Quick Review- 2016 Hero Achiever 150 i3S

What is it?

Basically the latest Hero MotoCorp product to receive the i3s treatment, the 2016 Hero Achiever is actually an all-new product that aims to help Hero MotoCorp establish a strong foothold in the ‘premium executive’ commuter segment. The 2016 Achiever gets new bodywork, a BS-IV-compliant engine, a handful of new features and of course, the much publicized Idle Start-Stop technology. But is it enough to take on successful products like the Honda CB Unicorn 150 and the Bajaj V15? We spent some time with the new bike to find out our answers. Read on for our new model Hero Achiever review-

Also See- Super Splendor iSmart | Hero Passion 110 iSmart

Looks

As we said, the 2016 Achiever is targeted at the premium executive segment. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the new Achiever, akin to the earlier version, lacks flamboyance. What you do get, however, are clean, inoffensive lines that should appeal to the masses. The Achiever boasts a rather large bikini fairing that features a translucent visor. There’s a neatly sculpted fuel tank whose visual appeal has been enhanced by trendy graphics. Moving on, there’s a single-piece side panel that has ‘Achiever 150’ sticker-ed onto it. The tailpiece houses a clear-lens headlamp and a single-piece grab-rail. True, there’s nothing fancy about this bike’s design, but the clean lines and neat surfaces should definitely help this bike find many takers.

Once astride, you’ll be quick to notice a rather dull all-analogue instrument console. This comes as a quite a surprise, especially if you consider bikes like the Splendor 110 iSmart, which belong to a much lower segment, but offer semi-digital instrument clusters. Ergonomically, however, the Achiever scores highly. You sit pretty upright and your hands fall easily onto the handlebar. The seat is sufficiently wide and comfortable. Overall, the new 2016 Hero Achiever looks sufficiently modern and should appeal to its target customer.

New Model Hero Achiever Review Video

Looks- 7/10

Also See- Hero HX 250R | Hero Dare | Hero XF3R | Hero Xtreme 200S

Features

The new Achiever offers almost all the features that one would expect from a bike in this segment. Of course, the most notable feature is the brilliant i3S Idle Stop-Start System. The i3S alone helps the 2016 Achiever to have an edge over its immediate rivals. The i3S cuts off the ignition when the engine has been idling for a few seconds. The engine comes back to life on pulling the clutch lever. The i3S goes on to ensure that the new bike ends up being more frugal by avoiding unnecessary burning of the unleaded. Basically, the i3S is like the ‘Micro-Hybrid’ tech that we’ve seen in some M&M vehicles. Another significant feature that this bike comes with is the ‘always-on’ headlamp.

Other features include-

• Side-Stand Indicator
• Halogen Headlamp
• Electric Start
• Black-painted engine and wheels
• Alloy Wheels
• Rear Gas Shock Absorbers
• Clear-lens Indicators
• Disc Brake

Features- 7/10

Engine and Gearbox

Powering the new Achiever is a BS-IV-compliant single-cylinder, 149cc air-cooled engine that outputs a max. power of 13.6 PS (10 kW) and a peak torque of 12.8 Nm. The engine comes mated to a slick-shifting 5-speed Manual Transmission.

The short gearing, along with the decent torque spread at lower RPMs, makes it really easy to trod along at slow city speeds. The new bike can easily do speeds as low as 40 KMPH in fifth gear. Also, there’s sufficient punch to quickly propel the new Achiever to speeds up to 80 KMPH. However, the high-end power delivery, to be honest, is pretty dull. That said, the new model Achiever is capable of hitting 100 KMPH, but this one’s definitely no YZF-R15 and hence, one should look elsewhere to realize his boy-racer dreams. Other than the highly frugal nature, what this bike’s target audience is sure to appreciate is the engine’s smooth and vibe-free nature.

Engine and Gearbox- 8/10

Ride, Handling and Braking

The new model Hero Achiever 2016 is built around a tubular diamond type frame chassis. Suspension duties are handled by a set of conventional telescopic hydraulic shock absorber at front and a swing arm with twin shock absorbers at rear.  We couldn’t ride the new Achiever on bad roads, but we do need to mention here that the ride is pretty comfortable over speed humps and other such irregularities. Also, the bike is fairly stable at speeds above 80 KMPH, which means the occasional high speed run shouldn’t be an unnerving affair. 

The new model Hero Achiever 2016 has neutral handling characteristics. While the soft suspension ensues the Achiever isn’t a sharp cornering tool, good weight distribution and sufficiently grippy tires make sure that it’s imminently flick-able in traffic. Yes, the bike is very nimble but it isn’t the most sure-footed when apex hunting. But then, let’s keep in mind that the new 2016 Achiever has no intentions of mimicking Marquez’ MotoGP monster.

The new Achiever is available in two variants. While the cheaper of the two comes with drum brakes at both the wheels, our test bike was the pricier, front disc brake-equipped, model. Thanks to the disc brake, the bike can be hauled down from high speeds pretty easily. We braked really hard on many occasions and the Achiever’s braking setup didn’t disappoint. Hero MotoCorp realizes that many owners of the new Achiever would have graduated from smaller bikes equipped with drum brakes. Hence, it has made sure that the front disc brake isn’t over-enthusiastically sharp, whilst being sufficient potent to haul down the bike without breaking a sweat.

Ride- 7/10

Handling- 6/10

Braking- 8/10

Verdict

In a country where fuel economy is the major deciding factor for most prospective bike buyers, the new Achiever comes across as a really honest attempt to bridge two different segments of our bike market. While it tries to mimic the frugal nature of, say, a 125cc commuter motorcycle, it also attempts to provide the grunt and premium-ness associated with a 150cc bike. The new Hero Achiever 2016 is really frugal, looks good, has enough features and offers the almost unparalleled reassurance of Hero’s wide service network. On sale at a starting price of Rs 61,800, the new model Achiever comes across as great value for money!

Overall- 7/10

New Model Hero Achiever Review 2016 – Specifications

So, what do you have to say about our new model Hero Achiever review? Do let us know by commenting below. Stay tuned to CarBlogIndia for more posts like the  new model Hero Achiever review we have here.

Photography- Dhruv Saxena