hero – Page 2 – Mileage Reviews

Hero Splendor Plus

The Hero Splendor is one of the long serving brands in the Indian motorbiking segment having been introduced more than a decade back. The Hero Honda Splendor Plus was first introduced in 2004 and later, in 2007, relaunched it with modified fairings, alloy wheels and a few other improvements. After the split between Hero Motocorp and Honda, the bike has been marketed as the Hero Splendor Plus and continues to be one of the most popular products from the Hero Motocorp.

The Hero Splendor Plus engine has a displacement of 97.2cc and is air cooled with a 4 stroke single cylinder. It delivers a max power of 7.5 PS and a torque of 7.95 Nm at 5000 rpm. The bike measures 1.97m in length and 0.720m in width. With a ground clearance of 159mm, the bike is definitely on par with the other bikes custom built for the Indian road conditions. However, with a kerb weight of 109kg, the Splendor Plus is made to feel lighter and thereby contribute to a better fuel efficiency. The Splendor Plus is available in Delhi at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 42,950 for the Spoke model.

Mileage Claim From Hero

Although the Splendor Plus is built with an engine similar to what is available on the newer model, Splendor Pro, the mileage delivered is lower. According to Hero Motocorp, the Splendor Plus can give you 80.6 kilometers for every liter of petrol. Compare this with the 90.1kmpl claim on the Pro. But again, as we saw in the other article, the real world numbers may vary vastly considering these are numbers fetched from standard testing conditions.

We will do a side by side comparison of all the Splendor bikes later. Keep checking.

Customer Reviews

BikeDekho calls this bike a “commuter cum executive bike” which is both sleek and attractive. The website reports an economy of between 65-70 kmpl on city roads. With a 11 liter fuel tank, this means, you could go 770 kilometers at a stretch before going completely dry.

MaxAbout has a very similar review of the bike. They note that the engine used in this bike is comparatively slower than those used in the other variants of the Splendor. The fuel efficiency as reported stands at around 65-70 kmpl on city roads that can go as high as 72-75 kmpl on highways. On IndiaGarage though, a user claiming to be a Splendor Plus customer reports a mileage of just around 55 kmpl.

Let’s next look at MouthShut. There are over 70 reviews for the bike and the customers have given the bike an overall rating of 4/5 for fuel consumption efficiency. Reading through the reviews, we find that the average mileage that customers see on city roads is pretty impressive and is consistently between 58-65 kmpl. On highways, it seems to increase to as much as 69-70 kmpl. One customer however warns that you may not see a great economy in the first 2-3 months after purchase.

On Olx, most of the Splendor Plus bikes put up for sale have their fuel economy specified in the 60-70 kmpl range although there are more than a couple of bikes that are reported to be seeing 47-55 kmpl economy.

So there you have it. Here is a summary of fuel efficiency as reported by various sources.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	80.6
BikeDekho	65-70	—
MaxAbout	65-70	72-75
IndiaGarage	55	—
MouthShut	58-65	69-70
Olx	60-70	—

As a bottomline, it is pretty clear that Splendor Plus delivers what it matters. So if you are considering this bike, my suggestion is you should go for it.

Hero Splendor Pro

Hero Honda launched the Splendor range of motorcycles close to a decade back. Since the time, there has been more than a few upgrades and variants of the brand launched. After the joint venture between Hero Motocorp and Honda ended, Hero has been independently marketing the Splendor range. The Hero Splendor Pro is one of the latest variants launched in the market having been announced only in 2011.

The Splendor Pro comes with a 97.2cc single cylinder 4 stroke engine that can crank up a max power of 5.74 kw (7.80 PS) and a max torque of 8.04 Nm at 4500 RPM. The bike has a decent 159mm ground clearance and weighs 109 kg at the minimum (the self-start variety weighs 3 kgs more). The bike has a 11 liter fuel tank The Hero Splendor Pro is priced at a minimum of Rs. 45,037 ex-showrrom Delhi with price varying according to the feature you are going for (kick spoke, kick cast, self spoke or self cast).

