Hero XPulse 200

As is expected of any off-road worthy motorcycle, the Xpulse features a raised front fender and a secondary semi-mudguard that’s mounted closer to the front wheel. Its adventure-ready credentials are reaffirmed by the large 21-inch (front) and 18-inch (rear) wire-spoke wheels running Ceat Gripp off-road biased tyres. It looks tough and ready to mud-plug, thanks to the long travel fork with rubber gaiters, an elaborate sump guard to protect the engine, serrated footpegs for the rider and a dirtbike-style exhaust that’s routed parallel to the cylinder head. The Xpulse may not seem radically different from the Impulse, but in reality, the two have nothing in common in terms of the bodywork.

What’s undoubtedly new is the headlight - a small, round, full-LED unit which adds the ‘neo’ to this largely old-school design. Sadly, it doesn’t work very well, as we learnt over a short night stint. 

In terms of quality, the XPulse felt built to last, however, the finish of the exhaust joints and the pillion footpeg subframe lacked premium flair.

A strong reason for the XPulse coming into being, or behind the Impulse being discontinued, was the heart of the matter - the engine. While the Impulse borrowed its motor from the Honda Unicorn, along with all its virtues, what it lost out on was outright exciting performance. The XPulse has no such engine donor, and instead, it shares its 199.6cc, 2-valve, SOHC, single-cylinder motor with the Xtreme 200R. Our test bike featured fuel-injection, but at the time of launch, Hero revealed a (cheaper) carburetted version as well. Now that you know the details, the first thing you need to accept about the XPulse is that it works best as an off-road bike that you can also use in the city and, perhaps, for short highway stints. Given the nature of the engine, you will have to exempt it of the responsibilities of long-distance touring, exuberant corner-carving and so on. 

The initial response from standstill is energetic and the 5-speed gearbox works well. In the city, the XPulse is fairly tractable with zippy low-end performance, a definite departure from the milder Impulse. Post 60kmph, the performance dwindles gradually and going above 90kmph on the XPulse requires commitment and open roads. It hits the 100kmph mark at 7000rpm, which is quite high when you also consider that it redlines at 9000rpm. The speedo can eventually creep up to 120kmph, however regaining the pace after encountering a slow-moving truck in your path, for instance, will require patience and persistence. Refinement at low revs is good too, but beyond 6000rpm, there is a buzz in the handlebar, pegs and tank which never goes away. 

Off the road, however, the XPulse is delightful with enough torque to make the most of tricky situations and it retains the learner-class friendliness the Impulse was so appreciated for. Overall, the XPulse isn’t an explosive performer in any sense, but it’s got enough to help introduce you to the magical world of dirt riding - without draining your wallet, that is. 

Also helping it in this aspect are the decently configured underpinnings. The 37mm telescopic fork enables 190mm of front wheel travel while the 10-step preload-adjustable gas-charged monoshock allows for 170mm of wheel travel. Impressively, despite being 20kg heavier than the Impulse, the XPulse felt as agile, if not more! Ride quality is a bit firm at lower speeds, but over demanding off-road surfaces, the XPulse displays confidence and sturdiness that is again a notch better than the Impulse. The brakes too offer a good balance between the bite needed on the road and the progression required off the road, and it helps that the front wheel can be kept in check, thanks to the unintrusive single-channel ABS. The rear disc will be a boon for dirt riders as it will stand up to abuse much better than the drum brake seen on the Impulse.