your experience been with the 100cc bikes you have tested? Tell us in the comments below.

Hero Splendor Plus Vs. Hero Splendor Pro

A lot of people who have decided to go for a Splendor bike are still undecided when it comes to which of the Splendor series bikes they should be going for. Today let us just check out two of the popular models against each other and see which of the two is a better deal when it comes to fuel efficiency.

First the technical specifications. Both the Splendor Plus and Splendor Pro are sub-100cc motorbikes with similar power and torque levels. Both bikes measure the exact same dimensions (1.97m long, 0.72m wide and 1.04m tall with an equal 159mm ground clearance. Both bikes have a 11 liter capacity fuel tank.To put it in one word, the engine and dimensions of both the bikes are very similar.

Spec	Splendor Plus	Splendor Pro
Displacement	97.2cc	97.2cc
Max Power	5.5kw @ 8000rpm	5.74kw @ 7500rpm
Max Torque	7.95Nm @ 5000rpm	8.04Nm @ 4500rpm
Kerb weight	109kg	109kg

The difference then is in the features offered and not the specs. So the mileage delivered by the two bikes should not be very different.

Customer Feedback on Mileage
Before talking about customers and test reviews, let us first look at the official claim. Despite the extremely similar features, Hero Motocorp claims on fuel are very different on the two bikes. Hero claims that the Splendor Plus can deliver 80.6 kilometers for every liter of petrol. In comparison, they claim that the Splendor Pro can offer 90.1 kmpl of economy.

Let us now look at what MaxAbout has to say. In their review, the website says the new engine on the Splendor Pro makes is much more responsive and quick. At the same time, they note that the Splendor Plus has one of the slower engines among all variants of Splendor. They report a pretty similar fuel consumption from both bikes in city conditions (65 kmpl). However, on highways, the Splendor Pro can deliver 79 kmpl while the Splendor Plus can only provide between 72-75 kmpl.

BikeDekho has a very different review of both bikes. They like the Splendor Plus for being a sleek and attractive “commuter cum executive bike” while they commend the Splendor Pro for its ultimate comfort and flat seating positions. From the fuel efficiency testing, they report 65-70 kmpl from the Splendor Plus on city roads which looks better compared to the 60 kmpl they report from the Splendor Pro.

To get a feel of what real world customers feel, we had looked into the reviews on the popular classifieds site, Olx to check out the fuel ratings offered on both the bikes by the bike sellers. When it comes to Splendor Plus, most of the bikes put up on sale are reported to be seeing an economy of around 60-70 kmpl although there were more than a couple in the 47-55 kmpl range as well. For the Splendor Pro, the range of reviews posted on the bike put the fuel consumption in the 50-65 kmpl range although barring for a handful most of the others were in the 60-65 kmpl range.

I have put down the reported fuel efficiency figures for both bikes as reported by various sources side-by-side below. As I can see it, it is a very close call and it ultimately depends on the price, the other features that you would want in a bike, and your personal test ride of both the bikes that should decide which of the two bikes you are going to go for.

Source	Splendor Plus	Splendor Pro
Official	80.6	90.1
MaxAbout	65-70(c)/72-75(h)	65(c)/79(h)
BikeDekho	65-70	60
Olx	60-70	50-65

Hero Glamour PGM FI

The Hero Glamour FI is a variant of the Glamour that we reviewed yesterday. The only significant difference between the two bikes is the fuel injection technology on the FI variant which is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 61,650 at Delhi.

Let’s take a look at the tech specs one time. The Glamour FI is equipped with a 124.8cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine that can crank up a power of 9.1PS and a torque of 10.35 Nm. The ignition is powered by a full transistorised ignition technology. The bike measures 2.005meters in length, .735 meters in width and 1.07 meters in height. Other features on the bike include a real time mileage indicator, a bank angle sensor and a new digital analog combo console.

Company Claimed Fuel Economy

The Hero Glamour FI is not very different in many aspects from the Glamour except for the ignition technology. FI is likely to add a wee bit of mileage to the bike. According to Hero Motocorp, you should be able to see 81.1 kilometers for every liter of petrol on the Glamour. While the company website does not seem to carry any numbers specifically for the Glamour FI, we expect it to be a little higher than the original variant.