Company Claims

Mileage is one of the most important features for a bike in the sub-100cc range. And the Hero Splendor Pro does not disappoint; at least as far as the official claims go. According to officials from Hero Motocorp, the Splendor Pro can fetch you 90.1 kmpl under standard test conditions. The keyword here is ‘standard’. So this should of course reduce when you test ride it on a city road. So check out the rest of this article to see what various people who have tested the bike have got to say as far as city riding goes.

Customer reviews

MaxAbout notes that the Splendor Pro does not look any different from any of the older variants. However, the new engine makes the bike much more responsive and quick. In the fuel economy department, the website says they were able to extract 65 kmpl on city roads and 79 kmpl on highways.

BikeDekho praises the bike for its “ultimate” comfort and flat seating positions. In their test, the bike review website has noted to have reported 60 kmpl of mileage on the Splendor Pro. BraveheartBikers, another blog from bikers commends the Splendor Pro for its very low maintenance charge and reports an economy of 65kmpl on cities which goes up to 75kmpl on highways.

Customers who have already owned higher priced bikes with better power may not find the Splendor Pro the best in looks, but MyIndiaGuide calls the Splendor Pro “very stylish and mind blowing”. In their review of the bike’s fuel consumption, the website reports having seen 65-70 kmpl which is indeed impressive.

There are a number of second hand Splendor Pro bikes available for purchase on Olx with prices ranging from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 40,000. Most of these bikes report a mileage of between 50-65 kmpl. This is of course a wide range that does not serve useful to you, if you are a consumer but if it’s of any consolation to you, let me tell you that a majority of the reviewers have put the number at 60-65 kmpl with only a handful reporting mileage lower than that. Your mileage may literally vary.

So there you have it. The fuel efficiency of the Splendor Pro does paint a pretty positive picture of the bike. We do not find any reviews for the Splendor Pro on MouthShut. However, from what we see from the rest of the reviews both from real world customers as well as test riders, this bike is built to give you the most efficient ride and it will definitely not burn a hole in your pocket at the petrol pump.

Do you like the other features this bike comes with? Then you should definitely go for it because this is not a bike that should bother you in the fuel department. Check out a summary of reports from various reviewers.

Source	City (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	90.1
MaxAbout	65	79
BikeDekho	60	—
BraveheartBikers	65	75
MyIndiaGuide	65-70	—
Olx	50-65	—

Suzuki Slingshot Plus vs. Hero Passion X Pro

Today we will compare two bikes that are in the entry level or mid entry level segment – the Slingshot Plus from Suzuki and the Passion X Pro from Hero Motocorp. While the Slingshot Plus has been around for a while, the Passion X Pro is one of the later additions to the Hero stable having been launched only in the early part of 2012.

First up, let us compare the specifications of the two bikes.

Spec	Hero Passion X Pro	Suzuki Slingshot Plus
Engine displacement	109.1cc	124cc
Max Power	8.7 PS	8.6 PS
Max Torque	9.36 Nm	10 Nm
Fuel Tank Capacity	9.5 L	12 L
Kerb mass	116 kg	129 kg
Usable Reserve	2.1 L	2.1 L
Delhi ex-showroom	46800	52271

The Slingshot Plus is supposed to be a higher power motorbike compared to the Passion X Pro. However, if you compare them side by side, you see that they are not really very different. Both bikes offer similar power and torque. In fact, since the X Pro has a smaller weight to carry – both in terms of the dry mass as well as the max fuel capacity, the mileage is likely to be better with the Passion X Pro than the SlingShot Plus; at least theoretically. Let’s see if that truly is the case moving ahead in this article.

Fuel Efficiency Comparison

Under standard testing conditions, the reported fuel consumption is often very good. This is because these tests are under very favourable road and wind conditions and so you get the maximum returns on your fuel. According to Hero Motocorp, the Passion X Pro can deliver close to 70 kmpl under these conditions. In comparison, Suzuki claims that the Slingshot Plus can deliver close to 73.5 kmpl.

