Can You Tour On A Hero Splendor Plus?

Does this everyday commuter have more to offer than what meets the eye?

The Hero Splendor Plus is India’s most popular bike, consistently being the highest selling model for years. Most people see it as a simple commuter offering from Hero meant for city riding. Very few try to take it out for longer trips to see how far the bike can go. 

Back when I started getting interested in motorcycles, I had seen a documentary about two guys touring through China on 125cc bikes. I always wanted to try and do something similar, to see how touring on a lower capacity bike is actually like. Now, after going on a 320km trip through the western ghats, I have a decent idea of what you can expect.

It Is Time Consuming

One of the first things that has to be acknowledged is that the Splendor Plus is not a fast bike by any means. It is powered by a simple 97.2cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder motor which outputs 8.02PS and 8.05Nm. 

For riding in the city, this is enough. But once you hit the highways and the ghats, you definitely feel the need for more power. During my trip, I was able to hit speeds of 80-85kmph (speedo indicated). Although this is my usual cruising speed on my personal bike (a Yamaha MT-15), the feeling that the Splendor was struggling was quite apparent. 

One of the things which made the trip more time consuming was not being able to gun it on the straights. This could have saved a lot of time over the whole journey and helped me reach my destination a lot quicker. 

So if you are out touring on a Splendor, the first thing you need is patience. Because you’re not going to reach your destination as fast as you would on a higher capacity bike.

The Twisties Are Fun But Dangerous

The suspension setup is slightly towards the stiffer side, this keeps the bike relatively stable at higher speeds. Another good thing is, it inspires greater confidence when tipping into corners. During my ride, I was able to hit the twisties of Tamhini Ghat quite well. 

The bike was willing to lean into the corners but while riding, I had to be careful not to lean in too much. As the Splendor Plus has narrow commuter tyres, running out of grip was a real danger I had to keep in mind. 

Safety Is Not A Given

The Splendor Plus gets 130mm drum brakes at both ends. The brakes are not the best in terms of responsiveness. For short commutes in the city at slower speeds, they might seem adequate. But when you are out touring at higher speeds, they are not enough. 

The issue with drum brakes is that there is no option for ABS, which makes emergency braking all the more dangerous. The chances of your wheel locking up and the bike losing grip subsequently is quite high. So you will have to stay alert all the time. You need to plan your braking much more in advance so that you don’t end up grabbing the brakes in panic.

Comfortable? Not Really

With the upright riding posture and overall relaxed ergonomics, the Splendor is a comfortable motorcycle. At least in the city, but when you are out touring, this changes. 

The seat on the Splendor might look thick, but it’s quite soft. During longer rides, your butt starts to sink into the foam and will begin to hurt. I started feeling uncomfortable after riding for around 2 hours, and over time it only got worse. So if you’re expecting a relaxed and comfortable riding experience while touring, you'll need to figure out firmer seat foam, or better yet, look elsewhere. 

Conclusion 

Would I recommend touring on the Splendor Plus? The answer is yes. Yes, because riding a slow bike fast is fun in its own way. Also because, you will be doing something crazy that most other riders won’t even consider.

The ride, although fun in hindsight, is still a tiring experience that will put your patience and tolerance to the test. Only the ones who are crazy, passionate or desperate enough will be able to survive long journeys on a Splendor. So if you think you are a real motorcycle enthusiast then this will be a ride that will put you to the test.