The TVS Radeon and the Hero Splendor Plus are epitomes of a daily commuter with affordable price tags, frugal engine and low maintenance. Both bikes have recently been updated to comply with BS6 emission norms which has brought along a few changes in them. In case you’re confused as to which bike to put your money on, we tell you which one’s better in terms of specifications, features and pricing.
Design and Features:
The Splendor is one of the oldest two-wheelers in the Indian market and it has largely retained its simple, commuter-ish design ever since its inception. The Radeon, which looks similar to the Splendor, has a few more modern and attractive touches such as a curvy headlamp design with chrome bezel, bronze-finished engine crank case, tank pads, ribbed-pattern seat and blacked-out alloy wheels. What remains common in both bikes are the five-spoke alloy wheels, rugged grab rail with luggage holder and chrome-finished exhaust.
The Radeon is as modern in terms of features as it is design-wise. It gets an LED DRL, lady pillion handle with hook, an optional USB mobile charger and an analogue instrument cluster which has a fancier layout than that of the Splendor Plus. However, the Splendor has one nifty feature in the form of i3S start-stop technology which helps in saving fuel during brief stops by shutting down the engine automatically.
Engine:
The TVS Radeon is powered by a larger 109.7cc, air-cooled engine which now has fuel-injection for BS6 compliance. It comes mated to a four speed gearbox and churns out 8.2bhp at 7,000rpm and 8.7Nm at 5,000rpm. Now, the Splendor Plus runs a smaller 97.2cc, fuel-injected engine which makes 7.8bhp at 8,000rpm and 8.05Nm at 6,000rpm. This too comes mated to a four-speed gearbox. Although the Splendor is not as much powerful, its lesser displacement and around 4kgs lighter kerb weight means it should be slightly more fuel efficient than the Radeon.
Cycle Parts:
Underpinning the Radeon is a single down tube frame while the Splendor clings on to a double down tube chassis. Suspension set up is identical with telescopic forks and a five-step adjustable dual shock absorbers. Braking is where the Radeon is superior with an option of front disc brake available while the Splendor Plus does away with drums at both ends. While the latter has a 9.8 litre fuel tank, the former incorporates a 10 litre unit.
Pricing:
TVS has priced the standard drum brake model of the Radeon BS6 at Rs 58,992 while the top-spec special edition, front disc model goes up to Rs 64,992. Now, with a smaller engine and lesser features, the Hero Splendor Plus BS6 costs Rs 59,600 for the entry-level kick start model and the top-end trim with self start and i3S tech retails at Rs 63,110.
For someone who wants the iconic and reliable Splendor, but in a modern-looking, higher-displacement (113cc) and more feature-loaded avatar, Hero has the Splendor iSmart 110 which is slightly more expensive than the Radeon.
(All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi)