Now this sounds contrary to whatever we discussed earlier. Let’s look at what the tests on real-world conditions. We looked at reviews from 5 different sources for the Passion X Pro in our original article. Two of these websites – PricesofIndia and IndiaGarage reported seeing close to 60 kmpl on the X Pro. While PricesDekho and Tech2Auto reported a better deal at 65 kmpl, ProDease reported seeing just around 55 kmpl. Overall, the average fuel efficiency under city road conditions seems to be 61 kmpl on the Passion X Pro

In comparison, we had looked at reviews from 6 different sources for the SlingShot Plus. The reported mileages were more varied here. Users on MouthShut were the happiest and reported between 65-70 kmpl. While WheelMela reported 60 and ZigWheels 66, the reported numbers from xBHP and IndianDrives were lower at 45-50kmpl and 58 kmpl respectively. Even Olx had a reported number lower at between 55-60 kmpl. The average number in this case was 59.4 kmpl.

Source	Hero Passion X Pro	Suzuki Slingshot Plus
Official	70	73.5
Average on city roads	61	59.4

So what do you think is a better deal of the two? When I look at it, although the Hero Passion X Pro is a lower spec bike of the two, it delivers better power, offers a better mileage and is available for a cheaper price. Both bikes rank similar on the looks quotient. So the deal seems pretty clear – the Passion X Pro is the winner here.

TVS Apache RTR 160 Vs. Hero Xtreme

This is our third article in the bike comparison series we started late last month. We are yet again pitting two popular 150cc bikes against one another – the TVS Apache against Hero Xtreme.

The Apache is TVS’ marquee bike in the power bikes segment. The 160cc bike was launched in 2007 and is as popular among bike enthusiasts as the the Hero Xtreme which you may also know as the Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme of the yore! Here is a tabled comparison of the core specifications of the two bikes.

Specification	Apache RTR 160	Hero Xtreme
Displacement	159.7cc	149.2cc
Max. Power	11.19 kW	10.6 kW
Max. Torque	13.1 Nm	12.80 Nm
Ground Clearance	180mm	145mm
Fuel Tank	16 liters	12.1 liters
Usable researve	1.7 liters	1.5 liters

The Apache RTR 160 is available at a price of Rs. 71,340 ex-showroom Delhi while the Hero Xtreme is available at a commensurate price of Rs. 65,975.

Mileage Comparison

A quote I often put up on this blog is that with great power comes a lower mileage. Considering that the RTR 160 has a higher power and a larger engine cylinder displacement compared to the Xtreme 150, the mileage you can expect with the RTR could be lower than what the Hero Xtreme could offer. That is in fact true by a mile according to the company claims. TVS says the Apache RTR 160 can draw around 54.1 kmpl under standard test conditions while the Xtreme, according to Hero, can draw 65.1 kmpl. That’s a huge difference in the official claims from both the companies. Let’s see if the real world tests also derive similar results.

Let us start with BikeAdvice. In our earlier report on the Apache, this was one report that was hugely positive on the bike as far as mileage was concerned. In their article, the website claimed to have seen 56 kmpl fuel efficiency on the Apache RTR 160 in the long term. In comparison, the website had a slightly worse mileage report for the Xtreme. In an aggregated report of reviews from over 70 customers, we had noted last time that BikeAdvice readers saw a mileage of between 45-51 kmpl on the Hero Xtreme. That’s pretty low compared to Apache.

To have a more real world feel of customer feedback, let us next jump on to the MouthShut forums. There are over 200 reviews for the Apache 160 on this site as compared to 187 reviews for the Hero Xtreme. Both these bikes have received an overall rating of 4/5 from the reviewers as far as fuel consumption was concerned. When it comes to the real numbers though, the race is a dead heat. The average mileage reported on city roads for both the bikes range between 40-50 kmpl which does not give any great insights into which of the two bikes is better.

What’s amusing is that we do not seem to get a better clarity on the winner even when we check the classifieds postings on Olx from people who own the bike. The average mileage reported for both bikes again range between 40-50 kmpl.

