We recently had the opportunity to ride the new Hero Xpulse 210 and here’s what we think about the bike:

Gets a high-mounted front fender, raised handlebar, sculpted tank and an upswept exhaust giving it a Dakar rally bike character and more control offroading

The 210cc engine is borrowed from the Karizma XMR,and is slightly tuned for more torque producing 24.6 and 20.7Nm

The engine is tractable and can carry speeds as low as 30kmph in the fifth gear, but lacks the mid-range grunt and only starts pulling strongly after 7,000rpm

The Xpulse 210’s sweet spot is 85-90kmph with ability to reach triple-digit speeds but past the 100kmph mark, it is quite noisy and strained

The bike will return a mileage of 30-35kmpl depending on the conditions it is being used

It feels light on its feet, with effortless direction changes with minimal inputs and surprisingly corners well enough on winding roads too

Despite being a tall motorcycle, the Xpulse 210 is fairly accessible for riders with 5’5” frames or taller and can manage the bike’s weight well

The 4.3-inch TFT display is quite easy to read but under direct sunlight, its visibility is not that great

The bike gets dual-channel switchable ABS with three modes for increased offroad control

Verdict: The touring capabilities of the XPulse have improved a bit with the 210 but they are still short of turning it into a great adventure bike