2014 Hero Pleasure India first ride
We spent a few hours in the saddle of the updated Hero Pleasure to see what has changed in this "light and zippy" (as Hero puts it) scooter.
First off we all liked the new two tone colour design, though the particular shade of Orange on the scooter we rode was not exactly to my taste. This is however a scooter that is targeted at female riders and as such there are a fair few colours on offer in a myriad of shades that I'm sure will appeal to the target audience.
So what's new?Hero have improved on the safety factor for the Pleasure by introducing their Integrated Braking System that triggers both brakes when the rear brake lever is depressed and Hero claim that this improves stopping distances. The front lever operates the front brake alone as in any other conventional system. In operation this does not feel any different from a conventional system though when only the rear brake is applied the bike does slow down better than in a non-linked system and though you should always use both brakes for stopping on a scooter this should help people unsure about using the front brake properly to pull to a stop safely. Hero has also added a side stand deployed warning light on the instrument cluster which is a handy addition to a scooter aimed at new or novice riders.
The other changes add more to the convenience and aesthetics of the scooter with a new charge socket in the front storage compartment and new multi-reflector headlight and tail light. There's also a LED light to help find your lip gloss in the under seat storage compartment.
Ride impressionsThe ride quality and the engine performance is pretty much the same, as Hero has not made any changes in this department. It remains a pleasant scooter to ride, no puns intended, with decent go from the 102cc power plant. It's priced at 48,430 ex-Mumbai for the variant pictured, while there is an alloy wheel option that will raise that price by about Rs. 1500.