Source	Apache RTR 160	Hero Xtreme
Official	54.1 kmpl	65.1 kmpl
BikeAdvice	56	45-51
MouthShut	40-50	40-50
Olx	40-50	40-50

So what’s the verdict? Although Hero Xtreme has an obviously better mileage officially claimed, things seem to be different as far as the reviews from blogs and real customers are concerned. The mileages as seen by customers on real world are more or less the same on both bikes. That being the case, I would prefer to go with the Apache RTR over the Hero Xtreme. Why? Because Apache gives you a better power, torque along with much better looks at only a slightly higher price. Getting the same mileage as the Apache on the Hero Xtreme only means the mileage offered by the lower powered bike is not ideal. Apache is the winner in this race.

Hero Hunk Vs. Honda CB Dazzler – A Comparison

Hero Hunk and the Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler are two wonderful bikes in the 150cc segment. Although the Hunk has been around for a much longer time, it has not taken the Dazzler much time to catch up to the Hunk in terms of popularity.

To start with, let us start with the comparison of the two bikes on the specs

Spec	Hero Hunk	Honda Dazzler
Displacement	149.2cc	149.1cc
Max Power	10.6 kW	10.44 kW
Max Torque	12.80 Nm @ 6500 rpm	12.74 Nm @ 6500 rpm
Front Brake	240mm Disc Dia	240mm Disc Dia
Rear Brake	220mm Disc Dia	220mm Disc Dia
Ground Clearance	145mm	162mm
Kerb weight	146 kg	138 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity	12.4 liters	12 liters
Reserve	2.2 liters usable	N/A

The difference between the two specs is pretty marginal on most counts. It is only with ground clearance and kerb weight where you find any significant difference between the two.

Mileage Comparison

Both the Hunk and Dazzler have similar engines although the Hunk is expected to pull 8kgs more than the Dazzler at any point due to its inherently higher kerb weight. This could pull the mileage marginally down. Despite that, the official claim on the mileage of the Hunk is higher than Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler. Hero claims the Hunk can draw 65.1 kmpl while Honda says the Dazzler can offer only 60 kmpl of fuel economy. Do note that both these claims are under standard test conditions.

Let’s look at what the neutral reviewers have to say. According to MaxAbout that has reviewed both the bikes, the Hero Hunk is expected to deliver 52-58 kmpl on city roads whereas the Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler can extract a lower 50 kmpl under similar conditions. On Highways though, both the bikes are seen to deliver similar economies at 60 kmpl.

BikeAdvice has an alternate take on this comparison. In their reviews, they report the fuel economy on city roads to be somewhere between 45-50 kmpl on the Hunk while the same has been pegged at 48 kmpl from Dazzler. While the website does not have a number for the highways mileage from Hunk, they say customers can see close to 62 kmpl on highways from Unicorn Dazzler.

On MouthShut, the 210+ reviews for the Hunk rate the bike 4/5 on fuel consumption. A similar rating is offered by the 75+ Dazzler reviewers. However when it comes to putting down a number against the fuel consumption column, Hero Hunk customers have reported varying mileages between 45-55 kmpl on their bike while customers of Honda Dazzler have a more consistent report of the city mileage to be between 48-52 kmpl.

Here is a tabled report of the comparison:

Source	Hero Hunk	Honda Dazzler
Official	65.1	60
MaxAbout	52-58	50
BikeAdvice	45-50	48
MouthShut	45-55	48-52

Hero Pleasure

“Why should boys have all the fun” has been one of the most popular taglines for a two wheeler brand in recent times and Hero Honda got it absolutely right in positioning when they did this back when the Pleasure was launched. Hero Pleasure, as it is known today, is a 102cc 4 stroke single cylinder scooter targeted at the female riders that can deliver a maximum power of 5.03 kw (6.8 PS) and max. torque of 7.85 Nm. Hero has ensured the scooter doesn’t get too heavy with the kerb weight hovering around 104 kg with a max fuel tank capacity of 5 liters. The Hero Pleasure is available at a price of Rs. 42,100 ex-showroom at Delhi.

