Hero Glamour X review: working class hero – Introduction

The 125cc motorcycle segment is one that has seen tremendous growth in recent times, not just in terms of sales but also in new models joining the fray. And in this big category, there are broadly two types – the conventional, utilitarian one and the newer-age, flashy, relatively sportier and more feature-rich one. Enter the new Hero Glamour X, which aims to bridge the gap between these two and offer you the best of both worlds. 

Hero Glamour X design and features – 9/10

Has segment-leading features; style similar to traditional commuters

What Hero has done to create the Glamour X is taken the same basic rolling chassis from the Glamour Xtec, spruced it up with some fresh styling bits like a new, sharper headlight and tail-light, and given it a nifty underseat storage area as well as five new colours. But interestingly, Hero has plonked in the more powerful engine from the Xtreme 125R. And to top it all off, there’s a heap of tech on the Glamour X. 

For starters, the bike uses ride-by-wire, which enables three riding modes: Eco, Road and Power, all of which deliver the same peak output but run different mapping. Then, you have cruise control on the Glamour X, making it the smallest, most affordable bike in the country – perhaps even the world! – to offer this feature. Like most other Hero commuters, the Glamour X also gets the company’s i3S start/stop tech, which works reasonably well. 

Hero Glamour X colours and quality – 8/10

Available in five colours; quality is generally good all across 

Showing the rider all the relevant information is a colour LCD display similar to the one on the Karizma 210. The display is bright enough and laid out well, and the interface is also very straightforward. 

While the features and the engine certainly make this a unique proposition, the Glamour X’s design has more in common with a traditional commuter and not the funky new 125s. That’s an understandable move on the company’s part because the bestselling bikes in India have this sort of silhouette, and it’s a market Hero just can’t afford to ignore. 

The Glamour X’s design blends old-school with a hint of new-age.

While it is largely a commuter design, bits like the small tank extensions, the smart headlight and tail-light and the little belly pan help give the Glamour X a little identity of its own out on the road. Design is subjective, but I think this is a fairly catchy-looking thing without being overly flashy and in your face. Quality, too, seems commendable for a bike in this class, and there are no unsightly panel gaps or stray wiring visible. 

However, one little nit I must pick is the absence of a hinged fuel filler lid on an otherwise feature-rich and well-built machine. Sure, it’s a small gripe, but if this bike can have cruise control, surely Hero could have thrown in a hinged fuel filler cap! 

Hero Glamour X ride and handling – 8/10

It is very comfortable and practical; feels light and nimble

All of that means the riding experience you’ll get from the Glamour X is more or less similar to that of the other 125cc Hero commuters, save for a bit more oomph. That’s more or less what’s expected from a bike in this class because the whole point of a commuter is that it offers you a high level of comfort while returning good fuel economy and lasting a long time. 

Speaking of comfort, that’s an area where the Glamour X scores very highly. The suspension is tuned to keep the rider comfortable, no matter what the road throws at you, and in typical Hero fashion, this bike’s ride quality is absolutely sublime. No matter the size of the bump, you’ll seldom even notice that you’ve gone over a bad patch, let alone feel it!

It is light and agile but not sporty by any means.

Expectedly, its plush ride comfort means it’s no corner carver, but it feels light, agile and neutral. Add to that its super-tight turning radius, and you have an excellent bike for work inside the city. There’s also a lot of space to move around on this single-piece seat, and ferrying around a pillion or carrying luggage will be a breeze. 

Hero Glamour X engine and performance – 7/10

Xtreme 125-derived motor is smooth; gearbox could be better 

What will also help you inside the city is the Glamour X’s smooth and tractable engine, as well as the short gearing. Once you’re on the highway, the motor retains its smoothness and refinement all the way up to 80kph, before prominent vibration rears its head. Hero has also tuned the exhaust note to sound bassy and deep, as there was market demand for that, according to the company’s research. 

The only mechanical part of the motorcycle that doesn’t always work as it should is the gearbox. Gearshifts (both up and down) weren’t the most precise, and sometimes, the Glamour X would refuse to go from neutral to first, necessitating a real hard shove to shift into gear. A clunky gearbox is a scenario we’ve faced with multiple other Hero motorcycles in the past, and I’d like to see some improvement in this regard. 

Cruise control works well; Road mode is the best fit for the bike’s character

Coming to the three riding modes (Power, Road and Eco), I felt that the Road mode suited the bike’s character the most, and it seems like that would have been the default setting had there been no modes at all. The fuelling is crisp, the throttle response is predictable, and the throttle feel is quite close to that of an authentic cable.

The Glamour X’s suspension comfort sets a high bar.

Power mode gives you sharper throttle responses, and if you are someone who rides in a hilly region or with a pillion very often or both, you’ll appreciate this urgency in power delivery. Coming to Eco, this mode really dulls down power delivery and is only for when you’re riding in inclement weather or if you’re looking to extract maximum fuel economy. 

Now, let’s get to the questions about the Glamour X that are surely on everyone’s mind: how does the cruise control feature work, and more importantly, does this bike really need it? The answer to the first is that the cruise control works just like it should, with a switch on the RH cluster controlling it. As for the second question, there are two answers, as I see it. 

Segment-leading features such as riding modes and cruise control found here.

One point of view is that if you have a really long commute over some open, flowing highways or inside a big metro city like Mumbai with fast roads, then cruise control could prove to be valuable. The other side of that coin is that you may deem this feature unnecessary and say a bike with 11hp doesn’t need it, in which case you have the option to not use it entirely. Personally, I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Low battery kickstart assist an innovative and helpful feature

While all these features are certainly headline-grabbing, one very interesting feature on the Glamour X – perhaps not as headline-grabbing as the aforementioned ones – is the low battery kickstart function. Hero tells us that in our market, customers typically are not as service-oriented as others, and bikes like these often have batteries that aren’t replaced for years on end. That means when the battery’s current is low, it won’t be enough to open the throttle body’s valve and supply the air-fuel mixture to the engine; therefore, there won’t be any ignition process, and the motor won’t start. 

This box under the seat can hold quite a bit.

Hero has found a workaround for this in that when you press down on the kick, for a moment, a small amount of current is sent to the throttle body, which helps the engine successfully achieve ignition. This is a small feature, but a thoughtful one that is likely to pay dividends in the long run. 

Hero Glamour X price and verdict – 8/10

The Glamour X is a competent and feature-loaded bike

With prices ranging between Rs 89,999 and Rs 99,999 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Glamour X costs just a few thousand rupees more than the lower Glamour models, which is really good pricing for all the extra tech and style you get here. Since it is also based on a proven engine and chassis platform, realistically, there are likely to be no unwelcome surprises in its ownership experience. 

But as great as all the features are and as competitive as the pricing is, Hero has missed a trick here by not offering ABS, at least as an option – especially in the context of the Xtreme 125R ABS variant, which, at Rs 1.02 lakh, is priced very close to the top Glamour X. You could even argue that the Glamour X should actually have had ABS instead of cruise control, as on our unpredictable roads, the safety feature is likely to be more valuable than a convenience-enhancing one. 

It is priced competitively for what it packs.

Outside of that and the notchy gearbox, the Glamour X hasn’t done much else wrong in our time with it. If you’re someone who’s not interested in one of the flashy and sporty 125cc commuters but does like the features they offer with a good dose of practicality, fuel efficiency and straightforwardness, then this Glamour X should definitely be on your radar. 

Also See: Hero Glamour X video review