Hero Xtreme 125R

The Hero Xtreme 125R is Hero Motocorp’s latest entry into the sporty 125cc commuter segment. Historically the 125cc bikes have been considered as “executive” commuters - a step up from the regular 100cc commuter motorcycles. But these only offered slightly more performance and maybe a couple of extra features. But in recent years, manufacturers have started to introduce more premium, sporty 125cc commuters, starting with the TVS Raider 125. Hero Motocorp was quick to follow up TVS’ efforts with the Xtreme 125R - a complete departure from their basic 125cc bikes like the Super Splendor and the Glamour.

The Xtreme 125R is the sportiest 125cc commuter bike that Hero Motocorp makes, and I was among the first few Indian auto journalists to ride it at the company’s CIT’s (Center for Innovation and Technology) test track. After that, I’ve also had the opportunity to ride this bike a few times in Pune and later I spent a few weeks riding it on my daily commute when we got the Xtreme 125R as a long term test bike. On the whole, I must have ridden the Xtreme 125R for a thousand-odd kilometers, and here’s what I think about it:

The Xtreme 125R’s design is very unique and looks very different compared to other 125cc bikes on Indian roads. The twin-pod LED headlight setup is the same one Hero uses on the Xoom 110 scooter, and it certainly looks interesting on the Xtreme 125R, thanks to the chunky bikini fairing. The most prominent part of this design for me, has to be the tank extensions, which are mounted low on the front of the tank, and are quite wide too - almost like a radiator shroud on a liquid cooled bike. I also quite like the sleek LED indicators and the compact LED tail light.

The silver finish (on the Cobalt Blue and Firestorm Red paint schemes) which extends from the tank to halfway down the tail panel looks very distinct too, and contrasts well with the matte black panels and the body colour panels (red or blue). In my opinion, out of all the colours on offer, the Cobalt Blue paint scheme looks the best, but for those who want a more subtle colour, the Stallion Black will be a better option. Also, Hero launched two new colours for the Xtreme 125R ABS variant.

That said, the Xtreme 125R’s design does look quite busy, regardless of the colour you choose. I think younger buyers might really like it as the bike looks quite big and muscular - more like a 150cc than a 125cc. But more mature buyers might find it a bit much and might prefer more conventional designs like the Honda Shine 125. 

Xtreme 125 Build quality

While I couldn’t really fault the overall fit and finish of the Xtreme 125R, thanks to top notch paint quality and even panel gaps, the bike does have a “plasticky” feel to it thanks to all the large panels. I suspect that over a couple of years of riding, these might not hold up too well, and might just start rattling. But this remains to be seen.

I do have some problems with the rear tyre hugger and the multi-piece chain guard. The hugger is mounted on solid steel pipes which connect to the swingarm. No doubt this mounting system is quite rugged and won’t break easily, but it is quite heavy and does look a bit ugly. And when I rode the bike during the monsoons, the chain guards did a great job of keeping mud and debris away from the chain. But these really get in the way of any DIY chain cleaning or maintenance.

The Xtreme 125R is the most affordable bike in India to get optional single-channel ABS (anti-lock braking system). The ABS equipped variants also get a larger 276mm front disc brake, which really enhances braking performance while keeping the rider safe on slippery roads. It's also important to note that in November 2025, Hero launched the dual-channel ABS variant of the Xtreme 125R.

The more affordable variants of the Xtreme get combined brakes (or IBS - Integrated Braking System, as Hero calls it) with a smaller 240mm front disc. The Xtreme also gets a hazard light switch on the switchgear.

Xtreme 125R Convenience Features

The Xtreme 125R is equipped with a small negatively lit LCD instrument console, which also gets Bluetooth connectivity for call and message alerts, but no navigation. While this console shows you a lot of relevant information such as a tachometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, clock and even overall mileage, I found the screen size too small and the layout a bit too cluttered. Also, under direct sunlight, I really struggled to read the screen. That said, the dual-channel ABS variant of the bike not only gets a smartphone-connected colour-LCD console, but is also equipped with cruise control and ride-by-wire (electronic throttle) with three riding modes.

