Hero launched its first offering in the 125cc segment the Destini125 a while ago, however back than the two wheeler manufacturer had also disclosed plans to give the Maestro the same treatment of a larger 125cc engine. Nevertheless now that the bike has been launched, we grabbed a chance to ride and see how it fares in real life conditions.
The Maestro is powered by a 124.6 cc engine that produces 9.1 bhp at 7000rpm and 10.2 Nm of torque at 5000rpm. The engine comes mated to a variomatic transmission and is officially the first scooter to receive fuel injection in the market. Push the start button and the motor wakes up to life, the initial feedback that hits your mind come from the levels of smoothness from the engine. Hero has managed to iron out much of the much of the vibrations from the engine at idle speed and at low speeds especially on the Fuel injected variant we are ridding today.
Overall the ride at medium and low speeds is good with the power delivery coming in at a linear manner. However the motor gets quite loud at higher speeds and does get bothersome sometimes.
The seat, while in most scooters end up sending a pain into the riders back has been pretty well cushioned in the larger engine Maestro, thus making it well suited bike for long rides. Even while seated at the back, it feels well done with good comfort overall.
The suspension which is made up of Telescopic fork at front hydraulic single coil at the rear, manages to edge out bumps and potholes quite well, with not much filtering to the footboard. Even on deep potholes the suspension soaks up the bumps well and shows that Hero has impressed in this department.
The wheels come shod in 90/90 section tyres with 12-inch at the front and 90/100 10 inch at the rear offers safe confidence on the roads. But while one would want to tuck it into corners on a hilly or curvy section, you must remember that the Maestro is a pretty large scooter and a bit heavy too. The brakes use 190mm disc brake at front and 130mm drum at the rear could however have been better, especially when you need to stop urgently where it ends up feeling nervous.
Engine124.6cc single cylinder enginePower9.2 @ 7000rpmTorque10.2 Nm @ 5000rpmTransmissionVariomaticKerb weight110kgFuel tank5 litresSuspensionTelescopic forks at front and Monoshock at the rearBrakingDisc at front and Drum at the rear
Tyres90/90 with 12-inch wheel at the front and 90/90 with 10 inch wheel at back
Verdict
The Maestro 125 is a brilliant scooter from Hero, the engine is smooth and well tuned, and the suspension is great in absorbing bumps and potholes on the road. Sure the braking is not what you call confidence inspiring and the styling may date back to the 110cc Maestro. But look beyond these glitches and what you get is a perfect scooter for your daily runabouts and occasional highway runs as well.
Comments