Hero Duet Silent Recall

https://www.motorbeam.com/2017/03/bikes/hero-maestro-edge/hero-maestro-edge-recalled-silently-1-5-lakh-units-affected-scoop/

So some news about our Hero Duet. Looks like hero motocorp has fucked it up for good. 

We have done about 3000 km till date. And the scooter has become kind of rubbish with leaky suspension and reduced pickup. Probably needs a service. So hearing this news I asked wife to dump it for servicing. 

Let's see if the servicing guys fix this turd. 

On the positive side - Hero did get some things right. Above 55kmph no vibrations. So good for highway riding. So is stability at high speeds - which may be because of the weight. But still with good suspension it gives you confidence. The light is not enough in night and needs tune-up for proper focus. But we keep on forgetting it every time we give it for servicing. Maybe I'll correct it when I start self-servicing the bike. Oil change and basic engine tune up doesn't look all that difficult. 

The seating is not that bad. We got a replacement seat cover that's made up of mesh like material which keeps bottom aerated and so saves on ass-burn on long trips. In India's hot and humid weather leather seats don't make much sense. 

The accelerator is easy on pull. Recently I rode an old active and the accelerator was murderous. After 10mins my wrist was burning like hell. The brakes are also fine, though being drum type they lack bite and you have to be cautious when riding at high speeds. 

Storage space works fine. The two hooks at front work great. The grip at the back is bit overkill but is comfortable. The styling like looks too much like Activa but works. Overall the Duet is a fine dream designed in a hurry. But seems like hero was not finished with the refinement. And still the rushed the product to market without enough testing. And so now thousands of units later, the black dots are coming to the fore. 

From my experience working in automotive domain, getting a vehicle working perfectly is difficult. The many parts sourced from number of suppliers often have their own issues and in the middle of it all maintaining the desired quality is difficult. Due to this an often given advice is to skip the first generation of any product. 

So where to from here? If hero can fix the problems and the bike experience gets better, then there is future for Duet. Or else people will avoid all hero branded bikes. And in this competitive bike market that can cause your downfall however big you are. 

Let's see what happens. Ciao.