Hero XPulse 210

The Hero XPulse 200 was the long-awaited successor of the legendary Impulse - the bike which was loved by enthusiasts who enjoyed getting dirty and mucky on the weekends. However, the 150cc engine in the bike made its use extremely limited. It was fun off the road but riders soon outgrew its potential and wanted more. Enter the XPulse 200. It promised to offer more - more power, better performance and capability and more importantly - a bike that was a better all-rounder for daily use. But, again, with its 200cc engine and the 5-speed gearbox, it remained a one-trick pony - an excellent off-road machine. 

Hero has finally realised that the bikers want a motorcycle that can be an off-road toy, and also their daily bike. And with that vision in mind, they launched the Xpulse 210. Although this bike resembles the old one quite a lot, it is all-new and completely redesigned. The 210cc liquid-cooled engine is borrowed from the Karizma and the 6-speed gearbox should make it a better all-rounder. Having ridden the Xpulse and the Impulse both extensively, I was looking forward to riding the 210 to see if it could be the bike we so desperately want.

The Xpulse 210 has a presence! It's tall and the new design makes it look big. All of its predecessors were tall motorcycles but the subtle changes on the 210 like larger fenders, a new bigger tank and the tall windscreen help it look better and bigger. It looks ready for the apocalypse too. The handlebar covers, the tall windscreen and the tall suspension make it ready for any scenario. And the best part is that every element in the design serves a purpose. The rear tail rack, upswept exhaust, crash guard, metal bash plate and the front grab handle are elements which have been designed well and are very useful. While the Xpulse 200 looks like it was built for a purpose - the 210 surely looks premium and attractive. 

Colours

The Xpulse 210 is available in 3 colour options – Wild, Glacier White, Alpine Silver, and Azure Blue. My personal favourite is the Azure Blue, which is only available in the top variant. With its subtle graphics and contrasting white and red highlights, the bike looks very premium and can be noticed in an instant. Apart from all of these, there is a new Dakar Edition of the Xpulse 210 unveiled at EICMA 2025, which gets an exclusive livery with Ross Branch’s (Hero MotoSports Dakar rider) signature on the fuel tank extensions. 

Wheels

The Xpulse 210 comes with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels. This setup is ideal when you go off-road as the larger front offers good stability. From the factory, it is running 90/90 front and 120/80 rear TVS Eurogrip tyres which perform better than the older CEATs. However, these are not tubeless spoke wheels so a puncture will have you stranded on the side of the road. And given how expensive tubeless-spoke wheels are, I am not surprised that Hero decided not to offer them even as an accessory. 

Quality

Fit, finish and quality are a highlight of the Xpulse 210. It offers a better fit and finish as compared to the Xpulse 200 and the paint quality is excellent. It has tighter panel gaps and the new switchgear feels solid as well.

Safety Features

The bike now comes with a dual-channel ABS with three ABS modes - Road, Trail and Off-road. Road mode has ABS working on both wheels. In Trail mode - the ABS disconnects from the rear wheel and becomes less intrusive on the front. And in the Off-road mode, the ABS disconnects from both wheels. This lets you customise your riding style as you tackle different terrains. When on the road, you need the ABS to be working on both wheels for maximum safety. But while going off-road, you need the ability to lock the rear wheel and slide the motorcycle for better control. Also, Trail mode is retained after switching off the bike but off-road more resets to Road.

Convenience

The all-new Xpulse comes with all-new features as well. The biggest and most obvious one according to me is the new digital display. It is bright and well laid out. It has night and day modes as well. However, under direct sunlight - it is very hard to read due to the matt finish of the glass. The new instrument cluster also brings along with it smartphone connectivity and you can have call and SMS alerts, turn-by-turn navigation and even control the music on the phone from the switchgear. 

It also has a USB charger under the instrument cluster. But, it is slow charging and honestly - quite useless for modern-day smartphones. The top variant comes with a tail rack which makes mountain luggage a lot easier and will easily be the pick of the people who like to take their bike touring.

Rider Comfort

The Xpulse is a tall motorcycle. You’d need to be about 5’10” to be able to plant your feet on the ground. I am 5’7” and can easily manage the motorcycle with toes reaching the ground. However, it will remain easy to manage if you are 5’5” or taller. The ergonomics or riding posture is excellent too. The handlebars feel well placed for my height and the footpegs are now directly in line with the hips so that standing up and riding does not require additional effort. Even while sitting, the soft seat cushioning and wide handlebars ensure a calm and relaxed posture. Ideal for short tours and city commutes. 

Pillion Comfort

The seat is long and flat which means that the pillion also has a lot of space to sit. The footpegs are not too high either and their neutral position means that they will remain comfortable even on longer journeys. However, it is a tall bike and getting up and sitting can be a task if you are not used to it.

The new Xpulse 210 comes with a 210cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine which is also there in the Karizma. However, it has been returned for the Xpulse. It makes 25PS power and 20Nm of torque. And more importantly, it finally gets a 6-speed gearbox. This engine is more refined than the older 200 and definitely makes the city rides more enjoyable. 

