Feb 21, 2024 07:56 PM
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HERO MAVRICK 440 – FIRST LOOK
Hero MotoCorp Limited is one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world dealing primarily in commuter bikes and scooters. Their main focus has been mileage, comfort, and durability which is what most middle-class Indians would desire. If you remember the tagline “Fill it, shut it, forget it”, then, you know the company’s motto in a nutshell.
I have personal experience with their Standard, Splendor, and Karizma series bikes which were great value for money, gave good mileage, low maintenance, and reasonable power(Karizma series). HMC got itself stuck in the mould of mileage bikes and found it difficult to compete with the likes of Yamaha, Honda, KTM, TVS, and Bajaj in the power and sports bike segment. But, in the last few years, they have turned a new leaf offering the relatively successful Xtreme bikes and ZMR and XMR sports bikes. Still, they had a long way to go to catch up with the competition in this niche segment.
HMC’s latest offering, the all-new Hero Mavrick 440 is what we are going to look at:
This is a quantum jump for HMC in terms of cubic displacement. They had offered bikes not exceeding 220 cc to date, therefore, doubling the cubic capacity of the bike was an achievement for HMC.
When you take in the side profile, the bike looks solid and well-proportioned. It has a slight retro look which looks good on it. Ergonomics is a matter of opinion and I’d rather not go into that. Remember, it is not a sports bike, it is more on the lines of a roadster. The standard variant comes with spoked wheels which I am not very fond of. The mid and top variants come with alloy wheels which not only look good on the bike but enhance the bike’s appeal.
The collaboration with Harley-Davidson turned out to be beneficial to HMC. They get to sell the HD bike and now they have their own to sell too. Mavrick is built on the HD X440 chassis but that is where the similarity ends in looks. The HD X440 is a blue blood cruiser and looks the part, whereas, Mavrick is built like a roadster with a more agile look to it. The same engine is used on both bikes but with different tuning keeping in mind their different requirements.
Although the HD X440 is a more premium bike, the build quality of the Mavrick is top-notch and comparable to any of the premium bikes available today. It has fewer metal parts though compared to its foreign sibling. The bike’s top speed is rated at around 130 kmph which is low as my 13-year-old Yamaha R15 does it effortlessly with almost no moaning. I learned from sources that vibrations do creep in and you can’t maintain that speed for long because of the buzz and noise that follow. Of course, it’s meant to gobble up miles without any hitch if you limit your speed to 80 kmph. Anyway, squeezing out 130 kmph from a 440 cc mill is somewhat disappointing.
That said, one of the bike’s positive attributes is torque. You get plenty of torque even at lower revs. With a kerb weight of 187 kg and shod with extra wide tyres, 110 mm section in the front and 150 mm at the rear, this bike looks and feels firmly planted. With the dual-channel Anti-skid Braking System(ABS), It gives the rider confidence in cornering at high speed as well as breaking. The tyres are of good quality from MRF and are known to provide excellent road grip. The alloy wheels have a good machine-cut finish to them.
The console is completely digital. The top model comes with an e-sim connect feature. HMC says “The x secure feature keeps you linked with advanced features like Geo-Fence, Vehicle Diagnosis, and Location Sharing. Track your vehicle, access roadside assistance, and more for a safer, worry-free experience.” The digital console also comes with a negative display for better clarity in low-visibility conditions. It can be connected to your smartphone and comes with turn-by-turn navigation which is a necessity in large cities.
The fascia has a large round headlight with integrated daylight running lights(DRLs) in the shape of an ‘H’. It comes with an LED projector headlamp for effective lighting. Even the tail lamp and direction indicators(Winkers) are LED.
The on-road price of the top model in Hyderabad is Rs.2, 72, 965/- which makes it much cheaper than its competition in the 300 cc to 450 cc segment.
My Take:
Hero, at last, seems to have a real winner on its hands in the premium segment. If you ignore a few features, this bike has got many features going for it. The engine and the powertrain are the same that are used in HD X440. Its build quality and attention to detail are excellent and the bike appears to be built to last a long time. Though on the heavier side(less plastic used), it can be easily manoeuvred through both city and highway traffic. You also have the advantage of countless service centres dotted across the country. The cost of maintenance and spare parts is also cheap. The only drawback I see is Hero is a new entrant in the premium segment category and that could make prospective buyers a little wary of plunging straightaway into buying the bike. I believe that is not going to be a big concern for most buyers. The price is the deal maker.
mbfarookh
