It was Hero MotoCorp’s first brainchild after the much-publicized split from Honda. So much so that they decided to unveil their new, global brand-identity at London’s O2 Arena on August 9, 2011. Londoners, quite unoblivious to Hero MotoCorp, must have been wondering which manufacturer it was.
The design, however, looked edgy. In fact, it was nothing like the bikes that we were used to seeing on our streets. A brave attempt to venture into a niche segment.I remember craning my neck behind to catch a glimpse of its distinctive beak as a rider on his brand-new Hero Impulse zapped away on the opposite lane, some weeks after it was unveiled.
High hopes were penned onto it. However, they were shattered and fell away in numerous directions. Like a ceramic cup or a coaster does when it lands on the floor.
Needless to say, the corny enthusiasm of Mr. Munjal was quite evident when the Impulse was about to be unveiled. He had received a few encouraging comments from media and auto-journalists. They went ahead with the launch, rather steam-rolled ahead, only to stare at a bleak picture after a few months. Sales rolled off, like a rider rolls off the throttle as he coasts into a corner. Only that the sales never picked up, unlike the rider who would like to blast out of the corner with as heavy throttle as possible without causing the tires to squeal and chatter.
Eventually, the production of the Hero Impulse was curtailed a year after its introduction.
By now, quite a few would have realized that Hero MotoCorp has a talisman in their inventory. Rather a lucky mascot. One which has the solution to every problem faced by them. Just a wave of the hand…then whoosh!!
So in comes Eric Buell Racing. Which is the very definition of the American Spirit. 😀
Though they have next-to-nothing experience in the off-roading segment (The Buell Ulysses was often labelled as Buell “USELESS” by numerous international moto-journalists), Hero MotoCorp wants us Indians to believe that its inclusion as an ally will help in the resurrection of the Impulse.
Hero MotoCorp wants us to believe that the Impulse will come with a better design and a larger engine. Nevertheless, they have also stated that the Impulse will come in the current engine configuration as well. They are hopeful of finding more takers for off-roading bikes in India as well as new markets like Latin America. They are even looking at invading markets such as Turkey and Egypt.
Would you like a new Hero Impulse with a bigger engine??
We definitely would love to get our hands on one! So would it be the 250cc engine that they have developed and tested for our market and which is coming to us next year?
Source – Telegraph India
