In the Honda Shine 100 vs Hero Splendor Plus comparison we have talked about all the key factors including performance
Honda has just launched the Shine 100, the most affordable bike in Honda’s portfolio to compete against Hero and Bajaj’s entry-level offerings. Bookings for the Shine are now open and deliveries would commence in May 2023. Hero Splendor is the Shine 100’s direct rival. Let’s see how they compare against each other.
Design
The Honda Shine 100 presents a rather simple design with a few modern touches here and there. It gets a bit sporty headlamp cowl upfront and blacked-out alloys. The seat is flat and the graphics and stickers run across the fuel tank. It sits on an all-new diamond frame with telescopic shocks at the front and independent shocks at the rear.
The Hero Splendor on the other hand is more retro-looking with a rectangular headlamp cowl and hence projects a more upright stance. The black alloys look very similar to the ones on the Shine 100 and the stickers are easier on the eye here on the Splendor. It sits on a tubular double cradle frame with telescopic shocks at the front and independent shocks at the rear.
Engine
The Shine 100 is powered by an all-new air-cooled, 99.7cc, single-cylinder engine which produces 7.6 PS of peak power and 8.05 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a 4-speed transmission. It gets auto choke and the engine is OBD-2 and E20 compliant meaning it can run 20% ethanol mix.
The Splendor is powered by a 97.6cc, single-cylinder air-cooled engine which produces 8.02 PS of peak power and 8.05 Nm of peak torque and is also mated to a 4-speed transmission. Thus, on paper the Shine is the faster between the two, however, ok road conditions would vary.
Dimensions
The Shine 100 gets a ground clearance of 168mm, a shortened wheelbase of 1245 mm, and a seat height of 786mm and a kerb weight of 117 kg. The Hero Splendor gets a ground clearance of 166mm, a wheelbase of 1236mm and a seat height of 785mm and a weight of 112 kg.
In terms of dimensions, the Shine and Splendour are almost identical with the Shine having marginally more ground clearance, seat height, weight, and wheelbase.
Price
The Honda Shine starts from INR 64,900 (ex-showroom) while the Hero Splendor starts from INR 72,420 (ex-showroom). This clearly shows that the Honda Shine is the bike to go for if you’re in the market for a relatively affordable commuter.
Conclusion
The 100cc commuter segment makes up for a third of motorcycle sales and Honda wants to tap into it. It has offered at the Shine 100 at a lower cost with on-par power and an E20 fuel option. Can it go up against Splendor? Only time will tell.