The number of women riders in India has been on the rise and it was only about time someone tailored a product just for their needs. The Hero Pleasure already exists to serve that purpose, but hey, evolution is necessary and when it comes to upgrades and wanting more from a two-wheeler, why should boys have all the fun? Enter the Hero Pleasure Plus.
Also Read: Hero Xpulse 200 Review | Big on Adventure, Small on Price
What’s with the Appearance?
So the Hero Pleasure Plus has been designed with the primary focus on women riders. And opinions can be different, but we think they’ve played it cleverly with the design, as to our eyes, the design is more neutral than being biased towards any particular gender.
In terms of proportions, it is pint-sized if you’re well-built, tall and ever decide to borrow it from the woman in your life. We like some of the retro touches and how the proportions are slender and sporty. Doesn’t look boring like a lot of scooters out there. There is some funk to it.
What’s It like to Ride?
The Pleasure Plus is powered by a 110cc engine which puts out a humble 8 Bhp @ 7500 rpm and 8.7 Nm at 4400 rpm. Shifting the entire thing which weighs just 101 kilos, performance is adequately brisk and smooth throughout the powerband. The engine feels strongest in the mid-range when the scooter’s doing speeds between 30 – 60 km/h, after which, progress is slow till it reaches its 85 km/h top speed mark (Speedometer indicated).
Throughout the power band, there are no vibrations felt anywhere and that strong mid-range comes in handy as that’s the point where two-wheeler engines are most active within our congested cities. Having said that, we would’ve liked some more zip during initial acceleration.
Official ARAI figures aren’t available and our ride was too short to give you a ballpark efficiency figure. But for the amount of power that engine cranks out and the weight, it should be 40 – 45 + km/l. Oh, the fuel tank holds 4.8-litres by the way.
How does it Ride and Handle?
The footboard is narrow and tapers towards the apron, making the footboard narrow is one has a shoe size 10. The front end feels light and allows for effortless manoeuvrability. However, if you try going fast and tilt the Pleasure Plus into a corner, the lack of weight up front will make you roll off.
The suspension is basic at both ends. However, the spring-loaded setup is good at absorbing all the minor undulations on our poorly-designed and built roads. Ride quality isn’t too cushy or too firm and the Pleasure Plus strikes a good balance in that area. Two-up though, the rear spring will swing vertically a few times over speed bumps and other such things. Fitted with an iBS system, the Pleasure Plus gets integrated braking where both the front and rear brake come into action once the rear brake lever is grabbed. For the kind of performance on offer, braking feels adequate.
What Else Is New?
The Apron has a split-cavity to store things which you might wish to access quickly. Underneath, there’s a USB port which you may use to charge a device. To open the seat, one needs to slot the key into a hole above the tail lamp and once open, there’s space for a small or medium-sized full-face helmet and a tiny LED boot light. We would’ve liked if the fuel filler cap was external, but it rests under the seat.
What Else Can You Tell?
Instrumentation is pretty basic but provides all the information and has a fuel gauge along with a side stand indicator. Switchgear quality could have been better but we were told the examples we were riding were pre-production units and the ones which will go on sale will be better. At INR 47,300, the Hero Pleasure Plus offers interesting styling, practicality and fuss-free riding experience. At that price then, it offers good-value-for-money without asking for too much.
| Hero Pleasure Plus Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | Air-cooled, 110.9cc, 8 bhp @ 7500rpm, 8.7Nm @ 5500 rpm |
| Starting System | Electric and Kick |
| Front Suspension | Bottom Link With Spring Loaded Hydraulic Damper |
| Rear Suspension | Swingarm with Spring Loaded Hydraulic Damper |
| Weight | 101 Kg |
| Ground Clearance | 155 MM |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 4.8 litres |
| Front And Rear Tyre | 90/100×10-53J (Tubeless) |
| Price | INR 47,300 (Ex-showroom, Delhi) |
