Hero Motorcorp, India’s largest motorcycle and scooter manufacturer, has come up with a disc variant of the Hero Passion+ with the ex-showroom price of ₹84,128 in New Delhi. This variant is now available for sale in the Indian market in four double tones that are heavy grey, dark industrial grey, Nexus blue, and pearl red.
Other upgrades are the 220 mm front disc brake to ensure powerful braking and a fully digital instrument cluster that supports Bluetooth connectivity for calls and SMS alerts; gives low fuel warnings and service reminders; and shows the digital trip meter, speedometer and odometer.
The manufacturer has introduced the new variant for this motorcycle to make it more appealing to individuals who look for a bike with power braking and smart features. Notably, compared to the Drum variant, it is just costlier by ₹3,800.
Besides these upgrades, this motorcycle remains the same throughout the term. Still powered by a 97.2 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke, petrol-powered internal combustion engine that is mated with a four-speed manual in the pattern of one down and four up.
It features a fuel injection (FI) system, a chain drive drivetrain, a wet multi-plate clutch, and Hero i3S (Idle Stop-Start System). The power output is 8.02 PS (7.91 bhp) at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 8.05 Nm at 6,000 rpm.
The acceleration timing from 0 to 60 km/h is under 10 seconds, and it can reach the maximum speed of 85 km/h. Its ARAI-certified mileage is 71 kmpl, and real-world mileage is around 65 kmpl. Notably, it has a fuel tank of 11 litres, and with the average mileage of 60 km/l, it can run 660 km without any refuelling stop.
Dimensionally, it is 1,982 mm longer, 770 mm wider, and 1,087 mm taller. The wheelbase is 1,235 mm, which is 1 mm, 10 mm and 20 mm shorter than the TVS Sport, the Honda Shine 100 and the Bajaj Platina 100, respectively, even though it is good enough to keep the bike stable at each speed.
Its ground clearance is 168 mm, an ideal ride height for Indian roads, which helps in easily passing roads with potholes and speed breakers. The seat height of 790 mm gives comfortable driving positions for individuals between 5 feet 3 inches and 5 feet 7 inches.
The kerb weight is 115 kg; it is slightly heavier than the three of its competitors mentioned above, but can be handled easily in city traffic. This motorcycle is built on a tubular double cradle whose front suspension is telescopic hydraulic forks and whose rear is 5-step adjustable twin hydraulic shock absorbers.
Equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels with 80/100 tubeless tyres, its rear brake is still a drum whose diameter is 130 mm. Notably, the front disc and rear drum brake setup is quite powerful in a 100 cc motorcycle; even its rivals are offered with the same setup.
It gets LED headlights but has halogen taillamps. This motorcycle is equipped with a Combined Braking System, which also applies little braking force to the front wheel whenever the rear brake pedal is pressed, and a side-stand off, which does not let the engine start until the side stand is folded.
It also comes with a side-stand indicator, which gives an alert on the digital instrument cluster if the side stand is down. The manufacturer has introduced these two features related to the side stand to ensure that no accidents happen because of it.