The 125cc scooter segment in India has been witnessing a lot of fun activities recently. There have been a number of capable contenders that have surfaced and buyers have a lot to choose from. To further spice things up, Hero MotoCorp has launched their latest, Maestro Edge 125. It is the first India made Fuel Injected 125cc scooter and we rode it briefly to see what this famed technology brings to the table.
Design and Styling of Hero Maestro Edge 125 FI
The Maestro Edge 125 looks very similar to the current Maestro 110 and that is not essentially a bad thing. The scooter has a confident stance and handsome looks with sharp creases on the front and sides. The front has a beak like downward flow which is accented by the long turn indicators. A prominent new addition on the front is the triangular LED DRL which will give Marvel fans an instant flashback of Tony Stark. The main headlamp is still a halogen unit.
The dual-tone colour scheme gives the scooter a rather premium look. The floorboard, front inside panel and the area surrounding the instrument panel are all painted in one colour while the rest of the scooter in another. The instrument cluster itself looks good. It is sadly not a completely digital console and neither does it boast of Bluetooth connectivity. There is a large analogue dial, flanked by indicators on the left and a small digital display on the right. The digital display shows you the odometer, trip meter and fuel level. The tail lamp looks muscular and spreads across the rear section of the scooter. At its centre is the external fuel lid which can be opened from the main ignition key.
You do not get any storage compartments in the front but the under seat storage is decent and comes with a boot light. The floorboard has plenty of space for even taller people like me and it also provides good grip to your feet so that they do not slide. Sadly the scooter does not come with a fully digital instrument cluster.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Engine
124.6cc air-cooled, 4-stroke, single cylinder, OHC
Power
9.2hp@7,000rpm
Torque
10.2Nm@5,000rpm
Dimesnsions (L x W x H) (mm)
1843 x 718 x 1188
Wheelbase
1261mm
Transmission
Variomatic Drive
Ground Clearance
155mm
Seat Height
775mm
Suspension
Front: Telescopic Forks
Rear: Sing Coil Spring
Brakes
Front: 190mmDisc
Rear: 130mm Drum
Tyres
Front: 90/90-12
Rear: 90/100-10
Fuel Tank
5 Litres
Price
Rs 62,700 (ex-showroom Delhi)
Engine and Performance of Hero Maestro Edge 125 FI
The 124.6cc air cooled engine in the Hero Maestro is the same as seen on their previous 125cc scooter, Destini 125. Hero has made certain tweaks though. More importantly, this scooter is available with a carburetted and fuel injected version. There is currently no scooter in the Indian market that has fuel injection. While the carb variant produces 8.7hp, the FI variant produces 9.2hp, which is one of the best in the segment. The peak torque figure remains the same for both the scooters at 10.2Nm. To ride, the scooter feels smooth and can pull all the way up to 70kmph without much hesitation. Even maintaining speeds of 80-85kmph is not a problem for it. The Maestro Edge 125 also gets i3s (Idle Start Stop System) but only in the carb variant. I guess adding i3s to the FI variant would have driven the cost up substantially.
The telescopic forks at the front and single spring at the rear provide good amount of comfort when going over potholes. Yet the suspension is not so soft that the scooter becomes too unstable through corners. The Maestro Edge comes with Hero’s Integrated Braking System and you can also opt to have a front disc brake. The disc brake surely increases the stopping forces available at hand and gives you a good bite.
Verdict
The Maestro Edge is available in three variants with the cheapest being the carb+drum which costs Rs 58,500. The price tag is not too expensive and the feature set given is also respectable. One must remember that fuel injection is something that is currently not being offered by any other competitor and the scooter is also plenty potent in terms of carrying you around. Yes it misses out some features in order to keep the costs low. But if you want a scooter that does not look too flashy, has enough juice to zip you through the city and not be too heavy on the pocket, then the Maestro Edge 125 is worth a look.
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