Earlier this year, India’s leading two wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp had announced that they would launch 15 products during the current financial year. The two-wheeler giant launched the Splendor iSmart 110 back in the month of July and this time, they have brought in the new Achiever 150. A premium, performance commuter motorcycle by nature, the new Achiever replaces the outgoing generation that has been around for quite some time now, about a decade to be precise. Is the Achiever 150 the new Hero (pun intended) of the power commuter lot? Let’s find out.
Design
The Achiever’s brief is to offer a well rounded, inoffensive, practical yet powerful option to the discerning power commuter. It’s not meant to win beauty pageants and so, it revels in understatement rather than dazzling your eyes with glint. As compared to its predecessor, the new Achiever is bound to take a liking by the mature section of people rather than most of today’s 150cc segment bikes that focus on a racy appeal for glam-oriented youth. The build quality seems to be good although there is nothing to write home about. The headlamp setup is equipped with a pilot lamp on either side while the main illuminator is a 12V/35W unit. We cannot comment on the performance of this unit as we only had the opportunity of riding the motorcycle during the day.
The new Achiever seems healthier than the outgoing model right from the headlight fairing all the way to the tail lamp. While the bikini fairing of the headlight misses out on the decal over the older model (a good one there), the visor does not overshoot it anymore. While the conventional orange coloured indicator covers now make way for a clear lens cover on all four sides, the traditional chrome garnish on the crash guard now comes in an all black tone.
The toned down decals on the fuel tank give it a clean look while the side panel now sports the new i3s technology logo. The rear section now features the Achiever 150 decal instead of the conventional Hero decal. The grab rail now comes in a shade of silver as opposed to the earlier shade of grey. The saree guard, chain cover and the red coloured suspension setup remain the same. The tail lamp is now broader and gets chunkier.
New features incorporated on the new Achiever include an inverted trapezoidal headlamp, a beefed up fuel tank with a Hero 3D emblem, a shorter but sharply designed chrome heat shield for the exhaust and body coloured rear view mirrors. The all analogue instrument cluster is a bit of a letdown, though, taking into consideration the fact that even the younger sibling of the Achiever 150, the Splendor iSmart 110 receives a small LCD display. In the end, it’s not a ‘160cc boy racer” as Hero says.
Engine
Not quite a fan of numbers, so allow me to wrap it up quickly. The new Achiever 150 is powered by the same 149cc single cylinder, four stroke, air cooled motor. This engine produces the same output as the previous gen model, 13.4 PS at 8000 rpm and 12.8 Nm at 5000 rpm. This drivetrain is mated to a five speed transmission. While the specs stand to remain the same, Hero MotoCorp claim to have worked on the refinement of the engine, which now complies with the BS-IV emission norms. In practice NVH levels are quite low for the class, with vibrations being felt only after about 6500-7000 rpm. Engine knocking is absent even in low revs which is bound to be a blessing during peak hour traffic.
Performance
Gently press the ignition button and the 150cc motor of the new Achiever comes to life. Engage the first gear and off you are to an effortless start. Smooth gear shifts are a boon, especially when negotiating a turn or even heaps of traffic for that matter. The heel-n-toe gear lever is another blessing for those of us who like their shoes to remain abuse free during up-shifts. Hero MotorCorp claims that the Achiever 150 can accelerate from 0-60 kmph in 5 seconds. Although we couldn’t validate the claim, we feel that the figure would stand true keeping in mind the throttle response and the acceleration of the motorcycle.
The new Achiever can be pushed to speeds well above 80-100 kmph without breaking a sweat, something that should suffice the hunger for a premium commuter motorcycle rider without any issues. The 40-60 kmph range which comprises the meat of an everyday office goer’s commuting speed range is handled with utter disdain. Do not keep high expectations for the exhaust note as it maintains a humble note, pretty unoffensive to say the least. The exhaust note is not something special nor is it disappointing, Fuel economy is said to stand at a respectable 50 kmpl, based on the WTMC test, which are believed to be quite close to the real world conditions.
Pull the new Achiever 150 to 4000 clicks and you still won’t feel any vibrations. A little later, at about 5500 rpm, you can feel the vibes kicking in. Try putting on a higher gear on low speeds and the Achiever’s engine maintains its unruffled, smooth poise even at revs as low as 2200 rpm, without a hint of knocking. With our test track being a parking lot of a certain stadium in Delhi, we couldn’t test the motorcycle’s top speed capabilities. Then again, you’d probably be looking elsewhere if sustaining high speeds outright was your sole objective. Nonetheless, we managed to clock 80 kmph during a certain straight patch and we didn’t find anything amiss. The i3s equipped 150cc motor, all in all, left us with no complaints.
Ergonomics
Once seated on the single piece seat, the first thing to come to your notice would be the comfort on offer and the upright riding posture. The fuel tank has a redesigned shape and now conveniently sits gripped between your thighs. It’s a reasonably comfortable riding position, and your legs feel relaxed with the knee joint bent at a comfortable 90 degrees on either side. All the switches located on either side of the handlebar are well positioned and fall easily to hand. The engine kill switch found on most motorcycles is replaced by the new i3S switch on the right hand side, which engages or disengages the new stop-start tech on the bike. Not having an engine kills witch means that you have to turn off the bike the conventional way by twisting the key in the middle of the instrument cluster. As for that mysterious i3S switch, we’ll explain its utility in detail in a bit.
