Rare Hero Honda Ad with Salman Khan

Two-wheeler advertisements have always been important in the Indian market. Many manufacturers have been known to come out with excellent advertisements, many of which are now a Classic. Motorcycles such as Hero Honda CD100 was one of the first four-stroke motorcycles that were affordable for the general public. The sales got an additional push when Salman Khan himself came out to advertise for the CD100. The year was 1985 when the advertisement was released.

The motorcycle was advertised as the most fuel-efficient motorcycle in India. The video shows that the CD100 travels 400 km on a single tank and still has some fuel left in it. The actor did 3 advertisements for the CD100. All of them featuring the same song which talks about how the CD100 is the most efficient bike in town. It was true that the motorcycle was known for its excellent fuel efficiency. People claimed that the motorcycle could deliver somewhere around 80 km to a litre. The motorcycle helped many people to get their first motorcycle as it was affordable when compared to the competitors. CD 100 was known for its reliable engine, solid build quality, impressive price tag and lightweight. Its famous slogan was ‘Fill it, Shut it & Forget it.’ The design was kept simple by Hero Honda. It got spoked 18-inch wheels, square-shaped halogen headlamp and an analogue instrument cluster. Braking duties were performed by drum brakes on either side. Suspension duties were carried out by hydraulic telescopic forks in the front and hydraulic dampers at the rear. The motorcycle weighed a mere 116 kg. It was powered by a 97 cc, 4-stroke, SOHC, single-cylinder petrol engine. The engine produced 7.5 BHP of max power at 8,000 rpm and 7.2 Nm of peak torque at 5,000 rpm. It was mated to a 4-Speed Constant Mesh transmission.

Also read: Hero Xtreme 160R naked street motorcycle launched

However, now Hero Honda has broken their partnership and are performing as independent firms. There is the Hero MotoCorp and Honda Two-Wheelers. Recently, both the manufacturers were in the news as two dealerships of both the brands were banned from selling motorcycles by Chhattisgarh Transport division. The dealerships are located in Raipur and Gariyaband districts in Chattisgarh. You can read more about the ban by clicking here.

Both manufacturers have been doing well in the Indian market. Honda reported a growth of 9 percent in November 2020 when compared to the sales of November 2019. Honda launched the H’ness CB350 in the Indian market, which is a retro classic motorcycle and is currently on sale through the BigWing network of dealerships of Honda. The motorcycle starts at Rs. 1.85 lakhs ex-showroom. Whereas, Hero MotoCorp saw a 12.9 percent growth in November 2020 when compared to the sales of November 2019. They also launched products like the Xtreme 160R which is priced as a premium sporty commuter. The motorcycle is underpowered when compared to its rivals such as the Bajaj Pulsar NS160 and TVS Apache RTR 160 4V. However, its lightweight and agile handling make up for less power output. The Xtreme 160R is priced at Rs. 1.04 lakhs ex-showroom.

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