Hero Honda Hunk Ownership Review by Pratap

Hello everyone, I’m Piyush Pratap, 24 years old, from Agra. I’m currently working as Software engineer in Hyderabad. This article is not really a review of my bike but it’s actually my wonderful experience of 10 months with my ebony grey Hero Honda muscle HUNK 2011.

My father owned a Hero Honda Splendor (2002), which was the first bike driven by me and liked the most because riding a bike was like a dream for me. My first bike was Bajaj Pulsar 150 (UG III) brought in 2006, and then finally I became the proud owner of my Hunk in April 2011.

To start off, I would first like to answer the question “What led me to select Hunk as the bike best suitable for me?” 1st thing which I had in my mind was my budget, as it was limited anywhere between 70,000 to 85,000 INR, 2nd was looks and finally mileage as it was one the most important factor for me before buying any bike.

Many thanks to bikeadvice.in which really helped me in filtering out the bikes in the market on basis of my pre- requisites and gave me a clear opinion on what I had to look for in a bike. Finally I was left over with choice for P180, HH Hunk, HH CBZ Xtreme, Honda Dazzler, Honda Unicorn, Yamaha FZ-S, TVS Apache 160 and Pulsar 220.

P180 was removed from my choice list as I was already a proud owner of Pulsar 150. Both bikes have almost similar features except some cosmetic changes and power difference. Although CBZ Xtreme, Dazzler and Unicorn share same engine specifications but I was not satisfied with the looks of either of them, especially Unicorn which seems to be outdated. P220 was out of my budget. So, finally my choice was restricted between Hunk, FZ-S and Apache 160.

The Decision

Yamaha product Fz/Fzs would be burning a hole in my pocket because of its fuel consumption and secondly the bike is very short, appropriate for short people not for a guy like me. Coming to TVS Apache, it has killer looks but I personally don’t like that grunt sound full of bass, as I am lover of silent bikes. So after taking test drive of Hunk, FZ-S and Apache 160 and lots of research , 30th April 2011 was the day I got my brand new and sexy ebony grey Hunk. This muscular beast cost me around 76K on road. As far as the specifications are concerned I have listed them below.

2011 Hero Honda Hunk Specifications

Engine Type: Air Cooled, 4 Stroke, Single Cylinder
Displacement: 149.2 cc
Maximum Power: 10.6 KW @ 8500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 12.8 N-m @ 6500 rpm
Fuel Tank Capacity: 12.4 liters, 2.2 liters reserve
Tyre Size – Front: 2.75 x 18 – 42 P, Tubeless Tyre (MRF)
Tyre Size – Rear: 100/90 x 18 – 56 P, Tubeless Tyre(MRF)
Overall width: 765MM
Overall Height: 1095MM
Overall Length: 2080MM
Wheelbase: 1325MM
Colors Available: Bold Brown, Panther Black, Sports Red, Ebony Gray, Blazing Red and Force Silver
Ground Clearance: 145MM

The Review

Since the purchase of my bike, I have been very particular about the service and have always visited, on or before the date as specified in the owner’s manual. Servicing done by Hero Honda is brilliant, they do an effective job rite from servicing to cleaning of the bike and it seems like my bike is reborn every time.

I’m emphasizing on this because proper servicing and caring of bike doubles the overall bike’s life. Coming to the main aspects of the bike, as the tagline suggests muscle Hunk, the looks of bike are muscular with huge side air intake scoops, engine is smooth with adequate power in its segment and what I love most about the bike is the attention to detail the designers have put in to make it resemble like a racing Bull.

Looks and Styling

Main USP of this bike is its looks, just a mere glimpse of this bike takes your heart away. The fresh looks of the 2011 Hunk impressed me a lot. The new headlamp assembly and visor are catchy. The back LED tail light is simple and formal but has good brightness as compared with the other LEDs in the market. Everyone can notice the pinches of Astra Gold at front shocks and the GRS suspension seen only in top notch bikes.

