Hero Honda Passion Plus Review

It was only in 2008 that Hero Honda celebrated its 25th year of successful existence coupled with industry leadership for about eight years for being the largest manufacturer of two wheelers in a calendar year. And with the launch of Honda Karizma, the company had registered good sales figures despite economic recession.

The bike maker has been continuously engaged in upgrading its models based on the customer feedback and technological innovation that will give good return on investment for customers in terms of enhanced riding pleasure.

No wonder they have set new benchmarks in comfort riding under the Indian road conditions. In the 100cc segment, the company felt that the prime need of the buyer is fuel efficiency and performance, at the same time Indian buyers these days are for looks, style and appeal of the bike as well. This had been the motive to re-position erstwhile Hero Honda Passion their faithful workhorse as a new package; Hero Honda Passion Plus.

Looks:
Hero Honda Passion Plus is based on the design of Hero Honda Passion but it is unleashed in the market with all-new style and better appealing graphics. Available not only in traditional colors of the black, red and blue, the Passion Plus comes in maroon and silver as well.



The dual tone colors make it look great with new shaded graphics on the body. The Hero Honda automobile designers did not ignore to focus on the looks one can say from the styling and the fairing they have given to this model.

The black alloy wheels further accentuate the looks of the bike and the rear pillion grip of the bike too is of body color. Passion Plus also comes with matching body-colored rear view mirrors. Even the dashboard is not spared and it gets a makeover with some snazzy yellow-colored new designer like speedometer.

Performance:
The 100cc bike is equipped with 4-stroke air-cooled single cylinder that produces maximum output of 7.5PS @8000 rpm and maximum torque of 7.5Nm@ 5000rpm. With tubular double cradle chassis Passion Plus 100cc is available with 4 Speed constant mesh gearbox. Passion Plus 100cc also includes halogen lamp headlight (now there are many who consider as negative and bothersome) and heat protection on mufflers adding to the glamour of the bike. It has the kick start option with electronic CDI as the ignition system. The fuel tank capacity is larger than the HH Splendor at 12.8 liters and a liter capacity in reserve. On plain terrains the engine behaves awesome, but on sloppy terrains it does behave cranky and gets heated up fast. Even so, during hot weather conditions the engines asks for break to allow some cooling.



Handling and Comfort:
Mileage has never been a complaint from Hero Honda bikes and Passion Plus is not exception because it delivers almost 60kmpl on the city roads and on highways it clocks around 65 kmpl. However, with proper riding conditions, mileage could be even better. Now this should be a bliss considering the rising fuel prices.

As to riding comfort, Passion plus allows comfortable riding because the bike seats are wider than its predecessor with adjustable rear cushion. With wider wheelbase, Passion Plus allows good ground clearance as well as better on-road stability. The telescopic hydraulic fork suspension in the front is somewhat larger in comparison to other bikes of this segment. There is option for front disc brakes but on the rear it will still be drum brakes. The top speed one can go on a Passion Plus is 85kmph.

Popularity:
Hero Honda Passion plus is priced at Rs 41,000 ex-showroom Delhi and there is a difference of approximately a thousand rupees if you go for the cast wheel instead of the old spoked version. The bike is bit heavier than its adversaries in the 100cc segment. For decent commuting (read seriously only commuting and not touring) and joyful riding of 50-60 kms a day, Passion Plus could certainly be yet another faithful horse from the Hero Honda stable.