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| Picture courtesy: http://www.heromotocorp.com/impulse# |
Well, I knew that the engine is the same that's planted in CBZ Xtreme and Hunk. But the styling captivated me enough to check it out and ride.
Well, the showroom guy, who must be anywhere around 75-78 kgs, also sat behind :(. Since Hero has styled it like an off-roader and calls it a transroader, I was expecting - in spite of my prior knowledge of the engine - that the bike will pull rather sprightly. It doesn't. It runs like a typical 150cc. I don't believe that!
On the positive side though, the fit and finish is great. The build quality impresses. Color-schemes are super. However, these are a given I suppose for the money that one pays to own one.
Tyres and spokes are definitely the kind that can serve well on a rough patch. Stance is good too. But given its apparent character (going by the styling) and Hero's desire to position it as a transroader, Impulse really disappoints. The engine needed to be more responsive for sure, so what if it's a 150cc.
I own an FZ. And it feels more responsive than the Impulse.
What disappoints me about Hero is this half-hearted attempt; surely it is more than the sticker-jobs that it is typically known for. But it is still half-hearted and exposes Hero's limitations in engineering. Impulse is an eye-candy. But stops just at that. Doesn't back it up with performance. Is the intention to just take in the moolah without doing the hard work?
Hero might just lose another battle in spite of taking the lead and popularizing a new category of bike.
