One of the prime reasons why people love automatic scooters so much is because they do not have to worry about changing gears. But what if turning the scooter on and off was also automatic and intuitive? Well in such a case you end with a scooter like the Hero Destini 125.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF HERO DESTINI 125
Engine
124.6cc air cooled, 4-stroke, SI
Power
8.7hp@6750rpm
Torque
10.2Nm@5000rpm
Dimensions (L x W x H)
1809mm x 729mm x 1154mm
Wheelbase
1245mm
Ground Clearance
155mm
Kerb Weight
111.5kg
Suspension
Front
Telescopic, Hydraulic Shock Absorbers
Rear
Single Coil Spring Hydraulic Type
Brakes
Drum brakes with Integrated Braking System
Tyres
90/100 - 10
Price
Rs 54,650 (ex-showroom Delhi)
DESIGN AND STYLING OF HERO DESTINI 125
The Hero Destini 125 boasts of a clean and somewhat premium design scheme. It has a curvy and chrome heavy front that has long swept back turn indicators. The beefy tail-lamp is a looker as well. The only thing that I found missing was LED headlamps or DRLs. The seat cushion is broad and comfortable for two people and if you go for the Vx variant, it comes with dual texture. The part analogue, part digital instrument cluster is basic but functional as it shows you your speed, distance covered, time, fuel level and has a trip meter. A remote release allows the rider to open the externally located fuel fill cap easily and the scooter has a handy indicator that buzzes if you start the scooter with the lid open. The boot area is decent for a small helmet or bag and you can get a boot light and USB charging port in the higher variant.
ENGINE AND PERFORMANCE OF HERO DESTINI 125
I cannot say much about the performance as I only rode the scooter for about 10 minutes through city roads. What I did gather was that the scooter has a likeable response in the low and mid range that is good for city use. It is not the best when it comes to acceleration but pulling a single person was not a big issue for the scooter. I did, however, notice vibrations when accelerating from low speeds. It could just be a bad unit or perhaps a genuine issue. We can only be certain once we get the vehicle for review.
I was a bit concerned when I got to know that the Destini 125 does not come with a disc brake at the front. But it does get Integrated Braking System (IBS) or combined braking as it is commonly known. In practice this is effective for most cases but a disc brake will be missed. Granted that this is supposed to be a family oriented scooter and that those riding won’t be too concerned with speed. The Destini 125 is the first Indian scooter to feature the Idle Start Stop (i3s) technology. Hero has already employed i3s in a number of their bikes and has now brought it to their scooter. In the few times that I tested it, it worked almost every time barring a few tries. The main purpose of using i3s is to save fuel and the company claims that the Destini 125 should deliver a mileage of 51kmpl.
Since we were riding the scooter in central Delhi, one of the few places in the capital where you have smooth tarmac, I could not really judge the suspension. While going over a few speedbreakers and a pothole I did feel that the suspension did a decent job of filtering out the shock. The grip from the 10 inch wheel was adequate and the scooter felt firm on its feet.
VERDICT
Hero has launched the Destini 125 in two variants, Lx and Vx which cost Rs 54.650 (ex-showroom Delhi) and Rs 57,500 (ex-showroom Delhi). This makes this 125cc scooter quite affordable in comparison to what is available in the segment currently. One must note that the Lx variant, despite being the cheapest 125cc scooter, does miss out on quite a few features. In case you just want a good looking 125cc scooter that packs in decent amount of convenience and comfort then it could be worth visiting the company showroom.
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