Newest entrant in this space is Honda Shine 100 and it undercuts both Hero Splendor and Bajaj Platina in terms of pricing
Prospect of a 100cc offering is an enticing one. In the recent past, 100cc motorcycles have gotten better. So much so that 110cc and 125cc motorcycles are playing catch-up. This is why recently spotted Hero Passion Xpro might not be launching in India. Honda aims to make it big in this highly competitive 100cc segment with the new Shine 100.
Is it the new best budget motorcycle? Does it have what it takes to take on Hero MotoCorp with 3 lakh+ 100cc motorcycles sold monthly? Honda Shine 100 costs Rs. 64,900, undercutting Bajaj Platina 100 costing Rs. 65,856 and Splendor+ XTEC costing Rs. 78,251. That said, regular Splendor+ without XTEC starts from Rs. 73,481 and 100cc rudimentary HF line starts from Rs. 57,238 (all prices ex-sh, Delhi).
Honda Shine 100 Vs Rivals – Pricing is half the picture
Shine 100 boasts a price advantage. But one look at the specifications and features list along with experience-enhancing attributes is enough to understand why Splendor sells as much. For starters, Splendor+ generates the highest power at 7.91 bhp and is a fairly high-revving engine too. Platina 100 is torquiest at 8.3 Nm.
All three motorcycles get kick and electric self-starter options along with a 4-speed gearbox. Honda is yet to reveal fuel efficiency figures, while Splendor+ and Platina 100 claim ARAI fuel efficiency figures of 70 and 75 km/l respectively. Splendor+ is the only one to get stop/start tech. Dimensions are close to each other. But Platina 100 is the longest, tallest and has the longest wheelbase and highest ground clearance at 200mm. Widest of this bunch is Shine 100.
Because of its 200mm ground clearance, Platina 100 has the tallest heat height too. Also, Platina 100 gets the largest fuel tank at 11L and it is by far the heaviest at 117 kg. Shine 100 weighs just 99 kg. Even though all motorcycles get alloy wheels, Splendor+ is the only one to offer tubeless tyres and wheel size is 18” too, as opposed to 17” on Shine 100 and Platina 100.
None offer disc brake option, but Hero equips both front and rear with larger 130mm drum brake, while others get a 110m drum at the rear. Conventional telescopic suspension at front and twin shock absorbers at the rear are common between all three.
Most feature-loaded among 100cc motorcycles
Halogen bulbs in headlights, tail lights and turn indicators are common practices in this segment and price point. That said, LED DRLs are a trendy and new addition to this space. Both Splendor+ and Platina 100 get it, while Shine 100 doesn’t. Platina 100 and Shine 100 lack digital instrumentation even as an option. While Splendor+ XTEC offers a fully digital instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity as well.
Splendor+ is the only one to offer a USB charging socket too. Honda Shine 100 and Splendor+ get a side stand indicator with an engine cutoff feature as well. Additionally, Splendor+ gets a bank angle sensor that will turn off the engine when the motorcycle falls, which is a nice touch. Given that Hero’s 100cc offerings are both the most affordable and the most feature-rich, there is a motorcycle for everyone. Despite new opponents, Hero MotoCorp is likely to dominate this 100cc space for a long time.