Highway Performance

The single biggest limitation of the Xpulse 200 was that it felt breathless on the highway while touring. That issue, while reduced, still exists. The Xpulse 210 comes with more power and a 6th gear. This makes it more comfortable on the highways. It sits at 100kmph easily but starts to feel strained beyond it. It can make overtakes on highways but then you will have to come back to around 90kmph to feel comfortable.

City Performance

Inside the city though, this Xpulse feels much better. Low-speed rideability is improved and you can easily ride it in one gear higher. The engine also feels more refined and relaxed. The pickup is more eager and overtakes are much easier. And if you're in a hurry - the Xpulse is now more than happy to rev up and feel sporty. 

Off-road

The Xpulse 210 is a mountain goat. With the added power - it has become almost unstoppable on a trail or an off-road section. The suspension is much better at absorbing the harsher impacts and when you stand and ride - you can easily ride over rocky terrain as well. I could now ride uphill even in the second gear which gives a lot more flexibility in speeds and more flexibility to the rider. The standing up position is now much closer to a Dakar bike - which means you are now more forward set and putting more weight on the front wheel. This offers much better control to the rider. 

The ABS modes help. On a trail - you need the ability to lock the rear for quick turns and the Xpulse 201 allows that. If you’ve selected Trail mode (rear ABS off), the bike remembers it and stays in the same mode when you switch it off and on again. However, if you’ve selected Off-road mode (both front & rear ABS off), the Xpulse 210 will switch the ABS mode back to Road each time you restart the bike. The TVS Eurogrip tyres are much better than the CEAT ones offered before. They offer a much better on/off-road balance.

Mileage

The Xpulse 210 will offer between 30 and 35 kmpl, depending on how and where you use it. And with a 14L fuel tank, you can expect a range of 400km between stops.  

City Handling

The Xpulse 210 feels light and agile in the city. Be it quick direction changes in traffic or making a U-turn - the bike does all of this effortlessly. Getting used to the tall saddle is also just a matter of a few weekends and then you will start to enjoy the motorcycle. Especially when the roads become bad - the Xpulse comes into its element. 

Highway Handling

When it comes to touring, the bike will feel quite stable even on mountain roads. You can cruise easily at 90–100km/h and the windscreen also helps reduce the windblast. However, because this is a light motorcycle, it is not as rock-solid as heavier ADVs on longer tours.

Cornering

The Xpulse is more than happy to lean and take on corners too - as long as the rider knows what they are doing. It is fun even on a winding road. And even if the roads disappear, the Xpulse doesn't have to slow down!

Brakes

The dual disc brake setup offers confident braking. The ABS is also very well tuned and does not feel intrusive. I would have personally liked the brakes to feel a bit stronger, especially in the initial part of pulling the lever, but this setup should be better for newer riders.

Ride Quality (4/5)

The Xpulse 210 comes with a multi-link monoshock at the back. This suspension is especially designed to take punishment and keep going. And that – it does! At city speeds, the Xpulse 210 has fantastic ride quality. It absorbs the level changes, potholes and speed breakers with ease. The front remains well planted even at higher speeds – but that is when you will start to get a kick from the rear. But standing up and going over bad stuff at higher speeds is what the Xpulse 210 was built to do – and it does that effortlessly. If you want to further tune the suspension, the rear suspension can be adjusted for preload. And with better front-rear weight distribution, the bike feels more stable and neutral.

Also, the newly unveiled Dakar Edition of the bike gets adjustable suspension with 280mm of wheel travel at both ends, making it much more capable. This edition of the bike has a ground clearance of 270mm, 50mm more than the regular Xpulse 210. More importantly, we have exclusive details about the launch timeline of the Xpulse 210 Dakar Edition.

The Xpulse 210 makes for a very good city motorcycle. It is now more effortless to ride, more comfortable over bad roads and overall - much better equipped with features. Off the road, the Xpulse is fantastic! It will give you immense confidence to explore new trails, learn off-roading and set you free from tarmac-dictated locations. On the highway - it still struggles. It is not an effortless tourer which will still be its limiting factor. If you are looking for a city-biased motorcycle that can take you on weekend rides - or an off-road toy to help you learn and improve your off-road skills - the Xpulse 210 is a brilliant motorcycle. The Hero Xpulse 210, in our opinion, is one of the top 5 adventure motorcycles launched in the Indian market in 2025.

Royal Enfield Scram 411

The Royal Enfield Scram 411 has more power and a bigger engine making it a better tourer. But, the added weight surely reduces its capabilities as an off-road or trail motorcycle. But, it is more expensive than the Xpulse 210. 

Yezdi Adventure

The Yezdi Adventure is a good alternative if you are willing to pay more. It is feature-rich with a built-in navigation and a larger instrument cluster. However, once again, it is heavier than the Xpulse and not as manageable as the Hero when going off-road. It can be considered if you tour more. For a detailed comparision between the two, you can check out our spec comparo here.