Hero Xtreme 200R

The 160 cc – 200 cc motorcycle segment of the Indian market has been seeing increased customer interest for quite a while now. Not just young college-going students, the segment is also being filled up by people who are looking to upgrade from their regular 125cc – 150cc computer motorcycles. This has prompted various automakers to launch multiple contenders in the segment, in order to cap a large pie of the expanding market. However, the country’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp, didn’t have an offering in this market space for so long, until the launch of the Xtreme 200R. Is this 200cc Hero motorcycle worth the wait? Let’s find out.

Despite being a 200cc motorcycle, the Xtreme 200R gets a commuter-like design. It lacks any flamboyance whatsoever, though Hero has tried to spruce things up by providing some aggressive branding on the fuel tank. The front end is characterised by a snooping headlamp with a small black visor above it. The fuel tank gets some minor cuts and creases, and plastic extensions. The side profile is primarily occupied by loud Xtreme badges above the engine area, a single seat setup, and a blacked out exhaust unit that is rather fat to give the bike some performance-oriented feel. The rear end continues to follow the bike’s overall understated design theme, but does get an LED tail light cluster. The bike comes with a part analogue, part digital instrument cluster that does its job well but looks slightly outdated.

It is worth noting that while the Xtreme 200R won’t really excite any prospective customers with its design, it won’t offend anyone either. The bike gets a proportionate design, while the fit & finish and paint quality is satisfactory as well. Hero is offering the Xtreme 200R in 5 colour options – Heavy Grey with Orange, Black with Sports Red, Sports Red, Panther Black with Force Silver, and Techno Blue.

The Hero Xtreme 200R is powered by a 199.6cc, single cylinder, 4 stroke, air-cooled engine that pumps out 18.4PS of power at 8,000rpm, and a peak torque of 17.1Nm at 6,500rpm. Transmission duties are handled by a 5-speed gearbox with a multi plate wet clutch.

The above numbers are a testament of the fact that the Xtreme 200R isn’t an overly powerful motorcycle. Hero has tuned the engine to be easy to ride in the city. As a result, power delivery is linear in the lower rpm range, with enough idling torque to lead the bike off to a start. Speeds of 90 kmph can be achieved quite effortlessly, though the MRF tyres don’t inspire much confidence at such high speeds.

Once you cross the triple-digit speed reading, there are apparent vibrations on the handlebars and foot pegs. The engine feels out of place at such high rpm levels. Though the 5-speed gearbox is slick to operate, the overall powertrain isn’t rev-happy. 

Braking setup on the Hero Xtreme 200R includes a 276mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear. There is also a single-channel ABS (anti-lock braking system) attached to the front brake. This arrangement makes the motorcycle compliant to all braking inputs, inspiring rider confidence. The motorcycle is capable of safely coming to a stop in emergency braking conditions. 

On the suspension front, the Xtreme 200R comes equipped with 37mm telescopic hydraulic shocks with antifriction bush at the front, while the rear is suspended over a monoshock that comes with 7-step preload adjustment. The suspension has primarily been tuned for riding comfort, however, riders will be able to adjust the rear monoshock to add some rigidity, thus enhancing the bike’s handling and cornering capabilities. Despite being shod with thin MRF tyres, the motorcycle is capable of being cornered aggressively, resulting in some serious lean angles.

The biggest safety feature on the Hero Xtreme 200R is the presence of a single channel ABS on the front wheel. The front and rear disc brakes also provide adequate stopping power to the motorcycle. An adjustable monoshock at the rear allows the suspension damping to be modulated as per the rider’s preference, as well as according to the load on the vehicle. Other features on offer include LED pilot lamps, dual tone body graphics, LED tail lights, and a single seat setup.