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My new Hero Vida V1: First impressions including ride quality & range

9th July 2024, 12:42 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

The electric scooter can also be charged at the Ather Grid charging network.

BHPian Funny recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took delivery of my Vida Pro on 5th July. Got a helmet (yet to receive) and a storage bag as freebies from Hero. I had booked it on 26th June.

Here are my first impressions after riding the scooter for more than 100kms within 3 days of its delivery!

VFM product from the reputed Hero brand (considering the ongoing discounts)
Super convenient online booking through Amazon and Flipkart which means you can purchase using a credit card and avail of additional cashback
Good suspension, absorbs most of the undulations and provides decent ride quality
Acceleration is good, you will enjoy riding it in traffic once you get used to it
Good fast charging network since it supports charging from Ather grid as well
Features like removable battery, car-like remote key, side-stand cut-off, dedicated SOS button, portable charger with its dedicated storage slot, boost mode for quick overtakes in Eco mode, useful and convenient cruise and park modes, factory fitted center stand, ample under seat storage which fits a full face ISI helmet easily and spacious seat for pillion which can also accommodate a kid in between comfortably

Hero's mismanagement with respect to initial pricing and subsequent heavy discounting, the initial buyers will be disappointed looking at the discounts now
The switch-gear looks premium but doesn't function like it, the feedback from most of the switches is poor and you end up pressing them more than once to make them work, mushy and non-tactile operation
Vida app is not seamless to use and certain functions don't work even after almost 2 years of its launch, it feels like a crude app although they seem to have updated the app interface recently
Basic display which doesn't support many features like integrated maps (only turn-by-turn navigation which is not very useful), a documents section with a "coming soon" label since launch and buggy integration with the app
Horn sounds very mild, mirrors are not very useful due to their flawed design/placement, no storage area in the front to keep your phone or other smaller items securely
The rear drum brake is not up to the mark, I did not find much difference between the stopping effect of the rear brake and manual regen (twisting throttle in opposite direction), so you have to rely a lot on the front discs for actual stopping power. I use the rear brake along with the manual regen for slowing down the scooter for speed-breakers etc

Range seems to be low for a 3.94kwh battery capacity, I assume there is some optimization loss due to dual and removable battery setup
Due to fewer sales, there aren't many Vidas on the road which can be a negative or positive based on how you look at it (dud-product vs exclusivity)
The dealership experience was average, I had to follow up frequently to ensure a smooth delivery experience. Although my SA was not pushy about taking their insurance or accessories so I opted for my own insurance which led to additional savings
Lack of official accessories like guard set, cover, seat cover, mobile holder etc. They only have side step available currently in BLR and the guard set is supposedly under development and will be launched in a few months according to my SA
The looks of the scooter are subjective, I personally didn't care about the looks but my Red Vida seems to be growing on me, especially from certain angles
I am not a fan of white LEDs on vehicles but they seem to be doing the job just fine, need to check the efficiency during rains
The split-seat setup is a little cumbersome to operate with one hand but it does work without any issues as long as you know how to open/close it with the correct technique, thanks to the many YT videos for the tips!

Will update more details when I clock more miles on it. Here are a few pictures of my new ride