Official Reported Mileage

Among scooters, you can say the Hero Pleasure is sort of a mid-range in the Indian market. There are scooters like the Scooty Pep that are significantly under 100cc while there are quite a few scooters that have more of a unisex positioning that are in the 125cc segment. According to Hero Motocorp, the Pleasure can deliver close to 55 kmpl under standard test conditions which is typically conditions closer to what you have on the highways. If you are wondering if 55 kmpl is good enough, I’ve prepared this chart that will compare the official mileage claimed on the various scooters we have reviewed till now:

Scooter	Engine cc	Official Claim (kmpl)
TVS Scooty Pep Plus	87.8cc	68kmpl
Yamaha Ray	113cc	62.1kmpl
Piaggio Vespa LX	125cc	60kmpl
Suzuki Access	124cc	50.22kmpl
Suzuki Swish	124cc	60kmpl
Honda Activa	109cc	66.7kmpl
TVS Scooty Streak	87.8cc	68kmpl
Hero Maestro	109cc	60kmpl
Mahindra Rodeo RZ	125cc	59.38kmpl
Honda Aviator	109cc	52kmpl
Kinetic Sym Flyte	125cc	45kmpl
Honda Dio	110cc	55kmpl
TVS Wego	109.7cc	50kmpl

So as you see, the 55kmpl economy claim on the Pleasure is not the best in the market. Nor is it as low as some of the other claims. So it lays somewhere in between.

Customer Reviews

Let’s start as usual with MaxAbout. According to their review, this scooter can hit a maximum speed of 77 kmpl and on an average can deliver between 35-45 kilometers per liter of petrol. The review on BikeSpace has a similar report. They note that the Hero Pleasure can draw 45 kmpl on city roads while the same on highways can go as high as 50 kmpl. This is not too bad.

Another website called Bikerani that I have not reported from anytime earlier notes that on city roads, the Pleasure can give between 45-52 kmpl economy while the same on highways could increase up to 55 kmpl.

A user on IndiaGarage notes that the real world mileage delivered by the Pleasure can be extremely better than those offered by more popular rivals. He claims that while the Activa used to give him only around 35 kmpl on city roads, the same on the Hero Pleasure was as high as 55 kmpl. This looks a little too optimistic. We will then have to take a look at what other customers have got to say on MouthShut.

There are over 107 reviews for the Pleasure on the site with the scooter getting a 4/5 rating for fuel consumption. There seem to be two kinds of customers here – one, who have problems with the bike with respect to post-sales service, battery parts who have subsequently also claimed the mileage is poor. The other long time customers who have rode several thousand kilometers on their Pleasure and seem to be reporting good numbers. The latter who have written more objective reviews claim the mileage to be between 45-55 kmpl on an average. The former who have other problems with their scooter report the mileage between 33-45 kmpl. For the sake of being more practical, I would go with the 45-55 kmpl figure while also noting that the scooter seems to have its fair share of problems that are not mileage related.

So there you go. Here is a snapshot of what the various people have reported. Overall, it seems to be a good bike as far as mileage is concerned. But the reports from several users on MouthShut makes me believe you need to check on the post-sales customer care and research a bit more on the spare parts before making an informed decision.

Source	City Fuel Economy (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	55
MaxAbout	35-45	—
BikeSpace	45	50
Bikerani	45-52	55
IndiaGarage	55	—
MouthShut	45-55	—

Hero Karizma ZMR

I normally do not report much on the 200cc+ segment on MileageInfo simply because at that engine power range, people aren’t even looking for information on fuel economies. But regardless of whether we are looking at a 100cc or a 200cc, there are bikes that perform better on the fuel efficiency scale and this is one reason it is important to look at what mileage these bikes offer.

The Hero Karizma ZMR is a 223cc bike with a 4 stroke single cylinder engine that can deliver a good 17.8 PS of power at an 18.35 Nm torque. The bike claims to speed up from 0-60 kmph in just 3.7 seconds. With a kerb weight of close to 159kg, it is no wonder this bike does not deliver as much mileage as smaller bikes, not withstanding the higher power (even though this is the same power as delivered by the 150cc Honda CBR 150R.

Official Mileage Claim

The Hero Karizma ZMR is a bike that is available at a price of Rs. 98,800 ex-showroom Delhi. At this price, the power and not the mileage should be a concern. Regardless, Hero Motocorp has a pretty tall claim on the fuel efficiency of the bike. According to Gaadi, the company claims the Hero Karizma ZMR to deliver 51 kilometers per liter of petrol!