Customer Reviews

MaxAbout commends the bike on the tinted visor with sleek cowl both of which have been introduced in the latest version of the Glamour FI. In their test ride, the reviewers were able to see 65-70 kmpl on city roads and around 75 kmpl on highways. This is around 5-6 kmpl better than what is offered on the original Glamour.

The BikeDekho review notes that the PGM FI is better than Super Splendor in terms of its “super cool” looks and features. However when it comes to mileage, I am not so sure. The reviewer reports a 60 kmpl economy which is lower than what one may have expected from this variant.

In their note on the Glamour FI, BikeAdvice calls the stylish graphics that are one of the bigger selling points as a bit over the top. Another area where the reviewer is not very enthusiastic is in the power output of the engine despite the superior technology in place. However, all that should not matter if fuel consumption is your biggest concern. The review reports an overall mileage of 75 kmpl which is pretty extraordinary for a 125cc motorcycle.

On IndiaGarage, a Glamour FI owner reports a fuel efficiency of around 60-65 kmpl on city roads and 75-78 kmpl on highways when riding in the 50-55 kmph range. The reviewer however notes that this bike may not please those who are looking for power and the grunt of the engine. Instead, if you are looking for a refined and smooth engine, this could be a thing.

There are 13 reviews of the PGM FI on the user reviews site, MouthShut. As expected, the reviewers have given the bike a 4/5 rating for fuel consumption. There are mixed reviews however in terms of fuel. While a bunch of customers are effusive in their praise saying they have been able to see between 70-80 kmpl on their bikes, a few others have reported disappointing results of between 40-55 kmpl. I do not have a dog in this fight and so I think the best thing to do is put both these reports here and leave it for you to pick.

Here is a summary of reviews from various sources we have covered above. Would I recommend this bike? Absolutely.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	81.1
MaxAbout	65-70	75
BikeDekho	60	—
BikeAdvice	75	—
Indiagarage	60-65	75-78
MouthShut	40-55 / 70-80	—

Hero Glamour

We wrote about the 125cc Hero Super Splendor just a couple of days back. Today, we will review one another 125cc bike from Hero – the Hero Glamour. The bike is equipped with a 124.7cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine that can deliver a max power of 9 BHP and torque of 10.35 Nm at 4000 RPM. At this power, the Glamour looks more or less similar to the Super Splendor and although this is lower than the likes of Phoenix 125 that cranks up 10.8 BHP, it is still in the mid-range since it is higher than what the likes of Slingshot Plus have to offer.

Speaking of the other specs, the bike measures 2.005 meters in length, 1.07 meters in height and 0.735 meters in width and comes with an average 150mm ground clearance. The kerb weight of the bike is around 125kg for the kick start variety. Overall, the Glamour comes at a price of Rs. 52,525 ex-showroom Delhi.

Official Word On Fuel Economy

When the erstwhile Hero Honda launched the Glamour way back in 2005, one of the primary selling points of the bike was the fuel economy at the higher power range. So it goes without saying that Hero has gone the entire mile in ensuring the mileage of the bike is not compromised at the expense of higher power or features. Hero Motocorp has claimed that the Glamour 125 can offer a mileage of 81.1 kmpl under standard test conditions. However, this is not the best fuel economy even among the 125cc bikes from Hero. The Super Splendor if you remember had an official claim of 83.1 kmpl.

Customer Reviews

Let us start with the review from MaxAbout. The reviewer is not so happy with the engine that he says is not as powerful as the rivals in the market. But the mileage is a huge plus. MaxAbout was able to notice 60-65 kmpl on city roads while on highways, this went up to 70 kmpl.

Next up, BikeAdvice. The main review is not so generous on the mileage front rating the bike as offering only around 50-60 kmpl after the third month of servicing. However, the comments there are from totally happy customers who consistently report mileages of between 60-70 kmpl.

The reports are pretty similar with Infibeam as well. While the reviewer commends the bike for its stylish graphics, things are not so great in the fuel consumption section. The website reports an economy of 55.2 kmpl on city roads that goes up to 58.3 kmpl on highways.

