HERO might be one of the world’s biggest motorcycle companies but with an output that’s largely limited to small-capacity commuters for the Indian market it’s no surprise that it hasn’t grabbed the attention of many European riders.
But that could be about to change.
The firm has just revealed its ‘Hastur’ concept bike at the Dehli Auto Expo, and with a 620cc parallel twin and aggressive streetfighter styling it’s well worth a look. They’re talking about 80bhp at 9600rpm from the self-developed engine, which is fitted to an impressive-looking tubular steel trellis frame.
While details of the bike are scant, it’s believed to be the first fruit of Hero’s tie-up with Erik Buell Racing, whereby EBR (and Erik Buell himself) are supplying technical know-how and design assistance to Hero in return for financial support. If the Hastur were Buell-badged, it would certainly have been less of a surprise.
Hero also unveiled two further concept bikes at the event, the SimlEcity lightweight electric machine and a pie-in-the-sky fuel-cell-powered, hubless-wheeled mock-up called the iON.
Will the Hastur see production? It’s possible, if still some way from happening. But we can easily imagine the bike being sold in Europe and America, perhaps with EBR badging instead of the Hero name on the side…
