Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

  • Home
  • News
    • Upcoming Launches
    • Latest News
    • New Bike Launches
  • Reviews
    • First Ride
    • Road Test
    • Comparison
  • Features
  • Our Bikes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • NG Auto
    • AUTO COMPONENTS INDIA
    • CAR INDIA
    • COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
  • Brands

Sports X-Rated

October 1, 2015 by Harket Suchde Leave a Comment

_MG_7037 web

There’s a new 150-cc slicker in town: the Xtreme Sports. Can Hero’s latest offering outstrip the other big guns of this massively competitive segment? We just had to find out

Story: Harket Suchde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Jack of all trades, master of none,
Often times better than a master of one

This is an old adage, the second half of which is usually ignored, and one that is entirely apt when discussing the diverse 150-cc motorcycle segment. To be a success in the 150-cc doghouse, the bike needs to be a good looker, a decent performer, provide above-adequate comfort and ergonomics, and be relatively easy on the pocket both in terms of cost and fuel economy. In the form of the Xtreme Sports, Hero have unveiled their latest progeny that will do battle in this very arena. An arena that they helped found, and, incidentally, it was the most ancient ancestor of this very bike, the CBZ, a pillar of the Indian 150-cc segment. The CBZ’s lineage has come a long way from this aforementioned ancestor, and that is most clearly evident when you look at the Xtreme Sports.

_MG_7091 web

It is clear that the Xtreme Sports draws visual inspiration from its Xtreme sibling because, under the skin, they are essentially the same bike, but there are a few clearly discernible differences between the two. The headlamp unit has been tweaked, and, in what is a surprisingly recurring theme on the Sports, is strangely reminiscent of the bike two generations its senior: the now defunct CBZ Xtreme. The instrument cluster is new, and a combination of analogue rev counter and digital speedo which is clean and bold, making it easy to read. The key slot for the bike has been moved to the side however, à la retro cruisers, which makes life bothersome if you’re in the habit of turning your bike off at signals, and is compounded by the fact that an engine kill switch is conspicuous by its absence.

_MG_7142 web

Other retentions from the old CBZ Xtreme include the grab-handles, which are separated by a new split seat. Both elements add a certain amount of visual relief, and as such are a welcome inclusion. There’s also extra panels on the tank and a belly pan that add to that Sports moniker and give the bike that little bit of aggression in the visual department.

_MG_7109 web

Another new addition to the bike is a pair of snazzy-looking LED pilot lamps. Overall, the fact that it isn’t overloaded with graphics, has a new smoked cowl, and incorporates two-tone elements on the exhaust and the mirrors means the Xtreme Sports is a decent looker.

On to the features department, which is where the Sports has regressed from its Xtreme sibling. The Sports doesn’t come equipped with an engine immobiliser, service indicator or under-seat charging point. It does, however, retain the Xtreme’s attractive LED tail-lamp arrangement along with the side-stand indicator. Ergonomics-wise, the buttons are easy to use and don’t feel flimsy, which is good.

_MG_7086 web

What’s really interesting, though, is that while the Xtreme Sports retains the newest iteration of the same Honda-sourced 149.2-cc as the whole CBZ lineage, this one has been tuned to produce the greatest power output of the lot at 15.8 PS peaking at 8,500 RPM. The torque figure for the Xtreme Sports stands at 13.5 Nm at 7,000 RPM, and this engine is married to a five-speed transmission, all of which sits in the long-standing tubular diamond frame.

Harket Suchde – who has written 167 posts on Bike India.


Email • Twitter

Related posts:

KTM 390 Duke 2023 Review – The Duke We Needed
TVS Ronin Long Term Review
Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Road Test Review
Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: Review, Road Test Tagged With: 150cc, bike, CBZ, Commuter, India, launch, new, sport, stylish, xtreme

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

AlphaOmega Captcha Classica  –  Enter Security Code
 ⟲    ➴
 


LATEST ISSUE

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

18TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Bike India - India's no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

Triumph Street Triple 765 R and RS Review | The Best Street Triple Yet

Ducati Diavel V4 Review | Devil of the Mountain

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 first ride | Aspi Bhathena

SPECIAL Featured Story

Yamaha Track Day, Chennai – Blue Called, We Answered

Yamaha Track Day, Chennai – Blue Called, We Answered

Actually, we were not the only ones. Many Yamaha enthusiasts answered the “Call of the Blue” and showed up for a day at the racetrack.

More about this.

Recent Posts

  • Honda Gold Wing Tour Launched; Bookings Open
  • TVS Apache RTE Marks the Arrival of One-make Electric Racing
  • KTM 390 Duke 2023 Review – The Duke We Needed
  • 2023 Honda CB200X Launched At Rs 1.47 Lakh

Car India

Car India Magazine - Get your Digital Subscription

Latest News

Honda Gold Wing Tour Launched; Bookings Open

2023 Honda CB200X Launched At Rs 1.47 Lakh

Third-Gen KTM 250 and 390 Duke Launched In India

2023 Honda CB300F Launched At Rs 1.70 Lakh

Subscribe to Car India

Subscribe to our Car India Magazine

Bike India: India’s no. 1 two-wheeler magazine

BIKE India covers the two-wheeler industry in its entirety, both from the local and the international perspective. Also delivers the most definitive verdict on machinery and performance by explaining the hows, whys, and whats on every new bike in a lucid and user-friendly manner. BIKE India is the India’s most authoritative two-wheeler publication, a magazine for people with a passion for bikes and everything to do with their history and heritage.
SiteMap

Copyright © 2023 · BIKE INDIA INDIA’S NO. 1 TWO WHEELER MAGAZINE, BY FAR! ·