Many months after the first ride event, we’ve finally gotten our hands on an Xpulse 210 for a long-term review, and so far, I’ve been loving life with this bike. The Hero Xpulse 200 has consistently been upgraded over the years, but the 210 makes a far bigger step forward than all the previous increments combined.
This is an all-new bike, and it feels remarkably different in a good way. The engine is the first pleasant surprise, and it’s now a lot more rewarding than the old air-/oil-cooled mill. That’s down to a much peppier exhaust note, as well as an engagingly punchy power delivery. I was concerned that the Karizma-derived engine would be far too top-end focused for an ADV motorcycle, but Hero has put significant work into making it more tractable – including new cams – and the result is surprisingly effective.
The engine is responsive at lower revs and never feels like it needs to be wound up to carry a reasonably quick pace. That said, this is still an engine that loves to rev, and its short-geared nature reminds me of the KTM 200 Duke. It even runs into the rev limiter in 6th gear in a similar fashion.
In that sense, I think Hero has pulled off using the smaller 210 engine here, but I still can’t help feeling like this bike could have really benefited from the bigger engine from the Xtreme 250. And that’s because the short gearing, which makes it feel so lively at lower speeds, also brings in a very high-revving feel on the highway. Anything above a sustained 90kph is accompanied by a lot of revs and noise. It can hold higher speeds than the 200, but the new 210’s ability to effortlessly cover long distances hasn’t taken a great step forward.
What I am enjoying is the new styling, along with the larger fuel tank, which also makes the bike feel more comprehensive when you sit on it. It’s more ADV in its stance, and the seating comfort has improved as well. The suspension is also superb, and the way it glides over Mumbai’s patchwork-riddled roads reminds me of the Himalayan 450.
In fact, the comfort factor along with the brappy engine is why I’ve been enjoying my time on this bike so much, and it has made my commutes as enjoyable as they used to be on the Himalayan – with the added benefit of carrying around 25 fewer kilos.
The bike has just come back from its first oil-change service, which cost Rs 1,346. The only issue we’ve had so far was some sticky switchgear, which was fixed during the service. It looks like we’re still in for another month or two of rain, so we’ll share how the Xpulse has fared through the monsoon in the next report, but so far, so good!
| Hero Xpulse 210 test data | |
|---|---|
| Odometer | 934km |
| Price | Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) |
| Economy | NA |
| Maintainance costs | Rs 1,346 (first service) |
| Faults | Sticky switches |
