SINNIS HERO-X 125 (2022 - on) Review

Are you a hardcore delivery driver or a daily commuter? Want an affordable ride that offers a little more in the way of practicality? Then I suggest you consider getting yourself a new Sinnis Hero-X. At £2899 it’s as well made and finished as 125cc scooters from the leading manufacturers, with all the elements to assist with modern day-to-day riding, and for a reasonable price – it undercuts rivals by up to £1000.

And it’s impressive even if you class yourself as a biker, like I do. Living in the countryside means I definite sway towards geared 125s like Sinnis’ own Akuma – they’re cheaper, faster and more fun. However, should I ever move to a town or city the Hero-X would be among my first choices for transportation. It offers so much practicality and usability on a daily basis, is easy to ride, has impressive quality for the price, and works out of town too.

Scooters may not be to everyone’s fancy – and that’s okay – but for someone who previously held them in low regard, the Hero-X has opened my eyes. Who wouldn’t like all that storage...?

The Hero-X is the easiest thing to ride in the world. Most of its weight is concentrated very low down, which can take a bit to get your head around if you’re used to a bike. However, provided the speed is right – not too fast – the Hero’s cornering is decent. It’s nice and stable despite the small wheels, too.

This said, the Hero-X is obviously much better suited to an urban environment rather than the pothole-littered roads of rural England, where you can get a little thrown around riding at speed – part of which is because of the scooter riding position. With its low handlebars (they class it as a ‘sports scooter’) it gives great forward visibility, easy urban control and is very comfortable, especially with the mattress of a seat that’s parked on the rear. You could breeze over a landmine and hardly feel a bump with all the cushioning.

The brakes pack a punch whether you’re stopping for town-centre traffic or have been confronted by an angry badger. As is common with most scooters the back brake acts as if you’ve been suddenly anchored to the ground. For a rider like myself who isn’t used to such force it’s quite the shock, but for quick-stop situations I’m definitely not complaining.

Beneath the layers of plastic and huge padded seat is a liquid-cooled 125cc four-stroke single. With a claimed 11.4bhp it isn’t the most powerful engine and only has a top speed of ‘over 55mph’, according to Sinnis. As what most of us call a ‘rev and go’ there aren’t clunky gears like on some Chinese-made 125s and acceleration is smooth, but it’s also steady.

This doesn’t sound like a whole lot of excitement. However, it’s a much more modern engine than other Sinnis models I’ve tried and happily shows an indicated top speed of 65mph. You can actually have some fun on the Hero-X on open roads.

This is a brand-new model for 2022 and so it’s impossible to predict what reliability will be like in the long term. But the finish is good. The Hero-X looks and feels better quality from earlier Sinnis models, and the switchgear and controls are as good as on more expensive scooters. Neat LED rear running lights too.

The attractively modern Yamaha NMax 125 is £3550, while a Honda SH125i costs £3949. The latter comes with a top-box, but both are obviously a stack more than the Sinnis. The problem for the Hero-X is that the 125 version of the Liberty from scooter experts Piaggio is actually cheaper at £2700 (though it’s arguably not as cool). There’s a sea of rivals from other Chinese brands too, such as the keenly priced Lexmoto Titan at just £1999.

Mirrors are good, it’s fuel efficient, and it has a decent-size pillion seat with proper grab-handles and fold-out footpegs. The digital screen with fuel gauge, trip, clock and even the option of mph or kph uses a very condensed display, yet all the information is clear as day, with everything you need to know visible and readable. There’s a security cover on the ignition (like on a Suzuki Burgman), operated using an extra bit on the key. The ignition also releases the seat and opens the filer cap, handily located up by the handlebars.

As well as a seat that could bolster an elephant, the Hero-X also has enough underseat storage for grand piano. I’m told there are rivals with even more space, but for someone used to a motorbike it’s flipping huge – on a hot summer day it could easily be used as a swimming pool. It obviously stores my gloves, jacket and HJC helmet with ease.

Below the handlebars is a front compartment that’ll store a generously filled chip butty. If like me your phone is constantly dying, there’s also a handy dandy port with a socket so you can charge while you ride.

And if you’ve filled all your storage with grand pianos and chip butties but still need somewhere for bread and milk, the Hero-X provides a traditional shopping hook to hang a bag in front of your legs. Which is important. The Hero-X might be a modern machine for a modern rider, but every scooter needs a shopping hook.