Customer Reviews

BikeDekho has a raving review of the bike calling it ‘sporty and attractive’. What’s not is the difference in the fuel economy on-road vis-a-vis what the company has claimed. They report 35 kmpl which again, I should point out, is not bad at all for a 223cc motorbike.

On MotorBeam, a test drive of over 5500 kilometers showed an average mileage to be around 37.24 kmpl. The report posts the best figures to be close to 41.51 kmpl while the worst seen was 31.87 kmpl. Looking at the comprehensiveness of this report, I am skeptical about a report from IndianCustomers.in that pits the economy at 40 kmpl for the Karizma ZMR. I’m not sure if this was indeed arrived at after a proper test ride.

But not to worry, since the mileage does seem to go as high as that, if not more, if you ride exclusively on highways. According to a user on the xBHP forums, riding consistently at 70-80 kmph could get you between 47-50 kmpl fuel economy which is very impressive.

There are 36 reviews for the ZMR from users on MouthShut and they have rated the bike 4/5 for fuel consumption which in itself is a terrific achievement for a 225cc bike. The reported numbers though are all over the place although you can probably arrive at a consensus of somewhere between 35 kmpl – 42 kmpl for city roads and 48 kmpl on highways.

Overall, this is definitely not a bad bike in terms of mileage. In fact, for a 225cc motorbike to deliver such an economy is pretty nice. Here is a snapshot of what the various reviews have reported.

Source	City Mileage (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	51
BikeDekho	35	—
MotorBeam	37	24	—
IndianCustomers	40	—
xBHP	–	47-50
MouthShut	35-42	48

Hero Xtreme

This is the bike that you can currently find being advertised on TV by Hero Motocorp. The Hero Xtreme is not a new bike. It was first launched as Hero Honda CBZ which was later revamped and relaunched as Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme. After the split up between Hero Motocorp and Honda India, the bike has now been launched as Hero Xtreme.

Like the CBZ Xtreme, the new Hero Xtreme is a 149.2cc bike that is powered by a single cylinder 4 stroke engine that can deliver a max power of 14.4 PS and torque of 12.80 Nm. This places the Xtreme somewhere in the middle in terms of power delivered by 150cc bikes. Here is a table of all the bikes in the segment we have reviewed so far and the average max power claimed by these bikes.

Bike	Max Power
Suzuki GS150R	14 PS
Apache RTR 160	15.2 PS
Honda CBR 150R	17.81 PS
Yamaha SZ-x	12.1 PS
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler	14.2 PS
Yamaha FZ16	14 PS
Hero Achiever	13.5 PS
Yamaha YZF R15	17 PS
Hero Hunk	14.4 PS

The Hero Xtreme is priced at around Rs. 65,975 ex-showroom Delhi.

Officially Claimed Mileage

According to Gaadi.com, the official claim on the fuel consumption is around 65.1 kmpl. This is better than the claim from most motorbikes in this segment. Here is what the various 150cc bikes delivered under standard test conditions:

Bike	Official Claim
Suzuki GS150R	55.7 kmpl
TVS Apache RTR 160	54 kmpl
Yamaha SZ-x	62.4 kmpl
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler	60 kmpl
Yamaha FZ16	50.81 kmpl
Yamaha YZF R15	46.93 kmpl
Hero Achiever	68 kmpl
Hero Hunk	65.1 kmpl

Customer Reviews

Let’s start with BikeDekho. The website doesn’t seem to have had a hands-on test drive. But according to them, you can expect a mileage of close to 50 kmpl on city roads. I’m not sure if this is an official number or anything, but even WheelMela appears to concur. Even they note that the standard city mileage with the Xtreme is likely to be 50 kmpl. Again, MaxAbout too notes the fuel economy in city to be 50 kmpl that can go up to 60 kmpl on highways.

To get a realistic figure, let’s jump into user discussions. First off, on Yahoo Answers, there are a lot of people discussing the mileage on their Xtreme and the consensus seems to be between 45-48 kmpl. However, this is if you keep your bike well serviced. If the bike has had its run, then the mileage could drop down to 40 kmpl at which point it is time for yet another servicing.

