Hero MotoCorp says its Xtreme 250R is the quickest motorcycle in its segment, especially when it comes to the all-important 0-60 km/h sprint. A tall claim indeed, but a very persuasive one. We put it to the test
Hero MotoCorp has been carefully shifting gears in recent years. After years of being seen as a maker of purely commuter motorcycles, the company is now eyeing enthusiasts with sporty offerings that promise a heady blend of practicality and excitement. The Xtreme 250R sits right at this crossroads. Hero’s boldest, brawniest street-fighter yet, it is here with a very specific promise: to be the quickest 250 off the line.
Its makers are especially proud of its 0 to 60 km/h time, going so far as to make the bold claim that it is the quickest (or “fastest”, in their words) 250 out there today. Now, many in the automotive media might simply have taken up their word for it, but that’s not how we do things here at Bike India.
You see, we happen to be led by an editor, Aspi, who has not just been a professional racer but also has extensive experience getting the best out of every motorcycle package imaginable. Apart from his numerous victories on home turf, Aspi to this day remains the only Indian sportsperson to have finished the legendary Isle of Man TT races. So, yes, we are indeed suitably placed to check out the Xtreme 250R’s claims and see how it stacks up against its competition.
The competition then. What we have here today is an Indian machine going up against world-class offerings from Austria and Japan: the KTM 250 Duke and the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 FFV. Yes, we weren’t able to get the naked Gixxer 250, which would have been more appropriate for this street-fighter shoot-out, in time for this test, but on the plus side, we compensated for it by bringing in the SF’s Flex Fuel variant. For an even playing field, we kept the fuel for all three bikes the standard E20 petrol but, had we fed the SF 250 FFV some E85 ethanol-blended petrol, it would have eked out an extra 1.4 hp from its oil-cooled engine.
Let us begin with the looks, because that is what most will have uppermost in their minds even before they twist the key and get to the meaty part. With its massive fuel tank and phat gold anodised upside-down (USD) forks, the Xtreme 250R is every inch the street-fighter it purports to be. It also has an aggressive stance that echoes far, far bigger machines. In repose, it sits squarely between flamboyance and restraint. The KTM leans more towards the former and the Suzuki towards the latter.
Hero has been pretty vocal about the 0 to 60 km/h timing, and for good reason. The difference here is not purely marketing spiel. The Xtreme 250R did the 0 to 60 km/h sprint in just 3.30 seconds, edging out the KTM 250 Duke, which managed 3.45 seconds, whereas the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 FFV came in at 3.65 seconds. Those are the best numbers we recorded across multiple runs with a VBox, with E20 fuel across the board. The margins are tight, but meaningful. On city roads, where a gap window opens and closes in a blink, those tenths decide whether you clear the car ahead or get stuck peeking into a wing mirror.
Numbers on a spreadsheet look clinical. On the tarmac, they feel visceral. The Hero launches with a readiness that borders on playful aggression. The KTM follows with rawer intent, and the Suzuki, while smoother, simply cannot match that initial shove.
But straight-line speed is only a slice of the truth. Performance in traffic, the personality of the motor as it climbs through the rev-band, the gearing, and how the gearbox behaves between lights and highways, these all matter. The Xtreme 250R’s motor is tuned for bite and for usable mid-range. You feel the torque where you need it most. The clutch is light, the gearbox slots predictably, and the six-speed spread keeps things civil at cruising speeds.
We pushed all three into real-world conditions. In the city, the Xtreme 250R’s quick burst is both confidence-inspiring and genuinely useful. Short overtakes are effortless. It makes filtering a stress-free activity. On the highway, it is more nuanced. The motorcycle settles into a comfortable cruise at 90 to 100 km/h. It is not an engine that will win long, hair-on-fire top speed runs. The KTM’s higher output will, over time, stretch ahead. But that is not the Xtreme 250R’s point. Hero aimed to make the bike feel alive in the stop-start cadence of regular roads, and it has done exactly that.
When it comes to the underpinnings and how they translate into the ride experience, the Xtreme 250R uses a diamond type frame with a front USD fork set-up that soaks up average city surface irregularities while remaining composed at speed. The kerb weight is light enough to keep traffic manoeuvres simple and the foot-peg placement allows a modestly sporty stance without making daily riding a chore. Tyre contact and the chassis balance combine into a bike that tips into corners with confidence. It holds its line and, while it is not a canyon carver by design, it lets a competent rider enjoy a twisty road without feeling outgunned.
In this comparison, the KTM is unapologetically sporty. It rewards aggressive inputs and holds a higher top end. It will please the rider who wants a sharper, more visceral experience and who is willing to accept the trade-off in terms of comfort and price. The Suzuki is pragmatic and neatly engineered, but it yields both the sprint and price advantage to the Xtreme 250R.
Then there’s the price. At Rs 1.80 lakh (ex-showroom), the Xtreme 250R is by far the least expensive proposition in this small shoot-out, undercutting its rivals by more than Rs 30,000 in some cases. That shifts the discussion away from purely engine spec comparisons and into value. You get the fastest launch in the group, street-fighter looks that draw attention, and a package that is built to be ridden every day, all for a figure that makes the choice obvious to many.
If you want a simple takeaway, here it is. The Xtreme 250R is a bike that succeeds at what it promises. It is the quickest 250 from a standing start in this group. It is also a real world machine you can live with on a daily basis. It is not the lightest or the most refined in every metric, but it stands out against the backdrop of price and intent. Hero has built a capable, compelling package that makes a strong claim on the quarter litre crown. If you are stepping up from smaller bikes, if you value usable performance, and if you want the quickest launch in that traffic light moment, the Xtreme 250R is a choice that makes sense.
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