Hero Lectro F1 Long-term Report: Memorable, But Flawed

The ZigWheels two-wheeler long-term fleet has many exciting motorcycles and scooters to choose from. And you’d always want your first long-term ride to be a special one. Well, I chose my first-ever long-termer to be the Hero Lectro F1 electric cycle. The main reason for this decision was to have a set of wheels which would bring around a substantial lifestyle change.

And what better way to embrace a healthier lifestyle, by trading in the keys of my KTM 390 Duke for the F1. With the aim to improve my fitness, I strapped on a cycling helmet and pedalled away energetically to begin a commute from the office to my residence.

As the F1 gets three pedal assist modes – Low, Medium and High – the 15km-long ride did not feel very tiring. I chose to use the ‘High’ pedal assist mode for the initial first week, as I was cycling after a decade-long hiatus, and this mode allowed me to reach home literally without breaking a sweat. 

Electric Power All The Way

Given my fitness was at its absolute worst, I began using the F1 around my house, which is surrounded by hills, and thus long inclines. I found that using the throttle was not very effective while climbing these inclines, however, using the ‘High’ pedal assist modes in lower gears allowed me to tackle these inclines effortlessly.

Eventually, within a week, I was able to cycle around the house with the ‘Medium’ level of pedal assist, which was a sign of my fitness improving. Such improvements would’ve been painstakingly hard to achieve on a regular cycle, and this is where electric-powered cycles prove their worth. 

How About Pedalling To Work

With about two weeks of cycling practice under my belt, it felt apt to use the F1 for my daily office commutes, which would amount to approximately a distance of 32km. Given that our F1 long-termer had no accessories to carry any luggage, I had to plan my commutes in advance and leave my laptop in the office. I really wish there was at least some provision provided to carry a small bag.

Another challenge I immediately faced was that the F1 came without a bell. This coupled with brakes that lacked bite, resulted in me screaming out at pedestrians and motorists on the road as I tried making my way to the office. Not to mention, the lack of fenders at both ends resulted in dirty clothes by the time I reached office.

Hero Lectro comes with a range of 25km on throttle mode, and 30km on pedal assist mode. However, the F1 over delivered in this regard, as I was able to constantly obtain over 32km of range daily. Rather, I was forced to extract this range, as even carrying the charger was not convenient due to the lack of any luggage mounting points.

Too Slow To Use Daily?

A common misconception to not cycle to work would be the fact that cycle commutes are quite time consuming. However, I did time my home to office commutes (round trips) on numerous occasions on the cycle, a motorcycle and car. Here’s a quick summary of the stats:

Home to office, distance: 13km

Of course, it is not fair comparing an electric cycle to a car and motorcycle. However, if you look at commute times, there isn’t a massive difference between the three. If you can stick to a schedule, electric cycles are actually a feasible mode to commute. And charging at the office implies zero running costs, a great way to save money!

Durability

While the Hero Lectro F1 was proving to be quite a frugal means to use for commuting, of course with some inconvenience, and also a great way of clocking some cardio time, the cycle did begin to experience quite a few niggles pretty quickly.

It all began with the front fork oil seals, which began leaking quite a bit, kind of like my KTM 390 Duke did a few years ago. This was soon followed by the handlebar automatically developing a bend and the seat mounting loosening up. Finally, the brakes began losing whatever little bite they offered. While Hero Lectro were prompt enough to get the brakes and seat fixed, the oil seal and handlebar issue needed complete assembly replacements.

Handing It Over

The Hero Lectro F1 definitely was a great companion, and made for a memorable first-ever long-termer. It was not flawless, like every good thing in life, but it did play a pivotal part in helping me work on my fitness. I just wish it came with those small bits of convenience, which would’ve helped elevate the entire experience. 

However, my time with the Hero Lectro F1 comes to an end, as it goes to other members of the Zig team, who too need to work on their fitness levels, and thus will be able to use the electric cycle to its complete potential.