Achiever 150, the latest motorcyclefrom the Hero stables, aims for thepremium slot commuter segment and ticks all the right boxes
FINE-TUNED at Hero’sCIT facility in Jaipur,the Achiever 150 isaimed at establishingHero in the premiumcommuter segmentand preparing the market formore exciting products. It is neatlyput together, with no-nonsensestyling and subtle cues to indicateits pedigree. Elements such as the carbon fibre-like finish on the instrument cluster, the 3-D ‘Hero’ logo on the tank, and five-spoke alloys add flair to the bike. Disc brakes are standard on the topend variant and the sleek body styling is most evident from a three-quarter angle. A lot of attentioN has also gone into the fit and finish, without any materials looking flimsy or out of place. Because it’s a commuter, the styling is minimalistic. The skinny 80/100-18 Ceat Secura tyre, however, could have been made chunkier at the rear for a sportier appeal. The upright riding position is extremely comfortable, even for tall riders, and two people can easily manage city commutes on the long, wide seat.
Engine study
Powering the Achiever 150 is a 149.1cc air-cooled engine, carried over from Hero’s JV with Honda, tuned to churn out 13.6PS a t 8 , 0 0 0 r pm a n d 12.8Nm of torque at 5,000rpm. It is also optimised to offer more linear power delivery. On firing up the bike with the electric start, the entire s e q u e n c e f e l t smooth. Slotting it into first gear and setting off on the test track, the refined engine characteristics were immediately apparent. I didn’t feel any harshness and the vibrations were quite reduced. Making my way through the gears, I realised how easy it was to ride. It can hold low speeds in higher gears without the engine sputtering and can accelerate from 0-60 kmph in five seconds (as claimed).
Future looks
The Achiever is the first 150cc to get Hero’s i3S (Idle Start-Stop System), which automatically shuts off the engine if the bike idles for more than five seconds in neutral. But a quick pull on the clutch will fire the engine back up. The bike returns a healthy 50 kmpl (based on the World Motorcycle Emission Test Cycle and not the Indian test cycle). The Achiever, carrying a f ive-year engine wa r r a n t y, a l s o comes with an ‘automatic headlight on’ (AHO) function, which activates the headlight the moment the engine is fired up—a feature that will soon become a standard in all two-wheelers.
Rs 61,800 (ex-showroom,Mumbai). Details: heromotocorp.com