Hero Xpulse 160 Spied: Could Be The Cheapest ADV In India

Quick Highlights:

• A new Hero Xpulse has been spied

• Gets a slightly different design than the Xpulse 200 

• Underpinnings are a bit different too

• Will be cheaper than the XPulse 200 4V

The new Hero bike was spotted testing recently. Judging by the images, it looks slightly different than the current Xpulse 200 as it gets new design elements along with a visibly smaller engine. Lets have a closer look at the spy shots.

The motorcycle in the spy shots gets a smaller visor than the current Xpulse 200, and also gets sharp looking tank shrouds. The handguards look similar to the ones we got with the older Xpulse 200 2V. It gets a front beak and a round LED headlamp with LED indicators along with a neat looking tail section with tail rack. The tail light design is similar to the Xpulse 210. 

While the engine is smaller than the 200cc motor in the XPulse 200 4V, it also does not seem to have an oil cooler - at least going by the images. This could mean that it might be powered with the same air-cooled engine as the Xtreme 160R 2V, and not the 4V (which gets an oil-cooler).  This 163.2cc engine makes 15PS at 8,500rpm and 14Nm at 6,500rpm. Expect the powertrain to be tuned differently to suit the character of the bike.

A similar steel tube frame as the Xpulse 200 can be seen in the spyshots, with a slightly thinner conventional telescopic fork. It gets a rear monoshock along with conventional discs at both ends rather than petal discs as the Xpulse 200. The wheel configuration looks similar too, with a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear spoke wheel setup. 

BikeDekho Says

A few years back Hero used to sell the Impulse in the Indian market which was India’s first road-legal dual sport motorcycle. It had a Honda-sourced 150cc motor along with some good hardware. While it was pretty capable, the Indian market was not mature enough for a bike of such a genre. Back then, the two-wheeler segment primarily had commuters for budget-conscious riders in the 150cc segment. It could be priced at around Rs 1.25- Rs 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom), and could be launched some time next year.

However, things have changed now, and with the XPulse 210 already catering to the slightly more premium 200+ cc segment, the upcoming Xpulse 160 could replace the Xpulse 200 4V, and will be the most affordable adventure bike in India. In a way, this will serve as the perfect modern version of the Hero Impulse. Hero might just replace the Xpulse 200 with the 160. This will make the lineup quite well sorted with an entry level 160, a more capable 210 and the upcoming, top-of-the-line Xpulse 421.

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