Spec Comparo: Hero Xtreme 250R vs Bajaj Dominar 250 Vs Suzuki Gixxer 250

The newly-launched Hero Xtreme 250R debuts a brand new 250-cc, liquid-cooled engine from Hero MotoCorp, which is set to be added to the Karizma XMR 250 as well in the near future. However, when the bike maker unveiled the price of the Hero Xtreme 250R at the Bharat Mobility Expo this year, they shocked the populace as the figure was much lower than the competition, or one could see it this way: the price-to-performance ratio is much better than what the competition offers. Whichever way one may slice it, the fact remains that the Hero Xtreme 250R is one value-for-money package. We chose two other bikes to compare it with in that regard, the Bajaj Dominar 250 and the Suzuki Gixxer 250, to see what sets the Hero Xtreme 250R apart.

Powertrain	Hero Xtreme 250R	Bajaj Dominar 250	Suzuki Gixxer 250
Type	Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder	Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder	Oil-cooled, single-cylinder
Capacity	249.03 cc	248.77 cc	249 cc
Power	30 hp @ 9250 rpm	27 hp @ 8500 rpm	26.5 hp @ 9300 rpm
Torque	25 Nm @ 7250 rpm	23.5 Nm @ 6500 rpm	22.2 Nm @ 7300 rpm
Transmission	6-speed	6-speed	6-speed

The Hero Xtreme 250R and the Bajaj Dominar get liquid-cooled mills whereas the Suzuki Gixxer 250 employs a fin-less casting with oil-jacket cooling, which makes the Suzuki not air/oil-cooled but just oil-cooled, an unconventional choice. It also means that the Suzuki is the least potent in this trio, and the Hero has a significant power advantage over the Bajaj as well.

Dimensions	Hero Xtreme 250R	Bajaj Dominar 250	Suzuki Gixxer 250
Kerb weight	168 kg	180 kg	156 kg
Seat height	806 mm	800 mm	800 mm
Wheelbase	1357 mm	1453 mm	1340 mm
Ground clearance	167 mm	157 mm	165 mm
Fuel capacity	11.5 litres	13 litres	12 litres

When it comes to the dimensions, the Hero Xtreme 250R sits in the middle. It manages to have the best ground clearance of the trio, at the cost of the tallest seat height. The wheelbase, once again, is in the middle. This means while the power-to-weight ratio of the Hero Xtreme 250R is much better than the other two, handling should be quite neutral. The fuel tank capacity doesn’t feel touring-friendly though, with just 11.5 litres, but we will have to see what the real world fuel economy is like.

Suspension, brakes and tyres	Hero Xtreme 250R	Bajaj Dominar 250	Suzuki Gixxer 250
Front suspension	43 mm, USD fork	37 mm, USD fork	Telescopic fork
Rear suspension	Preload-adjustable monoshock	Preload-adjustable monoshock	Preload-adjustable monoshock
Front Brake	320 mm, disc	300 mm, disc	300 mm, disc
Rear Brake	230 mm, disc	230 mm, disc	220 mm, disc
Front Tyre	110/70 R17	110/70 R17	110/70 R17
Rear Tyre	150/60 R17	130/70 R17	150/60 R17

While the tyres are identical to that of the Suzuki, the Hero Xtreme 250R has more power to contend with. Therefore, Hero have given it a beefy 43-mm USD fork which, on paper, is superior to the 37-mm USDs on the Bajaj and the telescopic unit on the Suzuki. The brake discs on the Hero Xtreme 250R are the largest among the three as well, which should provide it with superior stopping power.

Price	Hero Xtreme 250R	Bajaj Dominar 250	Suzuki Gixxer 250
Ex-showroom	Rs 1.80 lakh	Rs 1.86 lakh	Rs 1.81 lakh; (Ride Connect: Rs 1.98 lakh)

The price is where the Hero Xtreme 250R knocks it out of the park, with it costing less than the Bajaj Dominar 250 and the Suzuki Gixxer 250, while being a significantly more potent machine, at least on paper. It looks like this might be the ticket to Hero recreating the CBZ magic once again.