There are over 115 reviews for the Hero Glamour on the popular user review website. MouthShut. These users have together rated the bike 4/5 in terms of fuel efficiency. Talking about the mileage of the bike, one customer who has completed 10,000 kilometers says he gets 72 kmpl on highways and not below 65 kmpl on city roads. Another customer who has just had his first bike servicing reports 73.2 kmpl. Not every review is a happy one though. One user reports his bike’s mileage to have dropped to around 40. Overall, the average customer reports a mileage of between 60-70 kmpl.

So there you have it. The mileage reported for the Hero Glamour are consistently good and in my personal opinion, it is a definite buy – not just for the fuel economy it offers, but also because of the stylish looks that it comes with for the 125cc range.

Here is a snapshot of reviews as provided by the various sources.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	81.1
MaxAbout	60-65	70
BikeAdvice	50-60	—
Infibeam	55.2	58.3
MouthShut	60-70	—

Bajaj Discover 100T

One of the latest additions to the Discover stable is the new Bajaj Discover 100T which is one of the most stylish and better featured bikes in the 100cc category. Looking deeper into the technical specifications, we see that the Discover 100T has a 102cc 4 valve DTS-i engine that can crank up a power of up to 10.2 PS and a torque of 9.2 Nm at 6500 rpm. The bike is slightly longer than the other bikes we have seen in recent past with the length measuring around 2.038 meters and width around 0.714m. The bike is 1.07 meters tall.

The Discover 100T has a kerb weight of 121 kg and has a fuel tank that can hold 10 liters when full with 3.5 liters on reserve. You can buy a 100T at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 50,500 at Delhi.

Official Mileage Claim

You may have noticed that the kerb weight of the Discover 100T is much higher than other bikes in the 100cc segment. For example, the Hero Splendor Plus weighs 109kg while TVS Sport has a dry mass of just 95 kg. Technically, under such conditions, the mileage of the bike is expected to suffer because the engine now has to burn more fuel in order to pull the higher mass. However, if you go by the official metrics, the fuel efficiency doesn’t seem to have suffered much. According to Bajaj, the Discover 100T can deliver 87 kilometers for every liter of petrol under standard test conditions.

Test Ride & Customer Feedback

As always, let us start with MaxAbout. Considering that the bike is one of the new launches, there is still no official review from the website at the time of writing. Also, I am not sure if the mileage they have reported on the site is from official sources or what they have noted from their tests. In any case, according to MaxAbout, the Discover 100T will give you 65kmpl on city roads and 87kmpl on the highways.

MotorBeam has a solid test review of the new bike. From their test ride, the reviewer notes that the features on 100T are identical to what is available on the Discover 125ST. Along with the half chain case, Nitrox suspension and the conventional long mud guard makes the 100T feel like a larger motorcycle than it actually is. The website reports a fuel consumption of 70 kmpl which is pretty average for a bike in this segment.

xBHP in their review note that the bike is extremely durable and is built with the necessary “majbooti” that offers a tempting alternative to the “plain jane” offerings from Honda and Hero. While there is no scientific test of the mileage, the reviewers report seeing around 65 kmpl of fuel economy in their test.

TopGear doesn’t seem to have performed their own fuel economy test. In their review, they report a claimed mileage of 84 kmpl, although I am not sure about the source of this figure.

BikeDekho in their review claim that the 100T is the “best looking” bike in the 100cc category with “applauding shape and alignment of ergonomics”. While it is unclear if the reviewer actually tested the bike for mileage, he notes that the average FE on the bike should be around 70 kmpl which is on par with the rest of the reviews we have seen till now.

That is what we have got for now. AutoCarIndia is yet to come up with their review at the time of writing. MouthShut still doesn’t have any reviews from customers. We will wait for these reports and update this article as and when it is done. If you happen to read this article in a couple of months from now, do comment if I have not updated the article by then. Here is a snapshot of the economies as claimed by various reviewers.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	87
MaxAbout	65	87
MotorBeam	70	—
xBHP	65	—
TopGear	–	84
BikeDekho	70	—