Overview
TVS Raider vs Hero Splendor is the classic choice between a feature-loaded 125cc and India's favourite budget commuter. The Raider 125 starts near ₹82,000 ex-showroom with 11.38 PS and a 5-speed gearbox, while the Splendor+ starts near ₹76,000 with 97.2cc and 8.02 PS. This article compares on-road prices in Delhi, EMI at ₹10,000 down over 36 months, real-world monthly fuel cost at ₹103 a litre, servicing, and city and highway behaviour, helping daily riders decide which bike justifies its extra price.
TVS Raider vs Hero Splendor is really a question about ₹6,000 on the price tag and roughly ₹500 a month after that. In India, the Raider 125 starts at around ₹82,000 ex-showroom (Delhi), while the Splendor+ sits near ₹76,000. Both get bought for office runs and school drops, not weekend heroics. So the useful question isn't which bike is better in the abstract. It's whether the Raider's extra power and equipment are worth that monthly premium to you.
What You Actually Pay: On-Road Price and EMI in Delhi
Ex-showroom numbers flatter both bikes. Add RTO charges and comprehensive insurance, and the Raider Drum lands at roughly ₹92,000–95,000 on-road in Delhi. The Splendor+ comes to roughly ₹87,000–90,000. Dealer charges and accessories can push either figure up, so treat these as estimates and confirm with your showroom.
Here is the finance view. Put ₹10,000 down and borrow the rest over 36 months at 10% interest. The Raider's EMI works out to about ₹2,680. The Splendor+ comes to about ₹2,520. That gap of roughly ₹160 a month looks small until you see what sits next to it.
TVS Raider vs Hero Splendor Mileage: The Monthly Fuel Bill
Take a rider covering 40 km a day, 26 days a month, so about 1,040 km. At petrol near ₹103 a litre, the numbers get concrete.
Most Raider owners report around 52 kmpl in mixed city riding, well short of the ARAI figure. That means about 20 litres and ₹2,060 a month. The Splendor+ typically returns 60–65 kmpl in the same conditions. At 62 kmpl you burn under 17 litres, which costs ₹1,730. The Splendor+ saves you about ₹330 a month, close to ₹4,000 a year.
Add that to the higher EMI and the Raider costs about ₹490 more every month in the first three years. That's the real price of choosing it, and few spec-sheet comparisons mention it.
How They Ride in Stop-Go Traffic
The Splendor+ is built for traffic, and it shows. At 112 kg it's easy to flick between autos and buses, and the 4-speed box pulls cleanly from 25 km/h without much downshifting. It also runs out of breath early. Push past 70 km/h on a highway stretch and the 97cc motor sounds busy while delivering very little. Hero lists top speed around 87 km/h, and that's about right.
The Raider has more to give. Its 11.38 PS makes overtaking a trucks-and-tempos situation far less stressful, and the fifth gear lets it hold 80 km/h without the engine screaming. The seat is firmer than the Splendor's, and the stiffer rear setup is noticeable on broken Delhi or Mumbai tarmac. It also has a TFT console on the top variant and a digital cluster further down the range, which the Splendor+ doesn't match. The Splendor+ also has no front disc option, which matters on wet roads.
Servicing and Ownership at 10,000 km
Servicing is where the Splendor+ widens its lead. Hero's network is the densest in the country, and parts are available in almost every tehsil. Expect each routine service to cost roughly ₹1,000–1,200 (likely, and it varies by city). Raider servicing should run closer to ₹1,300–1,600 per visit. TVS has a decent network in metros but gets thinner in smaller towns. If you live somewhere without a TVS workshop nearby, that's a bigger factor than any spec.
Resale also favours the Splendor+. A three-year-old Splendor sells faster in the used market than almost any other bike in India. A Raider holds value reasonably well, but you'll wait longer for the right buyer.
Should You Look at Rivals First?
If the Raider feels slightly expensive and the Splendor+ feels slightly tame, the Honda Shine 125 sits in between, with smoother refinement and a lighter running cost than the Raider. The Hero Xtreme 125R, which Drivio has covered, is the sportier alternative at a similar price to the Raider. Both are worth a test ride before you decide.
Verdict: Who Should Buy Which
Buy the Splendor+ if your riding is mostly city, your daily run is under 40 km, and every rupee of running cost matters. It's cheaper to buy, cheaper to fuel and cheaper to fix, and nothing in your day will make you wish it was faster.
Buy the Raider 125 if your commute includes a flyover stretch or a highway link where the Splendor's 97cc motor gets tired. Pick it too if you want features the Splendor doesn't offer. The extra ₹490 a month buys real capability.
For most daily riders, the answer in this TVS Raider vs Hero Splendor contest is the Splendor+, but only if your roads are slow ones. Check the on-road price and EMI for the Raider and the Splendor+ in your city on Drivio.
The Splendor+ wins for slow city riding: it costs less to buy, roughly ₹330 less in monthly fuel, and cheaper servicing with a wider network. The Raider 125 costs about ₹490 more every month once EMI and fuel are combined, but delivers stronger overtaking, a fifth gear, and better features. Choose the Splendor+ if your commute is under 40 km on slow roads. Choose the Raider if highways or flyovers feature in your daily route and you want some extra performance.