On the BikeAdvice reviews section, there are over 70 reviews for the bike since the time it was CBZ Xtreme. The numbers floated by the various customers reviewing their bike falls in the range 45-51 kmpl. There are of course a few people who claim top mileage of as high as 55-58 kmpl but they are few and far between.

Checking out MouthShut, there are close to 187 reviews for the Xtreme since the earlier Hero Honda days. The average customer has rated the bike 4/5 on bike consumption which is a pretty good thing for a 150cc bike because not too many people are happy with the fuel consumption on this range. The average fuel consumption reported by the reviewers here is around 40-50 kmpl on city and around 63 kmpl on highways although there is more than one occasion where people have complained of low mileage of not more than 35-40 kmpl. But looking at the average numbers, I would take a guess that these are not the norm and it could also be because of other issues with the specific bike in question.

Things are not very different on Olx where various customers have put their bikes up for sale. The average fuel efficiency one can observe on the Hero Xtreme is between 40-50 kmpl.

So there you go. It is very difficult to see a reliably good mileage delivered on a bike in the 150+cc range. But in this case, the Hero Xtreme delivers. There could be other things that you may want to look at before putting in the money. But as far as the fuel consumption goes, the Hero Xtreme should give you extreme satisfaction. Go for it.

Here’s the summary, as always:

Source	City Mileage (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	65.1
BikeDekho	50	—
WheelMela	50	—
MaxAbout	50	60
Yahoo Answers	45-48	—
BikeAdvice	45-51	—
MouthShut	40-50	63
Olx	40-50	—

Hero Hunk

Launched as the Hero Honda Hunk way back in 2007, this is a bike in the 150cc category that is one of the most masculine and heavy bikes in the category. Weighing 146 kg when dry, the latest variant of Hero Hunk comes with a rear disc brake or a rear drum brake. Both these models are equipped with a 149.2cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine that can deliver 14.4 PS power and 12.8 Nm torque.

In comparison, the Hero Achiever – another 150cc bike from Hero can only deliver 13.5 PS of power. Among the bikes we have reviewed, the Hero Hunk is only bettered in power by Apache RTR 160 and Honda CBR 150R that can deliver 15.2 PS and 17.81 PS of power respectively. The Hero Hunk is available at a starting price of Rs. 66,125 ex-showroom from Delhi.

Official Claim

Not too many bikes in the 150cc have a column dedicated to mileage on their brochure. That’s because at this range, people normally stop looking for fuel economy and instead look for power. But with Hero Hunk, the manufacturer has made a special mention of features like low-friction core 2 engine, an advanced microprocessor ignition system fitted with a carburetor controlled variable ignition system that “delivers optimum power, torque and acceleration along with better fuel efficiency”. So what’s the economy like? According to Gaadi.com, Hero Motocorp has claimed a mileage of 65.1 kmpl on the Hunk. Not bad at all considering that the maximum mileage we have come across so far in this category has been 62.4 kmpl offered by the low powered Yamaha SZ-x.

Customer Reviews

Let’s start with the review from IndianDrives. The website compares the Hunk against Yamaha SZ-R and notes that the Hunk may in fact be delivering a lower fuel economy than the Yamaha rival. Unlike official claims, the Hunk is seen to be offering only around 47.2 kmpl mileage on city roads. MaxAbout on the other hand has more positive picture in their review. They report a mileage of between 52-58 kmpl on city roads that can go as high as 60 kmpl on the highways. If this is what you are going to be seeing on your bike, it is seriously good considering we are talking of a 150cc bike here!

WheelMela has a pretty similar report noting an overall mileage of 53 kmpl on the Hunk. IndiaMart quotes the exact same figure. On ProdEase, the Hero Hunk is given an okay rating with respect to fuel consumption although its overall performance is not questioned. They note a fuel efficiency of 49.1 kmpl.

A number of bikers have reviewed the Hunk on BikeAdvice and from their reports, it is evident that the average mileage that one may expect from this 150cc bike is between 45-50 kmpl. There are of course reports of better mileage of even up to 62 kmpl, but they are definitely under extremely favourable conditions and should probably not be considered while looking for city road performance.

