Hero Destini 125 Long Term Report 1: Introduction

Introduction

The term ‘family scooter’ is mainly associated with comfort, convenience and a no-nonsense character which has kept it relevant in the Indian market till date. Even as the youth-oriented offerings with their sporty personas have been gaining attention, these family scooters just refuse to fade away owing to their simplicity. And, the Destini 125 is Hero’s approach towards serving this very purpose.

The Hero Destini 125 recently joined our long term fleet. When I learned that I will be riding it every day, I was a bit skeptical considering the 24km-long route from my home to office, majorly comprising of wide-open highways. However, once I began to commute on it every day, the ease-of-use which scooters offer has dawned upon me. Well, before checking out its usability, let’s take a look at the aesthetics of the Destini 125. 

Hero has played it profoundly safe with the design of the Destini. The overall profile is curvy and conventional and there’s nothing eccentric about it. There’s a large headlamp nestled in a two-tone handlebar cowl. The wide front apron houses horn-shaped turn indicators which merge down into a thick chrome-finished panel that lends the front a bit of bling. Well, I personally like the rear section of the Destini which gets the right amount of curves with the sculpted panel that ends into an angular tail lamp. 

Mount the bike and the first thing that one notices is the wide handlebar coupled with a roomy footboard and a cushy seat. Although I am satisfied with the seat and ergonomics of the Destini, I’ll be doing a long-distance ride to find out the extent of comfort it can offer. The instrument cluster is a semi-analogue unit with a simple layout while the switchgear quality is just about alright. Other features which raise the convenience bar include the 19-litre underseat storage space with a boot light and a USB charging port, a pair of hooks to hang bags and an external fuel filler cap.  There’s also the inclusion of i3S tech, which shuts the engine after it is left idle for a few seconds and cranks it up with a pull of the brake and slight roll of the throttle. 

Under its skin, the Hero Destini is powered by a 125cc, carbureted motor which makes 8.7bhp and 10.2Nm. These figures are on par with the competition such as the Suzuki Access 125. For soaking up bumps, it comes equipped with telescopic forks up front while the rear gets a single coil spring hydraulic shock absorber. Then there are the 10-inch wheels anchored by 130mm drum units at both ends. And no, disc is not available even as an option. 

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll bring forth detailed insights about how this whole package fares in real-world conditions; right from the urban jungle and dense traffic zones to highways (because it’s uncharted territory for a scooter) and a bit of the twisties. Stay tuned to BikeWale. 

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi

Bike Stats

Bike acquired: 25 April 

Odometer: 1171km

Fuel efficiency: 50.07kmpl