5 Reasons why Hero Splendor is the most popular motorcycle in India

Published:

Hero sells more than 30 Lakh Splendor Plus in India every month. For comparison, TVS cannot sell that many Apaches even in a year! To say that Hero Splendor Plus is a success would be an understatement. Many companies have tried to emulate this success but have only fallen face down onto the road. Splendor Plus however continues to soar above the rest in this age of inflation as well.

As automobile enthusiasts, we have pondered over this age-old question many times. Let’s look at what makes Splendor Plus such a great success in India

1. Looks

Hero Splendor Plus is not the epitome of automotive design. It hardly has any! To say that it sells in great numbers is because of its design would be idiotic in isolation, but hear me out.

The Hero Splendor Plus has remained mostly the same since it first launched way back in 1994. The current generation Splendor Plus has the same silhouette as the old Splendor, with modern elements added to it. Having ridden the Splendor since childhood, this is probably the only constant in my life along with my family. This familiarity is what draws people towards it. People buy the Splendor Plus because they know it will be there when they need it. They know that this motorcycle will never leave their side and stand by their side through thick and thin.

New vs Old Splendor

This emotional attachment to Splendor Plus is what makes it different from all the other ones that despite technically being better than the Splendor Plus. Very few motorcycles are able to create this level of emotional attachment to their customers. The way a Splendor looks is what makes it such as bestseller in today’s highly competitive market. If Hero for some reason decides to change the look in the next iteration, the motorcycle will not sell as much even if it has the best engine in the world. On the other hand, if the Splendor Plus is sold with a bad engine, it will still sell in huge numbers for some time.

2. Reliability

We Indians are very shrewd. We are not very extravagant in anything apart from marriage ceremonies. We only spend as much as is required and do not spend any further money on it. This is why many subscription-based services fail in the country. We Indians just want to buy the product once and not have to pay for it on a continuous basis.

This is why the Splendor Plus is so loved here. It comes with no added cost since it is so reliable. I have seen decade-old Splendor Pluses being ridden like it’s brand new. The fact that it has very few body panels and electronics means there are few things that could go wrong. Its minimalistic construction is what makes it one of the most reliable motorcycles in the country.

3. Price

I still remember the Splendor costing around Rs 45,000 when I was a kid. Global inflation means that the price has almost doubled since then but it is still a very cheap motorcycle as compared to others. The Splendor Plus 2021 model comes in at Rs 80,000 on road for the base model and goes up to Rs 85,000 for the 100 million edition.

The fact that it still undercuts all of its competitors is a mark of great business by Hero. They have sold more than 100 million motorcycles and if nothing goes wrong, I can see them selling 100 million more.

4. Fuel Efficiency

With a 97.2 CC engine, the Hero Splendor Plus is very smooth. In addition to that, however, it is also very fuel-efficient. Hero Splendor Plus can give a mileage of 65kmpl very easily and could even go higher if ridden efficiently. This is what attracts most buyers these days. Given Petrol prices are skyrocketing, people do not what to buy motorcycles that would cost a fortune to run.

A huge reason why people do not buy a scooter in rural areas is because of their very poor mileage, particularly on broken roads. One of my friends has a TVS Ntorq, which gives a fuel efficiency of 25 or 30 on a great day. That is just not good for a 125CC two-wheeler. This is particularly why scooties and scooters will be the first to go when EVs arrive.

5. Low Depreciation

You can buy a Hero Splendor Plus for Rs 80,000 today and sell it for Rs 50,000 or more 4 years later if the condition is good. Try doing that with a Bajaj motorcycle. A comparable Bajaj bike would not even get you Rs 35,000 after two years such is their depreciation. Buying a Splendor is a good investment in itself. You can use the motorcycle all you want and get good money when you decide to sell.

Depreciation does not hit the Splendor Plus as hard as it does other motorcycles

These are the top reason why Hero sells more than 30 lakh units a month. There is still no stopping Splendor Plus’s sales despite every other company trying their best. There are only two motorcycles, the Bullet and the Splendor that have such a huge following in the country. What do you think about Splendor Plus? Do you think we missed any of the big reasons for its immense sales figures? Do let us know!

Related articles

Recent articles