To validate this report, let’s also look into user reviews posted on MouthShut. There are over 210 reviews for Hero Hunk (since its Hero Honda days) and the rating from reviewers in the past year has been 4/5 on fuel consumption. Most of these reviewers seem to be insanely in love with their bike. The mileage reported by these users has been consistently between 45-55 kmpl. One user points out that the mileage may not be great in the initial months but should go above the 50 kmpl post the first servicing.

All said and done, this bike appears to be a perfect recommendation for those seeking a combination of good power and good mileage. Should you go for it? Absolutely. Here is a snapshot of mileages reported by the various reviewers.

Source	City Mileage (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	65.1
IndianDrives	47.2	—
MaxAbout	52-58	60
WheelMela	53	—
IndiaMart	53	—
ProdEase	49.1	—
BikeAdvice	45-50	—
MouthShut	45-55	—

Hero Achiever

There was a time when the 150cc segment was considered a premium segment targeting the customer who likes power over mileage. But now in the past half a decade or so, this segment has also become quite cluttered like the entry level segment. Hero (as Hero Honda) launched the Achiever way back in 2005 and has since then relaunched the bike more than once with upgraded features.

The latest version of Hero Achiever comes equipped with a 149.1cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine that can deliver 13.5 PS max power and 12.8 Nm max torque. If you compare it with the rest of the bikes we have reviewed in the segment, you will find that except for Yamaha SZ-x, the rest of the bikes have got a better power than the Achiever. You can buy an Achiever from Delhi at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 58,425.

Official Hero Claim

For a bike in the 150cc segment, the mileage claimed by Hero Motocorp on the Achiever is not really bad. According to them, you can extract close to 68 kmpl on the Achiever under normal test conditions. Let’s see how this official claim compares to the rest of the bikes we have tested in the segment so far

Bike	Official Claim
Suzuki GS150R	55.7 kmpl
TVS Apache RTR 160	54 kmpl
Yamaha SZ-x	62.4 kmpl
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler	60 kmpl
Yamaha FZ16	50.81 kmpl
Yamaha YZF R15	46.93 kmpl

In fact, the official fuel economy claim on Hero Achiever is the best of the entire lot, and that’s a great deal for a powerful 150cc bike.

Customer Reviews

So what are the customers saying? Are they really seeing the acclaimed 68 kmpl economy? BikeDekho in their review have not been very happy. They call the bike “heavy” that could result in a low mileage. The website reports a city mileage of 55 kmpl on the Achiever. MyIndiaGuide too reports the same fuel efficiency on city road conditions. But it is not clear if they tested it out independently or sourced this numbers from any other bike review.

If you thought 55 kmpl on city roads was not enough, you may not be impressed after the review from InfiBeam. They note the fuel consumption on city roads to be 51.3 kmpl that increases to 55.3 kmpl on the highways. If that makes you unhappy, brace yourself for more because other reviews are not positive than this. BraveHeartBikers, who we have not reported from so far, declare a fuel efficiency of 47-53 kmpl on bumper-to-bumper city road traffic conditions and they say this can increase to 58 kmpl on the highways. Again, nothing to write home about.

To confirm these reports, let’s go straight to the user reviews on MouthShut. There are 30 of them and they together rate the bike 4/5 on fuel efficiency. Interestingly, despite the cynicism on a number of test drive reports, people actually seem happy with the Achiever. Some even say that this “bharosemand dost (trusted friend)” delivers a lot more than what the sales numbers say. Together, the reported mileage is in the range of 50-55 kmpl on city roads and 58-60 kmpl on highways. Clearly, this is a lot better than what test drive reports suggest.

So here below is a snapshot of all the reported fuel efficiency numbers. Should you go for it? Personally, I would place more faith in the actual customer reports than on what bloggers can report from a test drive. So given the overtly positive reviews on MouthShut, I would say, you should go for it.

Source	City Mileage (kmpl)	Highways (kmpl)
Official	–	68
BikeDekho	55	—
MyIndiaGuide	55	—
InfiBeam	51.3	55.3
BraveHeartBikers	47-53	58
MouthShut	50-55	58-60