The Hero Glamour X takes the familiar Glamour platform and adds the more powerful engine from the Xtreme 125R, along with a heap of segment-first technologies that make it a unique proposition in the 125cc segment. If you’re considering buying one, here are three reasons it’s worth considering, and two reasons it might not be the bike for you.
Reasons to buy the Hero Glamour X
Segment-first features
One of the standout features that grabbed everyone’s attention when the Glamour X was unveiled was the inclusion of cruise control, making it the most affordable motorcycle in India to offer the feature. Thanks to its ride-by-wire throttle, the bike also gets three riding modes – Power, Road and Eco – which alter throttle mapping to change how the engine delivers power, but don’t limit top speed.
The Glamour X also packs in a colour LCD cluster with Bluetooth connectivity, an auto-adjusting LED headlight and a panic brake alert function that flashes the indicators under hard braking. Overall, it’s an impressive tech package and easily one of the most comprehensive at this price.
More powerful engine
Under the bodywork sits the 124.7cc single-cylinder engine from the sportier Xtreme 125R, producing 11.5hp and 10.5Nm, which is a noticeable step up from the 10.7hp that the Glamour Xtec makes. While these numbers don’t make it stand out from the rest of the 125cc segment, the extra power does give the Glamour X a bit more pep in the city and makes it feel less strained at steady highway speeds.
Ride comfort and ergonomics
The Glamour X shines in one of the areas that matter most for a commuter – comfort. During our first ride, we found the suspension to be tuned beautifully to keep you comfortable no matter what the road throws at you. Ergonomics also plays a big role here. Compared to the previous Glamour, this one gets a 30mm wider handlebar that offers better leverage in traffic, and the seat is spacious enough to keep both rider and pillion comfortable. Lastly, the tight turning radius makes navigating city streets super easy, which is a big plus for everyday riding.
Reasons not to buy the Hero Glamour X
Gear shifts lack smoothness
While the engine is smooth and refined, the gearbox does let the powertrain down with notchy shifts. This is especially noticeable when shifting from neutral to first, and on multiple occasions, the bike simply refused to slot into gear – a situation you’ll likely experience often in stop-and-go traffic. Considering this is a commuter that will spend most of its life in the city, a smoother, more cooperative gearbox would’ve been more in line with the bike’s intended purpose.
No ABS option
Unlike the Xtreme 125R, which now offers a dual-channel ABS variant, the Glamour X does not get ABS in any form. It’s available in two variants – one with a front disc and one with a front drum – and while we didn’t have any major complaints about braking performance during our initial review, the absence of ABS does feel like a miss. This is especially true when you consider that the Xtreme 125R with single-channel ABS is priced almost identically to the Glamour X disc variant at around Rs 92,000. Given how feature-rich the Glamour X is in other areas, the lack of ABS is unfortunate.
