Production-Ready Hero HX250 Showcased at 2016 Indian Auto Expo

Hero MotoCorp had first unveiled the HX250R at the previous edition of the Auto Expo in 2014. However, its development and launch schedule hit a major roadblock after Hero’s then technology partner for the HX250R project, Eric Buell Racing (EBR), declared bankruptcy. India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer has since bounced back and announced that the race-bred motorcycle will see the light of day this year. The bike has been displayed at this year's expo as well and loses on 'R' in its name.

This quarter-litre sports bike, built for the purpose of lending a fresh life to the company’s long-serving flagship Karizma series, features a liquid-cooled, fuel injected, a single-cylinder motor that generates 31bhp of power at 9,000rpm with 26Nm of peak torque. The power figures land the HX250 right in the sweet spot between the Honda CBR 250 R and bigger players including Kawasaki Ninja 300, DSK-Benelli TNT 300, and KTM 390 Duke.

The angular design tapering to a thin tail section, featuring an under seat exhaust is definitely one element that shows the involvement of Eric Buell in the project, known for his work on the Buell brand of motorcycles. Sporting a twin headlamp design, a tall tank section and full fairing, the motorcycle looks built for a purpose - speed. With step-up split seats, LED tail lamp, alloy wheels, clip-on handlebars and dual disc brakes, the bike is estimated to cost around Rs. 1.4 lac at launch.

The HX250 comes equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels riding on 110/80 section front and 140/70 section rear tubeless tyres. Suspension duties are handled by telescopic forks up front and a 5-step-adjustable mono-shock at the rear end. Both, front and rear wheel, get disc brakes measuring 300mm and 220mm, respectively. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) might be an optional feature with the bike.

HX250 was earlier scheduled for launch in 2015. At the time when EBR had declared bankruptcy, a source had said, “The EBR-led 250cc motorcycle was absolutely in the advanced stages of its development, and the company had positioned the commercial launch of this model for roughly end-Q2 or Q3 of FY 2015-16 as per the original launch plan. However, with EBR’s bankruptcy, the HX250R model will now see a delay by a quarter or so.”