Glam Slam

Is the new Glamour X just about the fancy features, or is there more to it?

- By Manaal Mahatme Photographs Avdhoot Kolhe

Ride-by-wire throttle, ride modes, cruise control... Never thought these could be the highlight for a 125cc commuter, but there I was, looking at the new Glamour X — Hero MotoCorp’s latest offering in the popular segment. Were these really necessary? Will the cruise control even work like it’s supposed to? Why the Glamour and not the Xtreme 125R for these updates? With these questions looming in my head, I rode out of the hotel.

I decided to ‘take things easy’ and start with Eco mode as I strolled through a quaint neighbourhood outside Jaipur. The Glamour X blended perfectly in the slow-paced morning — the throttle response was gentle, and the 124.7cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine didn’t mind me puttering around at crawling speeds in the third gear. And that’s when I realised every commuter on the road was a Hero motorcycle — some were HF Deluxes, some Splendors and even a few Super Splendors. Although, my bike screamed premium. All-LED illumination with LED DRLs, colour-LCD display and muscular styling made it stand apart from the crowd, but with the upright ergonomics, a long seat and skinny tyres, there were no two ways around the fact that this was a commuter.