2020 Hero Glamour BS-6 : Road-Test Review
Hero Glamour BS6: Introduction
The Hero Glamour is among the best-selling 125cc motorcycles in the Indian market. It directly rivals the likes of the Honda SP 125 and Bajaj Pulsar 125. A few months back, Hero launched the updated BS-6 model and along with an upgraded powertrain, the Hero MotoCorp also updated its styling and feature list. Here’s our Hero Glamour BS6 review.
Hero Glamour BS-6: Looks & Styling
Talking about the design of the Hero Glamour BS6, the motorcycle now looks refreshed and even more appealing. However, it continues to feature remnants of its previous design. This includes the chequered-flag graphics, which were offered with the first-gen Glamour back in 2008.
The front fascia of the new Hero Glamour looks sportier thanks to the aggressive headlamp housing design and the sharp-edged, tinted windshield which sports a ‘Hero’ badge. Illumination duties are taken care of by halogen units, which offer an adequate amount of throw while riding at night time. It also employs halogen side blinkers at the front and rear. Suspension duties are done by conventional telescopic forks upfront and twin-shock setup at the rear.
Like the BS-4 model, the Hero Glamour BS6 employs smart-looking 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels to complement the sporty appeal. The bike now gets a well-sculpted muscular-looking tank, which will allow taller riders to comfortably position their legs and get better control over the motorcycle. The updated tank also features bigger shrouds, which help enhance its overall aesthetics.
Further back, it gets a single-piece flat seat which is cushioned quite well and in our opinion, allows you to ride the bike comfortably over longer distances without any hassle. Moving towards the rear, the new Hero Glamour BS6 features an LED taillight with an H-shaped glow pattern, halogen indicators and a gloss-black grab rail.
Also read - Hero Glamour 100 Million Limited Edition Launched
Coming to features, the switchgear of the bike remains quite basic. You get controls to operate different functions like self-start, high-beam/ low-beam, side indicators, horn, pass light and the i3S start-stop system. Moreover, it also gets a semi-digital instrument cluster, with an analogue speedometer on the left and a blue-lit digital LCD unit on the other side. The unit displays the fuel gauge, trip meter and odometer.
Compared to the BS-4 Glamour, the Hero Glamour BS6 also features Hero’s Xsens technology. It consists of nine different sensors - Bank Angle Sensor (to help cut off the bike in an accident, Oxygen/Crank Position Sensor (helps in better fuel efficiency), Throttle Position Sensors (helps in better pick-up), Engine Oil Temperature Sensors (helps avoid overheating), i3s Sensor (helps with the start-stop feature), Intake Air Temperature Sensor (helps crank the engine is all temperatures) and Vehicle Speed Sensor (helps make the bike more tractable).
Overall, the bike now looks fresh, and a lot more aesthetically pleasing than before. However, when it comes to design and features, we feel that the fit and finish of the seat; along with the quality of switchgear could have been better.
Hero Glamour BS6: Engine & Performance
The biggest update to Hero Glamour is the updated BS6-compliant powertrain. Mechanically, it derives power from a 125cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected unit that produces 10.87 PS of peak power at 7,500 rpm and 10.6 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. The motor now comes paired to a 5-speed gearbox with a one-down-four-up configuration. In order to successfully comply with the government’s BS-6 regulation, Hero MotoCorp has added a larger catalytic converter.
In terms of performance, the initial power of the engine is quite responsive, mid-range feels adequate but it loses out on steam at the top-end of the rev-range. The upgraded powertrain feels more refined climbing through gears and the response in the bottom-end of the rev range is pleasing. You can definitely ride the Hero Glamour BS6 in a spirited manner but the bike has been conceived to offer good mileage figures.
While it may indulge you in light comradery through corners and pulling away from stop lights, it won’t outright impress you much in terms of performance. While Hero has worked to reduce the overall NVH levels, you can still feel some amount of vibrations creeping through the handlebars and footpegs after a certain point. This is most evident once the motorcycle crosses the 60 km/h mark. Thanks to the new 5-speed gearbox, the engine now feels more relaxed at higher speeds. As a result, while the engine does come under stress at triple-digit speeds, the gear ratios feel well spaced out.
Lastly, one of my favourite features of the Hero Glamour BS6 is the auto sail function. The system helps you cruise effortlessly through city traffic, without having to actually use any throttle input.
Overall, we feel the Hero Glamour BS6 is best reserved for everyday commuting and light canyon-carving on the weekends. Taking the bike on long trips can certainly be done but will prove to be a challenging task.
Hero Glamour BS6: Ride & Handling
The Hero Glamour BS6 sits on a new chassis, which is a strong diamond-cut frame that offers better dynamics compared to the previous model. The motorcycle offers a relaxed riding posture thanks to the upright wide handlebars and the light front-end allows you to maneuver the bike effortlessly through tight traffic.
Hero MotoCorp has also tuned the suspension system of the motorcycle to improve its overall road manners. The front suspension feels soft, while the rear springs are a bit stiff. This combination works best when there are two passengers on-board but gets a bit unpleasant when you have just the rider at the helm. However, the suspension is capable enough to easily counter potholes and speed breakers of any size with ease.
Hero Glamour BS6 is offered with two different trims levels to choose from - Drum or Disc. What we had for our review was the disc brake version of the motorcycle. Upfront, it gets a 240mm disc brake, which works quite well and offers a sharp bite under hard braking. However, the rear wheel features drum brakes on both variants and we weren’t that impressed with its performance. They offer delayed feedback and a lacklustre bite. However, the braking system comes paired with Hero’s IBS (Integrated Braking System) technology.
At both the ends, the bike employs MRF rubbers with a 100/80-section rear tyre. The tyres offer confidence-inspiring grip in wet and dry conditions. However, you do tend to start losing traction when you push too hard.
As we mentioned above, the Hero Glamour BS6 is offered with two different trim levels - Drum and Disc. The Glamour bike price in 2021 starts from INR 73,200* and goes up to INR 75,000* for the drum variant. while the Disc brake variant carries a price tag ranging from INR 76,700 to INR 77,900. The disc brake trim is Rs 3,500 costlier than the drum brake variant, which we feel is well justified when it comes to safety.
Overall, the Hero Glamour BS6 looks good, gets a more refined motor and comes packed with a host of new safety and convenience features. We feel that the Hero Glamour BS6 is a much better package than its previous iteration.
*(ex-showroom, Delhi)
