Hero Xpulse 200 BS6 review: Affordable and tailor-made for Indian conditions

NEW DELHI: Adventure motorcycling is exciting. Adventure motorcycling is expensive. To bridge the gap, Hero MotoCorp introduced the Xpulse 200 last year. Come 2020, the obvious BS6 emission norms have charged into the motorcycle.
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Hero XPulse 200 holds its shape, bolt to bolt, between the two emission standards. Quality on offer at an affordable point, however, wasn’t questioned.The off-road elements like 21-inch front and 18-inch rear dual-purpose tyres, suspensions with long travels, flat bench seat and wide handlebars, engine bash plate, knuckle guards, and a visor continue to come as a factory-fitted package in the Xpulse.

That said, the design is far from boring. The lanky built houses a retro-themed circular LED headlamp with chrome bezel, camouflaged graphics on the slim tank profile and upswept exhaust. Believe it or not, you can hit the trail taking the motorcycle right out from the showroom.

Now, the seat height at 823 mm doesn’t make it the shortest motorcycle to ride. Yet, 157-kilo kerb weight and thin body profile will suit an average Indian rider. The spoke wheels can surely take a good amount of beating on the trail while the bash plate keeps the engine safe even in case of a fall.
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XPulse 200 is powered by a BS6 compliant 199 CC, single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine that produces 17.8 PS of power at 8500rpm and a torque of 16.45 Nm at 6500rpm, a slight drop from the previous models.

The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox. The power delivery is linear, offers a commanding mid-range torque. Out on the highways, wring the throttle and the motorcycle cruises at 100 kmph before losing its steam at 125-mark.
In pics | Hero Xpulse 200 BS6 review
The significant change over the outgoing version is the level of refinement. Revv the engine all the way to 8,000 rpm in 5th gear and maintain 110 kmph on the speedo. The vibrations are well-controlled on the footpegs and handlebars. On the broken roads, the low-end torque may leave you wanting for more, however, there is a quite a bit of improvement in that area as well.
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In case you find XPulse amateurish, Hero have an ace in the form of rally kit. Visit the nearest dealership to experience a more focused off-road machine.

It costs Rs 1.11 lakh (ex-showroom) and does not have any direct competitor in the market. It is available in only one variant. While price in a big way works in favour of XPulse 200, the engine refinement and easy-to-ride factors make it more accessible. If wallet allows, stretch you budget to Royal Enfield Himalayan, or even the KTM 390 Adventure.