Paint quality is of top standards, it sparkles under the light. I have coated my bike with Teflon during first service and it still seems to shine like it’s from the show room once cleaned even after 9 months from purchase date. In the ebony grey Hunk, the grab rail and the area above the tail light in a kind of greyish black matte finished and the muffler cover is glossy black in color.

Hunk comes with body colored mirrors which are cool enough to attract attention. The suspension spring color n spark plug cap is red in color. Overall a good color schema used intelligently. The bike has stickers of red colored bull on air intake scoops along with sporty graphics on the fuel tank. The tank of the bike is elegantly sculptured which gives it a lower drag coefficient thereby increasing the aerodynamics affect.

The dual air scoops add to the elegance and also in directing the air which prevents drag. The tank is very curvy and gives a very muscular look when seen from the top. I’ve added a picture just to show you all how the tank along with the air scoops gives that masculine look to the bike. Side panels have attached stickers written ATFT (Advanced Tumble Flow Technology) on it.

Handling

Hunk has massive weight of 146kg, but in spite of the weight this bike is not heavy to handle and is easy to use in city and gives full control to rider while cornering the bike in traffic. The bike comes with double disc as well but mine is single disc version. The front disc is of 240mmwhich gives sporty look and is sufficient for 150cc bike with rear brake having 130MM drum which altogether provides an average braking experience.

The brakes are good enough to stop you from a speed of 60km to 0 in like 3 meters. HH uses non asbestos brake shoe pad which is environment friendly and long lasting. Hunk comes equipped with the Nitrox GRS (Gas Reservoir Suspension) that offers good rear suspension. Moving on to tyres, both are fitted with MRF Zapper tubeless tyres and offers decent road grip but slippery on wet roads at times on corners. Black colored-alloy looks cool and matches perfectly with overall looks of bike.

Comfort

The riding comfort in this bike is one of the best in the class as everyone might have noticed that the seat of Hunk is pretty different from the other bikes. It doesn’t have split seats but the height between the rider and the pillion rider is really high known as stepped seating arrangement and as an advantage that difference in height offers backrest for the bottom of your back of rider and provides pillion rider full front view without any blockage by rider.

Long drives are never issues with Hunk as I was neither exhausted nor my shoulders, hand and back pained in spite of many long rides on my muscular machine. The suspension of this bike is one of the best in 150CC segment with rear shocks having GRS (Gas Reservoir Suspension).

Engine and Power

The 149.2 cc, Air Cooled, Single cylinder engine has been inherited from Honda with slight refinement. The engine produces a maximum power of 10.6 KW @ 8500 rpm and a maximum torque of 12.8 N-m @ 6500 rpm. The pick-up of this bike is at par with the other warriors in the segment reaching 0 – 60 in just mere 5 secs.

It has 5 speed gearbox, 1st gear is down and 2nd to 5th gears are up but not as smooth as Pulsar series, somewhat hard but no false gears and neutrals like we have in case of Pulsar. As per my experience the hardness of gear shifting has decreased from time to time after each servicing and as per other owners of Hunk it gets butter smooth after 7000 – 10000 on odo.

Fuel Efficiency

I am in love with fuel efficiency of my Hunk. I can feel the power of two wheels and the pull of the acceleration along with good fuel efficiency. I mostly drive my Hunk at a speed of 50 ± 5 Km / Hr (@ 4000 RPM).

Before the first service was done my bike use to deliver mileage of 35 Kmpl. After second servicing it went up to 40- 45 Kmpl and now after 3 services I am getting an overall mileage of 55Kmpl which is good enough for a 150 cc bike. The tank capacity is 12.4 liters and 2.2 in reserve, which means you can easily travel around 700 km in a single top up till brim.

Instrumentation

The instrumentation on the Hunk is one of the best in its class. The new digital meter preferably called as Ano-Digital Speedo is one of the best designed speedometer and is a combination of both analog and digital speedometer.

