[MVM]

The First Service

I dropped the bike off for service on Monday at 12PM. The service advisors were courteous and took note of the issues I had mentioned. The 2 major issues I had with the bike were:

1. The bike shuts off while going down a steep slope. (I realized that this issue was probably due to the low amount of fuel I had kept in the tank but I told the advisor just to be safe)
2. The paint damage on the tank.

The advisor asked about the damage on the seat and I told him how it had occurred and that since I had installed a seat cover the factory seat would not have been damaged. The senior advisor asked me if the damage on the tank might have been caused by the same cat and I told him that it wasn't the case since I had a tank cover on the bike too. They agreed to paint the tank under warranty and told me that the bike would be ready at around 5PM on Tuesday.
I was given an estimate of rupees 750 after which I returned home.

My father received a message at around 4 on Tuesday saying that the bike was ready for pickup. Upon going to the service center I was asked to see the bike before I made the payment.
Instead of doing a thorough inspection I just focused on the inspecting the issues I had highlighted. One of the helpers in the workshop brought me the bike and removed the oil dipstick to show me that the oil had been changed. I looked at the oil and confirmed that it had indeed been changed and gave him back the dipstick. I then proceeded to check the paint on the tank upon which I found that instead of adding paint some paint had been scraped off. Upon asking I was told that they had used rubbing compound on the damaged area instead of applying paint.

The paint damage before the service.




The paint damage after the service.



When I asked the service advisor about why the tank hadn't been painted, he told me that since the weather was cloudy the paint wouldn't dry and asked me to bring back the bike when the weather was sunny. I agreed and took leave of the service center.

I did not thoroughly inspect the bike before returning home. If I had I would've noticed that the person who showed me the oil hadn't screwed back the dipstick properly.
After returning home and I realized that there was smoke coming from around the engine bay. Upon inspecting I found that oil had come out of the engine through the dipstick port and poured onto the hot exhaust. The whole engine was covered in oil.

This photo was taken after I had put back the dipstick correctly.


Luckily since the service center wasn't far from my home I hadn't lost too much oil. I made sure to check the oil level multiple times to make sure the engine hadn't run on low oil. I was lucky that I had lost only a small amount.
This was an important learning experience for me to always inspect any serviced vehicle thoroughly before leaving the service center.



I started to clean the engine and during that process I found that the Rubber cap that covers the lubing hole in the chain case hadn't been replaced after lubing the chain.



I will be going back to the dealership to replace the rubber cap and to add any oil if required.
I feel that the quality of service offered in Hero Service centers is pretty good. Mine was just a special scenario. They are humans too and hence will make mistakes.
Mechanically the bike felt much better than earlier. The free play in the throttle and brake had been adjust leading to a more engaging riding experience.

I now know to thoroughly check every vehicle that I pick up from a service center henceforth.

[.HEM]

Happy Motoring! I came in seeing the title and was expecting something flimsy. This bike looks solid for a 100cc category and I hope it stays that way!! By the way, your helmet looks COOL

[MVM]

Originally Posted by .HEM

Happy Motoring! I came in seeing the title and was expecting something flimsy. This bike looks solid for a 100cc category and I hope it stays that way!! By the way, your helmet looks COOL

Thanks for the response. The bike feels solid to ride but the quality of certain materials is quite poor. The paint is extremely thin as I have shown in the thread. The paint around the fuel filler has started chipping. But the most durable part of the bike is the engine. It is the same engine as the one in the splendor.
Thanks again

[@torquistic]

Congrats to you on owning one of most *fuel-efficient* bikes in India currently. I had read your Yezdi thread when I was just a mere viewer on this forum and my opinion that time was NO! Your decision to buy this sweet baby is alright. This bike can make you learn a lot of things as a first time owner which will help you a lot in your future and also while pursuing your 'Yezdi Dream', it'll make you a better and more aware buyer.
Cheers
Kushal

[porsche_guy]

Congratulations! I totally get the sentiment one has for their first set of wheels. It feels very nice to see someone in our age group being passionate and content about such simple and timeless bikes when most of our peers are chasing KTMs and Classic 350s. Riding such bikes reassures you that you don't need to go fast to have fun!

