It's All Adventure Within Budget

It's All Adventure Within Budget

I have completed 11000km with my Xpulse 4v which I purchased in May 2022. I have done some touring as well as off-roading with it so here's my detailed take on the experience so far:
1. Handling - You can handle it really well even on 100-110 kph on the highway (I'll rate it 9/10)
2. Suspension - For the first few thousand km the suspension might seem a little hard to some people but they get better as you ride it more. Travel on the front, as well as rear, is good enough for all the offroad sections you might come across (I'll rate it 9/10)
3. Seat - The seat is higher than an average bike but lesser than a normal adventure bike. I'm almost 5'9'' and can easily flat-foot the ground - owing to the narrower seat. It has been designed considering it as a small off-roader but a significant proportion of people use it as a commuter and tourer. A slightly wider bucket seat with good padding could add many more miles to your non-stop journey (I'll rate it 4/10)
4. Cruising - I have ridden 200-250 km a dozen times in the past few months and it's a proper highway-centric surface. I do feel this bike could have used a 6th gear and that would have certainly made it a better highway cruiser. You can comfortably cruise at 80-85 and extract a mileage of 42-25km/l If you increase this speed to 90ish you can expect a little drop to around 40 and if you're going 100+ it'll keep reducing and can go as low as 29-30 if you're going berserk at 120ish.
You can feel some vibration at 100 but that wouldn't bother you much honestly. Its sweet spot lies in the 80-90 km/h range (I'll rate it 7/10)
5. Braking - I have the 2022 model which didn't have ABS in the rear so there have been times when I have locked my rear and it's kind of irritating. The 2023 model comes with rear ABS so that's a good addition. Thank you Hero for making this change, appreciated it! However, the front is a little intrusive and takes away some of the braking power which should've been available. I'd have rated it 7/10 but since 2023 comes with rear ABS so let's go with 8/10
6. Ergonomics -
6.1 It has quite a comfortable sitting position and treats your back and waist gently. However, the seat does the exact opposite (for rides spanning more than 40/45 minutes)
6.2 Riding standing up - Footpegs on the 2022 model have been lowered a bit to improve the overall balance while riding standing up and a narrow width makes it fun to handle while on your feet. Handlebar risers are a must if you're riding standing up otherwise you'll have to stoop a lot to reach the throttle and brake levers
6.3 It's a very unforgiving bike from the pillion point of view. The seat is small and uncomfortable. Definitely needs work here!
6.4 Exhaust position is very intimidating for some but it suits the bike well. It's a very heavy and wide exhaust - Hero could definitely make it a little sleek and lighter. It also makes the luggage setup eccentric (wide saddle stay on the right end)
(I'll rate it 8/10)
7. Value: It's a very value-for-money bike honestly. Mileage, spares, maintenance - everything is easy on the pocket
(I'll rate it 10/10 here)

Here are some areas where the bike can get better which I might/might not have mentioned above:
1. Sixth gear is needed to ramp up its highway ability
2. Slightly stylish tail - Tail tidy looks like it has been picked up from Hero Glamour. Hero has put no thought into its tail. The tail does so much injustice to the front styling
3. Other manufacturers like Yamaha, and Suzuki get better power and torque delivery output from the same displacement. I think Hero can do some tweaks to add a couple of more horses and Nm
4. Centre stand should not take so much of the ground clearance away. I think the ground clearance without the center stand is 220 mm but with it around 180mm. The Centre stand helps while mounting luggage and also for lubing and cleaning the chain. Some mount and dimension adjustments in the frame can help with the center stand height issue
5. Headlights don't give you good visibility which makes auxiliary lights a must-have accessory for the Xpulse

Another good thing about this bike is it comes with a Kickstarter as well.