2020 Hero Glamour BS6 Review: First Ride

There is nothing glamorous about Hero's all-new 125cc premium commuter as its name suggests, but for its target audience, the 2020 Glamour BS6 ticks all the right boxes.  

Slapping the ‘Glamour’ sticker on a commuter motorcycle sure seems a little out of place, but with the all-new version of this 125cc offering, Hero has put in a lot of work. For starters, it’s an all-new motorcycle, meaning it has a new frame, a new BS6 engine, new components, and a new gearbox. Plus, there are a couple of new features as well. All this to beat other premium 125cc offerings like the Bajaj Pulsar 125 and Honda SP125. So, can the all-new Glamour do it?

The Glamour has been around for more than a decade and a half, and during these years it’s become one of the best-selling 125cc motorcycles in the country. It’s always been a no-nonsense premium commuter that’s super-efficient, frugal, and reliable. The latest version builds upon the same virtues but in a more polished way.

Refined Style

Starting with its design, it’s been refined to give it a more premium touch, however, the Glamour hasn’t lost its simplicity. The design is more mature, and it looks bigger now. In fact, it reminds me of the Hero Achiever from the past, especially the new headlamp unit. Apart from that, there are new side panels, a new part analogue-part digital instrument cluster, and a funky H-pattern LED tail-lamp. The new Glamour retains the signature chequered flag stickers, but they’re not as loud as before. The alloy wheels get a split-spoke design, which is a nice touch. The motorcycle has grown slightly in size – the wheelbase is marginally longer (1,273mm vs 1,262mm). The new version isn’t as wide as its predecessor, but overall it appears to look bigger than before, thanks to its beefy headlamp unit and side panels on the tank.

Features wise, there isn’t anything glamorous here. The i3S start-stop tech is retained, there’s a side-stand warning lamp on the instrument cluster, and it now also displays instantaneous fuel economy. The speedometer is a simple analogue dial, and there’s no tach on offer. It still uses a halogen headlamp, so no LED headlamps like the Honda SP125. The quality of plastics and overall fit-and-finish seemed satisfactory for the most part, but the rear-view mirrors and switchgear do feel flimsy.

Mileage King

The 2020 Glamour features an all-new air-cooled 125cc single-cylinder unit with fuel injection. Now, while many commuter motorcycles have experienced the luxury of a fuel-injection system for the very first time after the implementation of BS6, the Glamour was the first mass-market motorcycle in India to get this tech – it got FI way back in 2006!

Coming back to the new engine, the motor is good for 10.7bhp and develops 10.6Nm of torque. Compared to the old BS4 engine (11.4bhp and 11Nm), the power and torque are both down. However, the new version gets a 5-speed gearbox as opposed to a 4-speed ‘box of the old Glamour. Plus, at 123kg, the new BS6 version is 4 kilograms lighter.

As you’d expect, the engine is super refined at idle. Power delivery is equally smooth and linear with strong low- and mid-range performance. The throttle response is crisp, the clutch is light, and the gearbox is smooth-shifting – all of this makes it effortless to ride in the city. Once you cross 50km/h though, vibrations through the bars and tank are quite pronounced, and they only get louder as you inch towards 100km/h.

Fuel economy is stellar as always – we used the motorcycle for over two weeks, and it consistently returned over 60km/l! The i3S smart start-stop has also some role to play here, as it cleverly shuts off the engine when you put the gearbox in neutral for more than 5 seconds. The moment you press the clutch, the engine springs back to life, and you get going again.

Firm & light

The new Glamour features an all-new and light diamond frame, along with a completely new suspension setup. Although the suspension has more travel than before, the ride isn’t what you’d call plush – it’s a little firm, but not to the point where it feels uncomfortable. You only get jolts when you hit sharp bumps. With a pillion on-board, the ride becomes better.

The stiff suspension results in a sweet ride-and-handling balance, as it doesn’t feel lazy or excessively soft set-up like other commuters. It steers confidently, and riding it in traffic is a breeze. Braking duties are carried out by a 240mm disc at the front and a 130mm drum at rear (a 130mm front- and rear drum-brake setup is also offered at a lower price). The brakes are sharp, but the front lever has a very wooden feel to it – it’s like an on-off switch. The new Glamour only gets a combined braking system, meaning there’s no ABS.

Verdict

Hero, like its other recent products, has again done a very decent job with the new Glamour. The motorcycle feels much better than its predecessor, and as a daily workhorse, you can’t really find faults with it. It has a nice ride-and-handling balance and an engine that has ample grunt to take on daily commuting duties. Also, it's fuel-efficient. Overall, a genuinely competent product for its target audience.   

Also read, 

Hero MotoCorp launches new Passion Pro and Glamour 

New Hero Xtreme 160R launched at ₹1 lakh