Originally Posted by MVM

The First Service
I will be going back to the dealership to replace the rubber cap and to add any oil if required.
I feel that the quality of service offered in Hero Service centers is pretty good. Mine was just a special scenario. They are humans too and hence will make mistakes.
Mechanically the bike felt much better than earlier. The free play in the throttle and brake had been adjust leading to a more engaging riding experience.

I now know to thoroughly check every vehicle that I pick up from a service center henceforth.

It is really appalling to see such a mistake honestly. If I had been in your place they would have definitely received a not-so-pleasant call at the very least. Had you not had the luck, this could have resulted in a seized engine on a brand new vehicle! Do let this incident be a lesson to thoroughly inspect your bike before and after a service. Also try to identify the most competent service centres, mechanics and service advisors. Even if you have to travel a bit further, the peace of mind will be worth it.

Originally Posted by MVM

Thanks for the response. The bike feels solid to ride but the quality of certain materials is quite poor. The paint is extremely thin as I have shown in the thread. The paint around the fuel filler has started chipping. But the most durable part of the bike is the engine. It is the same engine as the one in the splendor.
Thanks again

Don't bother much about the quality of materials and minor inconveniences, just use the bike how it was meant to be and have fun! Such simple machines won't be around for much longer so eek out as much out of them as possible.

[skatte]

Harsh weather, bird poop and service centre folks will ensure visual imperfections, but these 100 cc bikes are far more reliable than their more powerful and beautiful friends.

Congratulations and enjoy the ride!

[thefastelephant]

Now that CS Santhosh is moving to RE after officially ending his stint with Hero, am excited for the fact that the Rally 450 Himi comes out for sure.

[MVM]

One question I had was if my bike would start when the battery was dead. Many people had told me that since my bike was fuel injected it wouldn’t start without a battery. I then decided to disconnect the battery and try to start the bike. The bike started and ran decently and all the electrics worked. The horn seemed a little weak but the lights and indicators worked perfectly. This made me question why my bike needs a battery since it doesn’t even have self start. I hope someone can help me with this question.

Can I just remove the battery and ride around normally?

[MVM]

7 Month Ownership Report

The HF has done around 1400kms in the last 7 months of ownership. The bikes has had 3 services so far and comes back looking shabbier each time.
The only mechanical issue I've had so far is to do with the spark plug. Around 2 weeks back the bike had issues starting and idling. The bike would turn off in the middle of the road at times and would require multiple kicks to start again. After she stranded me a few roads away from home and refused to start my dad and I sat and tried to diagnose the issue. We inspected the air filter and the air box for any debris and found none. We disconnected the fuel hose and we found no issue in that either. We did check for spark before doing these two tasks and found a nice consistent spark. We were at our wits end when my dad suggested we check for spark again and lo and behold there was no spark now. 100 rupees and a new spark plug later she starts, runs and idles fine. We were surprised to face a plug failure so soon. My dad suspects that the plug might have been knowingly or unknowingly changed with a used one during a service. Apart from this and the terrible condition of the paint of the tank the bike has been doing well.

A photo of my HF after a wash.



Here's a sad and blurry photo of something I saw a few days back.

[ReventonLover]

Originally Posted by MVM

One question I had was if my bike would start when the battery was dead. Many people had told me that since my bike was fuel injected it wouldn’t start without a battery. I then decided to disconnect the battery and try to start the bike. The bike started and ran decently and all the electrics worked. The horn seemed a little weak but the lights and indicators worked perfectly. This made me question why my bike needs a battery since it doesn’t even have self start. I hope someone can help me with this question.

Can I just remove the battery and ride around normally?

Yes, you can start the vehicles without the battery (at least the BS6 phase 1 versions). However, the sheer amount of kicks and stamina required to do it used to leave me high and dry. Never tried to attempt it unless absolutely necessary.