Below is what you get on the dashboard…

• Digital Speedometer.
• Digital ODO meter.
• Chrome tipped cluster.
• Analog Fuel Gauge.
• Digital Clock.
• High Beam Indicator Lamp.
• Neutral Indicator Lamp.
• Left Turn Signal Indicator Lamp.
• Right Turn Signal Indicator Lamp.
• Two trip meter (Trip1/Trip2).
• Mode and Reset Switch button: to change the setting, reset the trip meters and set clock time.
• Analog Tachometer.

Electricals & Battery

• Maintenance free 12V, 4 Ah battery.
• 125W alternator.
• Headlight: 12 V multifocal reflector Halogen bulb.
• Tail / Stop light: 12V – 0.5W / 4.1W LED Lamp.
• Registration Number plate lamp: 12V 5W.

Bike’s electrical fuses are located below the seat of this bike.

• Left Handle Bar
• The Left handle bar has the horn switch,
• Turn Signal lamp switch,
• Clutch lever,
• Pass By switch,
• Headlamp low/high switch,
• Choke Lever

Right Handle Bar

• The Right handle bar houses the Feather Touch Electric starter switch,
• 3 position Head lamp Switch( Off, Fog Light + Dashboard light, ON),
• Throttle Grip,
• Front Brake Lever.

Vibrations

Vibrations on this new Hunk 2011hasneither completely eliminated neither too bad. The Vibration creeps in when you are in 60-70 Kmph or when shift in gear is inappropriate i.e. not riding in the right gears as riding the bike in correct gears will give far lesser vibrations.

Riding Position

The forward bends riding stance on Hunk is just appropriate to help you to keep your back straight, with minimal back stress even during long runs, maneuver the road better and one can cut corners easily thus providing better handling.

Maintenance and Servicing

HH has maximum number of service stations, found in each and every corner of our country. The service provided by the Hero Honda dealers is top class. For those who haven’t owned HH before I would like to share that, bike comes with 6 free services and also with extended warranty program by paying extra around 1000 bucks which covers 125 spare parts under replaceable warranty for 5 years.

In short, no extra maintenance charges for 3 years from date of purchase except engine oil charges that gets replaced during each servicing. Apart from that, what you get as an add – on are the offers like HH has initiated their program “Good Life” or “Hero Honda Passport” in which you get reward points on every serving and those points can be redeemed at a specific interval to get useful gifts.

The service engineers are well mannered and they also guide you for the betterment of your bike. It is very important to service your bike at regular intervals. Only then the bike will be able to respond to your needs. Overall I will always feel proud to be owner of a HH bike and will recommend the same to others too.

Pros

• Surface of engine are anodized. Front leg guard and sari guard is black power coated and hence protects from corrosion.
• Helmet lock near sari guard proves to be useful at times.
• Smooth Engine and its Performance.
• Muscular Looks.
• Handling
• Well-equipped digital speedometer.
• Clock.

Cons

• Absence of Engine kill switch.
• No kicker to start the bike if battery goes out.
• Front foot pegs needs to be folded to use the side stand.
• Short turn is problem with this bike as it has low turning radius.
• Locking of seat should be trouble free.
• Lack of enough storage space below the seat.

Verdict

At last I am very much satisfied with Hero Honda to pick up their product Hunk, which has been developed without many negatives as it is the bike which chose the rider not the rider the bike. If you are young; need a bike that feels masculine like a higher capacity bike then, just close your eyes and go for this bull and you will not regret it.

This is my first review, so I would like some suggestions from all the readers especially Deepak Raj about any improvements which can be brought about. I would look forward for all your comments and suggestions. Finally comes the safety of the rider because becoming a biker doesn’t mean always to ride fast, but to enjoy each and every moment of your ride.

Wearing a helmet should be something you want to do, not forced to. As in Hyderabad I’ve noticed that majority of the riders don’t wear their helmets. Choose a helmet which you want to wear as it is an important part of you and your bike.