Hero Xtreme 200S Track Ride Review

When we first rode the Hero Xtreme 200R at the Buddh International Circuit about a year ago we were pleasantly surprised by its agility and riding dynamics, notwithstanding its humble specifications. And now, a year later, history kind of repeated itself when we headed to BIC to ride the new Hero Xtreme 200S! Yes, this is a new Xtreme and in essence, a fully-faired version of the Xtreme 200R and in our opinion, it looks good! We rode the Xtreme 200S briefly at BIC (only the North short loop and not the full course) and our first impression of the motorcycle is a pleasant one!

Also Read: Hero XPulse 200 First Ride Review

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(The fairing integrates smoothly into the fuel tank and keep things neat & edgy!)

Design

It's been a while since Hero MotoCorp launched a motorcycle with a full-fairing. We quite like the retro-looking fairing with a slim full-LED headlamp, getting a black surround which gels well with the overall colour and the black tinted windscreen and the fairing itself is proportionate and doesn't look overdone. The blacked out engine and belly pan further adds a sporty flair to the motorcycle. In profile, the fairing smoothly integrates into the fuel tank keeping things neat and edgy!

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(Despite its humble engine, there is no dearth of sportiness, thanks to the design of the Xtreme 200S)

The slightly rear-set footpegs too are borrowed from the 200R, which will be comfortable even for long daily commutes. We believe this to be one of the sportiest designs from Hero, who always had a strong focus on the commuter motorcycles side of things. But as per Hero, even mass market customers are now looking for stylish options and this one will definitely sit well with the 150 cc - 200 cc buyer segment.

Also Read: Hero XPulse 200T First Ride Review

Features

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(The split LED headlamp looks really cool and the fairing itself has a touch of old-school styling)

Yes! It is based on the Hero Xtreme 200R, but there are a fair few differences between the features. The cool-looking LED headlamp is split in two, one each for low beam and high beam and the Xtreme 200S also gets the same LCD digital display with Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation as on the XPulse twins and lastly the Xtreme 200S gets a single channel ABS, which works only on the front wheel.

Engine and performance

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(The Xtreme 200S uses the same engine as the Xtreme 200R)

The Hero Xtreme 200S uses the same 199 cc single cylinder, two-valve engine as on the Xtreme 200R and even the state of tune stays the same! The engine churns out 18 brake horsepower at 8,000 rpm and peak torque of 17.1 Newton metres at 6,500 rpm. There is a slick 5-speed gearbox at work, which sends power to the rear wheel. Our ride consisted of limited track time but it was enough to make it clear that the motorcycle rode very similar to the Xtreme 200R.

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(The Xtreme 200S has quick acceleration but loses steam as the revs climb closer to the redline)

The tractability at the bottom end is strong meaning acceleration is quick in the lower gears. But as you wring the throttle open and the tachometer inches closer to redline, you begin to feel the vibrations on the handlebars and you can feel the engine getting stressed, especially upwards of 7,000 rpm. We kept the throttle fully pinned in fifth gear and saw a top speed of 110 kmph. The top end isn't strong but then, you may not need a strong top end as frequently when riding in the city. The brakes offer good bite and progression and held up well during our track ride.

Handling

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(The motorcycle is agile and is up for quick direction changes)

The Xtreme 200S retains the handling prowess of the 200R and is quite flickable on the racetrack. Quick direction changes are easy and as you tip the bike into a corner, it stays stable and lets you nicely throttle out on the exit with the MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres offering good grip. Since this was a track ride, we won't be able to tell you much about the ride quality, but it bike does get the same 37 mm telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the rear, which gets 7-step adjustability for preload. Expect a real-world road test review from carandbike.com pretty soon!

Verdict

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(At a price of Rs. 98,500, the Xtreme 200S is a great value-for-money proposition)

At a price of Rs. 98,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Hero Xtreme 200S makes a good case for itself and not only is it a good-looking motorcycle but is also stacked with features. The performance is decent and the motorcycle should serve as a stylish fully-faired commuter motorcycle within the city. Hero MotoCorp has done well to use the Xtreme 200R platform and come up with three new motorcycles which are the XPulse 200, XPulse 200T and the Xtreme 200S. The value for money quotient with the 200S is quite high and you get excellent after-market service network and easy availability of spares too. As far as rivals are concerned, it goes up against the Suzuki Gixxer SF and the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V as opposed to the Bajaj Pulsar RS200, which is significantly more expensive and of course, more powerful too.



from NDTV CarAndBike - Reviews

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