[MVM]

1 Year Update (almost)

My HF100 will turn one on the 19th of Septemeber this year and I feel the best way to describe the past year would be to call it a pleasant ride. The bike has made me a better rider (if I may say so myself) and I don't think I could've had a better first bike. I hope to keep her forever but only time will reveal what the future holds.
This bike resonates with the masses unlike any other bike can because it is after all a blue collar working class HERO. I usually get asked the same question wherever I've been in Bangalore and the question "Yeshtu saar ithu" (Translation: How much does the bike cost?). I'm always happy to answer this question particularly because I enjoy the reaction I get after I reveal the price. Most of the people who ask me this question use their vehicle as a source of bread and butter and hence price and mileage are of utmost priority, my bike is purpose built for them.
I've always wanted to know the exact mileage my HF 100 gives but I didn't have any way of knowing how many litres of fuel was in the tank. The fuel gauge is wildly inaccurate and isn't very useful at all. When the bike is low on fuel it turns off when I engage the clutch in 2nd gear especially when I'm going downhill. That is my indicator to fuel up. Hence I decided to ask my dad for a solution and he told me to empty the tank, put a certain amount of fuel in and track the odometer reading. I waited for the weekend and proceeded to do exactly as he said. I disconnected the fuel line and proceeded to prime the fuel pump until the tank was completely drained. I did try to siphon the fuel using a hose and after multiple failed attempts and having my thirst quenched with petrol I gave up and decided to use to fuel pump. I made sure to give the pump a few breaks in between to avoid shortening the life of my fuel pump. I ended up draining around 2 litres of petrol (the fuel needle was in the middle of the red zone). I tried starting the bike a few times and it wouldn't. I then poured exactly 500ml of petrol into the tank and took a picture of the odd reading. Let the economy test begin.
The odometer reading stands at 2305.4 kms


The golden elixir

The odometer reading

[Baristyro]

Hello MVM,

Happy to see a fellow 100cc enjoyer on tbhp!

I'm yet to own a motorcycle of my own but having recently shifted back to my native village, I've been blessed to become the de-facto user of my grandfathers Hero Honda Splendor.

Like yourself, I've also dreamt extensively of riding a 2 stroke on a regular basis, particularly a Yamaha RX100/RX135. The reason being all the what ifs that arise in my head if my dad's RX100 wasn't stolen before I was even born.

Fortunately, the trusty old Splendor has been quenching my thirst for the time being. And what a bike! I daydream about bigger bikes day in and out, only to swing my foot over the Splendor and forget it all. It might be technically untrue, but I truly feel this bike is all I ever might need, and then some!

[MVM]

This message might be surprising to some.

We have decided to sell off the HF100. I've had the bike for 15 months and the need for a slightly better bike is felt.
Before sharing the details of the bike (for those who may be interested in purchasing it) I will dive into the reasons why I feel the need for a better motorcycle.

1.The bike isn't built for the comfort of tall riders: I am 6'2 and due to the low handlebars and the position of the foot pegs the bike puts quite a bit of strain on my shoulders. I carry a backpack as well most of the time and that makes the fatigue worse.
This is perfectly understandable as the bike is built according to the height of an average indian male which is around 5'7/5'8.
I did purchase some handlebar risers and despite them not being the easiest to fit I managed to install them, it was only after installing them that I realised that the accelerator cable was too short and turning the bike to the left would cause it to accelerate.

2.The lack of safety features: The bike is not equipped with discs or ABS which is perfectly understandable considering the cost of the bike, unfortunately these have become very important of late.

3.The extremely light front end and overall weight of the bike: It is one of the lightest bikes currently sold in the country and that allows the bike to be very easy to manoeuvre. As long as I am the only one on the bike it's perfectly fine. The issue arises when my dad (who is also 6'2) and I both try to go on the bike. Due to most of the weight being concentrated towards the rear steering the bike becomes an task. Neither of us can sit very close to the tank as we can't operate the gear lever and rear brake easily if we do so. This leads to an unpleasant and unstable ride.

Considering all these reason we decided to look for a better and safer bike. We were never huge fans of Royal Enfield but I decided to give the J series powered Classic 350 Reborn a test ride. Due to the test ride being very brief and me being quite jittery as I was riding a bike that wasn't mine I decided to rent one from Royal Brothers for a day to thoroughly explore all aspects of owning a Classic 350. After 150 kilometres of primarily city riding (including riding through Chickpet ) the Classic 350 made me a very happy camper . We are planning on getting one very soon and considering how long we are planning on keeping it an ownership review is a must.

Thanks for reading.

[Ashok George]

Hi, Is the bike available for sale? I am interested

[Sudarshan42]

Just curious- this bike didn't seem suitable to you at all from the beginning, and some things like ergonomics, lack of ABS etc should have been apparent before purchase itself. Why did you go ahead with it?