The Xtreme 125R comes with a split seat as well as a one-piece seat option. But I’ve only ever ridden the split seat variant, so I can’t really comment on how the single-piece seat is in terms of comfort. Now in the split seat variant, the rider seat is quite large, and I had plenty of space to move backward and forward to find the perfect seating position. Now I’m not a small guy by any means - I’m 5’9” and 82kg, and found the seat quite spacious.

Although the footpegs are a bit rearset, the wide handlebar is quite tall, so I was sitting in a fairly upright posture. But if I wanted to get into a slightly sporty, leaned-forward riding position, I could just shift back in the seat. The seat foam is a bit on the firmer side - something that I really appreciated with my above average weight. But if you’re lighter, you might find the seat a bit too hard on longer commutes. The seat height of 794mm is not the shortest in its class by any means, but since the Xtreme is so narrow in the middle, even riders as short as 5’4” or 5’5” should not have too many issues getting both feet on the ground.

Although the pillion seat of the Xtreme 125 is quite large and accommodating, it is set quite high. So shorter pillions - those who are 5’3” or 5’4” might struggle to climb on to it. And because it’s so much taller than the rider seat, pillion riders might feel they’re sitting a bit too tall, and will need to lean back a bit to hold the grab rails.

A couple of times when I sat pillion behind one of my shorter colleagues, I had a clear view of the road ahead from above his helmet. While I have no complaints about the rear seat comfort, the seating position for the pillion is a bit strange at best.

The Xtreme 125R’s 125cc air-cooled engine is all-new and one of the most powerful in its class. It makes 11.56PS @ 8250rpm and 10.5Nm @ 6000rpm. Recently, the engine was also made OBD-2B compliant.

One of the Xtreme’s engine’s key strengths is its high mileage. In my city testing, I was able to get an astounding mileage of 81.53kmpl. Of course, it was a day with very light traffic, and I could easily ride the bike in fifth gear most of the time, but even in heavy stop-go traffic, I’ve seen a mileage of over 60kmpl every single time. At highway speeds though, this engine becomes less efficient, and I was able to manage 61.68kmpl. Here’s how the Xtreme’s mileage compares to its biggest rival - the TVS Raider 125.

Xtreme 125R City Performance

The first impression I got of the Xtreme 125R’s engine in the city was just how smooth the engine feels in traffic. At city speeds, there are barely any vibrations, no matter how slowly or  quickly you’re riding. And I could easily ride at slow speeds in high gears - even picking up speed from 35kmph in fifth gear is no problem for the bike.

While the engine is quite tractable, it doesn’t have the same punch at city speeds as the TVS Raider. So quickly overtaking other vehicles requires you to downshift a gear or two. 

Xtreme 125R Highway performance

I understand that 125cc bikes are not designed primarily for highway use. But on my daily commute, which includes about 10km of highway riding everyday, the Xtreme handled it quite well. In fact, the engine feels smoother at higher speeds than the TVS Raider, and sitting at speeds of 80-90kmph on the highway was a fairly relaxed experience on the Xtreme.

Start to push beyond that though, and the Xtreme 125R starts losing breath. I saw about 105kmph on the speedometer once, but it took a lot of time to get there, and while there weren’t too many vibrations at that point, the engine did sound strained. I noticed that cruising around 70-75kmph is the sweet spot for the Xtreme on the highway, where it still has some power left in reserve to make reasonably quick overtakes. The Xtreme 125R feels better on the highway than the TVS Raider, but the Raider feels better in the city. Here’s how my tested acceleration figures of the two bikes compare

The Xtreme 125R and the TVS Raider are quite closely matched in performance, but the Raider is slightly quicker in all conditions.

Xtreme 125R Gearbox

I found that the 5-speed gearbox on the Xtreme 125R is not particularly smooth. While I never encountered a misshift or a refusal to shift, the shift action is a bit hard, especially on our long-term test bike.

