The much awaited Hero XPulse 200 and 200T have been launched with a starting price of 94,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi.
Styling
The Hero XPulse 200 fits the part of a dual-sport motorcycle to the “T”. The round headlamp looks retro and lends an old-school feel to a design that is more inclined towards function than form. The raised fenders, up-swept silencer, and the motorcycle’s tall stance make it evident that the new Hero bike is ready to tackle a variety of terrain. Yes, disintegrating road surfaces during the monsoon do fall under “variety of terrain”.
Engine
One of the biggest shortcomings of the Impulse was its puny engine. Hero are looking to set that score even by using the latest 199.6-cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that powers Hero’s X range of motorcycles. It produces 18.4 PS and a peak torque of 17.10 Nm. You can choose between a carburetted or fuel-injected variant.
Equipment
The XPulse features a fully-digital instrument cluster that supports turn-by-turn navigation with Bluetooth connectivity. At the front of the high tensile steel frame, suspension is managed by a telescopic fork with 190-mm travel while the rear is taken care of by gas-charged monoshock with 170 mm travel. The sizes of the front and rear spoke wheels are 21 and 18 inches, respectively, and they are shod with dual-purpose tyres.
The kit on the bike includes LED headlamps and tail-lamps, USB charger, windshield and luggage plate with bungee hooks. Braking is handled by a disc apiece at the front and rear; supplemented by single-channel ABS at the front. Colour options for the Fi variant are Matte Green, Pearl Fadeless White and Matte Axis Grey, while the carburetted variant is available in two colors; Sports Red and Black.
The Touring-oriented Model: Hero Xpulse 200T
Unlike its adventure-focused sibling, the 200T has been specifically developed for those who want to spend a long time in the saddle comfortably without being intimidated by poor roads. Visually and mechanically, both motorcycles are almost similar. The key difference is that the 200T runs 17-inchers at both ends. Unlike the XPulse 200, the 200T will only be available as a carburetted variant. Colour options for the 200T are Candy Blazing Red, Black, Matte Shield Gold and Matte Axis Grey.
Price
The ex-showroom prices for the range are as follows:
Hero XPulse 200T – Rs 94,000
Hero XPulse 200 (carb) – Rs 97,000
Hero XPulse 200 (Fi) – Rs 1.05 lakh
Bookings for all three motorcycles are now open and they will have arrive at dealerships near you as you read this.
Also read: UM dual-sport motorcycles spied in India
Story: Joshua Varghese
