Hero MotoCorp has launched the Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel in India at ₹82,810 (ex-showroom). The motorcycle has been launched in India alongside the Hero HF Deluxe Flex Fuel, another popular commuter motorcycle. With this, the Splendor series, which is the bestselling motorcycle in terms of volume in India, has entered the era of E85 fuel, a mix of 15% petrol with 85% ethanol, likely to be available across India in the near future, as the government is aiming to achieve a higher mix of ethanol in petrol in an attempt to secure the country's energy security.
With the ability to run on E85-compliant fuel, the new Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel is a future-ready motorcycle, especially at a time when the level of ethanol content in petrol in the future is expected to increase significantly.
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If you are planning to buy the Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel, here are the five key facts that you must know before spending your money on this motorcycle.
Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel: 36 changes for E85 compatibility
Hero MotoCorp has claimed that the new Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel, despite being based on the existing Hero Splendor+, comes with as many as 36 upgrades in an attempt to become compatible with the E85 petrol. These changes include a new fuel pump, a new secondary air filter, and a recalibrated ECU map.
Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel: Costlier than standard Splendor+
{{/usCountry}}Hero MotoCorp has claimed that the new Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel, despite being based on the existing Hero Splendor+, comes with as many as 36 upgrades in an attempt to become compatible with the E85 petrol. These changes include a new fuel pump, a new secondary air filter, and a recalibrated ECU map.
Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel: Costlier than standard Splendor+
{{/usCountry}}The Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel comes with a price tag of ₹82,810 (ex-showroom). This makes the new motorcycle roughly ₹2,500 costlier than the standard, E20-compatible version of the Hero Splendor+.
Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel: Same engine, few upgrades
Powering the new Flex Fuel version of the Splendor+ is the same 97.2 cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that pumps out 8.4 bhp peak power and 8.3 Nm maximum torque. Hero MotoCorp has stated that these power and torque figures are generated when the bike runs on E85 fuel. In comparison to this, the existing E20-compatible engine churns out 7.91 bhp maximum power and 8.05 Nm peak torque.
Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel: Slight visual and feature upgrades
While the focus for the new model has remained on the mechanical changes to make the bike compatible with E85 petrol, visually, it looks slightly different with a new set of body graphics that make it stand apart. Also, there is a new digital-analogue instrument cluster.
Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel: Brake and suspension unchanged
The Hero Splendor+ Flex Fuel retains the same suspension and braking setup as the E20-compatible version of the bike. It gets a telescopic front fork and five-step adjustable rear shock absorbers for suspension duty, while for braking purposes, it gets 130 mm drum units at both ends.