But I remember the gearbox being quite smooth when I first rode the Xtreme at Hero’s CIT test track. Our long-term bike came to us with about 1600km on the odometer, and the gearbox feeling hard to shift. So my guess is that the quality of Hero’s mechanical components is not the best.

Xtreme 125R Underpinnings

The Xtreme 125R gets a fairly fat 37mm telescopic fork, which is the same as the one on the Xtreme 160R 2V. The rear suspension is a preload-adjustable monoshock.

As I mentioned earlier, the Xtreme that I’ve been testing is the ABS variant, and as such, gets a larger 276mm front disc brake and a 130mm rear drum brake. The tyres on the Xtreme are wider than most other 125cc bikes in India - a 90/90-17 at the front and a 120/80-17 at the rear. In my testing, I found that this hardware translates to pretty good handling.

Xtreme 125R City Handling

At city speeds, the Xtreme is pretty light on its feet. Moving in and out of traffic was no problem for me, and the wider handlebar provided enough leverage to quickly change direction. My commutes from home to office and back have always been fairly quick and easy, and it has never been a struggle to manage the bike even in heavy traffic.

Xtreme 125R Highway handling

The Xtreme’s quickness in changing direction did make me feel a bit nervous initially, especially at highway speeds. But once I got used to it and learned to trust the tyres, moving around highway traffic quickly felt second nature.

But, the faster you go, the Xtreme starts feeling very slightly wobbly. I believe this is down to our test bike’s loose cone set (again, a concern about the quality of Hero’s mechanicals). And it felt especially wobbly when riding over the gaps between the concrete slabs of most of our highways here in Maharashtra. 

Xtreme 125R Braking Performance

But I’ve really come to appreciate how good the Xtreme’s brakes feel. Whether you’re at highway speeds or in the city, squeezing the brake lever slows the bike down very confidently.

And with the inclusion of single-channel ABS, I never had to worry about skidding on slippery roads no matter how hard I braked. For your reference, here’s how the Xtreme 125R’s braking performance compares to the TVS Raider in my tests:

Xtreme 125R Ride Quality

The one thing that Hero has been getting right on their recent bikes is ride quality. And in my experience, the Xtreme 125 is no different. It rides over most bumpy roads and rumble strips really well, and I barely even noticed the bumps at city speeds. But at faster speeds, the rear suspension can feel a bit bouncy over larger bumps. However, the moment I was riding with a pillion, the rear suspension completely calmed down, and almost felt plush over ever larger bumps.

The Hero Xtreme 125R is a great little premium, sporty commuter that offers a very unique design, great handling, good performance and fantastic fuel efficiency. For younger riders who want a sporty-feeling bike that doesn’t break the bank and delivers great mileage, this Xtreme makes a lot of sense.

That said, the lack of too many fancy features might put some people off. And more mature riders might find the Xtreme’s design a bit too aggressive for their daily commutes.

Variants

The Xtreme 125R is currently available in four variants. Refer to the table below for individual variant-wise explainers:

I would recommend the ABS variants of the Xtreme 125R. If you're in a strict budget, then single-channel ABS would do, but if you can, go for the one with dual-channel ABS as it prevents both front and rear wheels from locking up under hard braking. Learn everything about the Hero Xtreme 125 in our detailed buying guide.

The Hero Xtreme 125R rivals several sporty 125cc commuters, here's a list of all the detailed comparisons:

• Hero Xtreme 125R vs TVS Raider 125
• Xtreme 125 R vs Bajaj Pulsar N125
• Hero Xtreme 125 vs Bajaj Pulsar NS125
• Hero Xtreme 125 R vs Honda SP125
• Hero Xtreme 125R vs Hero Glamour X 125
• Hero Xtreme vs Honda CB125 Hornet
• Xtreme 125R vs Honda Shine 125
• Xtreme 125 vs Bajaj Pulsar 125
• Hero Xtreme 125 vs Hero Super Splendor 125 Xtec