Ride and Handling
The suspension on the bike came across as slightly on the stiffer side, especially knowing the positioning of the Achiever, though it never bordered on to being uncomfortable. While the surface we rode the bike on was mostly smooth, the tiny patches of misaligned tiles at the venue were handled with aplomb and sans any protest. Braking duties are taken care of by an optional disc brake setup upfront while the rear receives a drum brake setup as standard. The front lever requires a tad more squeeze than ideal, though the bite is definitely there once you’ve pulled in hard enough. While the 100 section Ceat sourced rear tyre does stand to return a better efficiency, we cannot be entirely sure about its capabilities to offer adhesion on the limit. A proper road test shall follow for a more authoritative commentary on that aspect.
Features
First things first! The most vital change to the new engine is Hero’s i3s (Ideal Start Stop System) technology that is a segment-first feature. The i3s switch positioned on the right side of the handlebar can be used to engage or disengage the feature. If engaged, the tech would shut off the engine every time the motorcycle halts in neutral gear for more than five seconds. Depress the clutch lever and the engine would come back to life again – thus helping you save precious fuel in scenarios such as long traffic signals or manned railway crossings. While the feature would save a sizeable amount of fuel for you is still questionable, though it will save a small amount of it for sure, and while doing so it wouldn’t inconvenience you as a traditional starter motor switch would have.
Another segment first for the Achiever 150 is the Automatic Headlight On (AHO) feature that keeps the headlight on whenever the engine is running. The feature has been added to comply with the upcoming safety norms that are likely to come into effect in 2017. Be ready to be called out by every other pedestrian and rider / driver from opposing direction reminding you that your headlight is on though.
The instrument cluster, which sits below a faux carbon fibre insert, is divided into 3 parts, the circular analogue speedometer, marked optimistically till 160 km/h and comprising a single trip meter along with an odo. The 30-50 km/h speed range is marked as the ‘economy zone’ here. The tachometer gets markings all the way up to 11,000 clicks and is redlined at 9,000 revs. An unusual, polygon shaped cluster comprises tell-tale lights and the fuel gauge. Indicators on the tell-tale panel include neutral gear indicator, side stand engaged, high beam and turn indicator lights. The aforementioned gauges feature interconnected chrome surrounds.
Here are a few details of the Achiever 150 with images and captions:
The switch for engaging the i3s technology, the most important aspect of the new Hero MotoCorp Achiever 150
The trapezoidal headlamp with bikini fairing on the new Achiever 150. The image here is that of the limited edition version
A view of the tank and the instrument console
5 Spoke alloy wheel comes wrapped in Ceat rubber, claimed to enhance fuel efficiency
Body coloured mirrors increase visual appeal for the Achiever 150
Faux carbon fibre insert on the instrument panel is a neat addition!
Front disc brake is a standard feature while the rear disc brake is available for a premium of Rs. 1000
Verdict
Although our test ride was limited to a small track in the city of Delhi, we can tell you that the Achiever 150 is here to take a significant share of the pie in its segment. If you’re someone who puts practicality over looks, then the Achiever, which has been priced at INR 61,800 (drum, +1K for disc) offers a fantastic value for money proposition. A comparison with a few other products in the segment, like the Pulsar 150 or the Unicorn 150 which retail for nearly INR 70K and 71K respectively, underlines the significant cost savings the new Achiever offers. As an icing on the cake, the Achiever also offers some first in segment features. The Bajaj Discover 150, with a price tag of about 56K is a slightly cheaper rival, but its positioning, performance and features don’t quite match that of the achiever.
Hero has traditionally been known to make reliable, efficient and economical to run and maintain products, and we can safely assume that the new Achiever wouldn’t be any different. It’s a competent power commuter which doesn’t have any frivolous pretensions. The new Hero Achiever 150 checks all the boxes from a comfort, practicality, economy and ambidexterity standpoint. Highlights of the model include a refined engine, effortless gear shifts and the patented i3s technology that should translate into an above average fuel efficiency too. Knowing the target group of the new product, and how this 150cc motorcycle has turned out, Hero Motorcorp should be proud of what they have ‘achieved’ with this one.
Check out the tech specs of the new Achiever below, followed by an image gallery
Specifications
| Engine | |
| Type | Air Cooled, 4 Stroke Single Cylinder , OHC |
| Displacement | 149.1cc |
| Max. Power | 13.4 Bhp at 8000 rpm |
| Max. Torque | 12.8 Nm at 5000 rpm |
| Compression Ratio | 9.1:01 |
| Transmission & Chassis | |
| Clutch | Multi-Plate, Wet Type |
| Frame | Tubular Diamond Type |
| Suspension | |
| Front | Telescopic Hydraulic Shock Absorber |
| Rear | Swing Arm with Adjustable Shock Absorber |
| Brakes | |
| Front Brake | 240mm |
| Rear Brake | 130mm |
| Wheels & Tyres | |
| Tyre Size Front | 80/100-18 47P (Tubeless) |
| Tyre Size Rear | 80/100-18 54P (Tubeless) |
| Electricals | |
| Battery | 12V- 5Ah |
| Head Lamp | 12V- 35W/35W Halogen Bulb (MFR) |
| Tail/Stop Lamp | 12V- 5W-MFR |
| Dimensions, weight, and volume | |
| Length | 2060mm |
| Width | 763mm |
| Height | 1086mm |
| Wheelbase | 1290mm |
| Ground Clearance | 160mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 13 Litre |
| Reserve | 1.8 Litre |
| Kerb Weight | 139 Kg |
| Max Payload | 130 Kg |
Following is an image gallery for the New Achiever 150:
