The Hero Mavrick 440 was sent to us for a road test. This is how it went.
Story: Charan Karthik
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Hero have been busy in the big- bike segment and the company has now expanded their vast range of two-wheelers with the Mavrick 440 being their largest one yet.
First things first, I loved the thump it made. Yes, the exhaust note is crisp and the thump feels original, though not like an old Royal Enfield’s; that would be a stretch. Yours truly was instantly attracted to the torque it offered, but more about that later. The Mavrick is a quirky-looking 440-cc bike and I was instantly reminded of Honda’s CB300R when I took a closer look.
Producing a healthy 27 hp, the street bike weighs 187 kilograms and feels quite peppy thanks to the generous torque on offer low-down. Though, the Mavrick has a more relaxed nature and, to eager riders, may seem to take its own time to get going. Once it does so, however, the red-line comes up real soon. The motor also makes a good amount of power and torque, the latter being 36 Nm arriving at just 4,000 rpm, to keep us enthusiasts satisfied in the first three or four gears. It has a good spread of low- and mid-range grunt but, on the open road, it runs out of breath in sixth gear, while there’s average pull in fifth. Cruising on the highway, however, is where the sixth gear proves to be the most useful as it keeps the engine relaxed, vibrations at bay, and fuel consumption minimal. The clutch lever has a light action and is easily usable within the city. It made me forget the fact that I was riding a 440-cc bike.
Stopping power is something the Mavrick can boast about as the bite is just superb. The front brake lever only requires a gentle squeeze at most times; even during hard braking I felt confident in grabbing it longer and harder. The ABS was a little intrusive and kicked in faster than I liked but the feedback was still great. The rear brake offers decent bite but it somewhat lacks the expected feedback at higher speeds, though I do not think that would be an issue at any given point. The single 320-millimetre front disc and 240-mm rear one are standard on the Mavrick 440.
The one characteristic I loved the most about the Mavrick… no, it’s not the name, it’s the suspension set-up. This motorcycle has a sort of magic-carpet ride quality, one that impressed me from the word go. It performed fantastically over all sorts of undulations on the road. Half of the bumps and potholes that I would usually avoid and go around were attempted and crossed with comfort. I was pleasantly surprised by the damping offered by the suspension. The telescopic front fork and dual shock-absorbers at the rear may look old-school, but they do a great job.
The seat is rather firm but makes for comfortable journeys, short and long. The cushioning is just right, although the outer material could have provided some more grip. The seat height of 803 mm makes the bike very easy to get on and manoeuvre around the city; even in traffic. However, that plus-point has a corresponding minus-point. The handlebar position feels a little on the higher side, which led to an upright riding posture—something I have never been a fan of. However, some others may appreciate the upright urban riding position, though the Mavrick’s posture was just a mite too upright for me. The handlebar also has long bar-ends that jut out and look like they are out of place. Shorter bar-ends would have given the bike a much cleaner look.
The Mavrick is offered in three variants. We got the top-of-the-line variant in the Enigma Black colour for our test, one that rides on 17-inch alloy rims. The other variants get spoked rims with tubes. Talking about the colour, Enigma Black, it looks like a starry night when under direct sunlight. It’s not entirely black but the darkest of blues with a sprinkle of silver and various other colours that one can only see when out riding on a cloudless day.
As for equipment, the bike comes with a digital console and LED lighting all around. The headlight, in particular, is designed beautifully. The daytime running lights (DRL) sit inside and the entire unit has a chrome lining that runs along the perimeter. The tail-light design is rather unique and is quite eye-catching, positioned under the shapely rear grab-rail.
We also had the opportunity to hit some corners up in the hills and the Mavrick took them all on very well. The tyres inspired sufficient confidence and added to the comfort factor.
One thing we must keep in mind is the rev-range. The red-line comes up rather quickly and it compels you to upshift. The motor is strong enough to pull in second gear from a standstill but it still could use those little extra bit of revs for a street bike.
The Hero Mavrick 440 Top variant comes with all the bells and whistles that you would ever want from a street bike and it costs Rs 2.24 lakh before taxes. Remember, this is the biggest Hero ever and it does make sense if what you are looking for is a home-grown 440-cc street bike.
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