Performance and engine of the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V
Start by talking about the new engine. It is merely new, and that is all. Hero informs us that this is much more than just a new 4-valve head and an oil cooler; in fact, the gearbox has been completely redesigned with new ratios, and even the block and crank cases are different. 16.9 horsepower are produced at 8,500 rpm as a result of all these efforts. Hero claims the revised gear ratios allow it to accelerate significantly harder than before while maintaining a similar peak speed to before. That represents a substantial 1.7hp increase over the old bike.
The manufacturer claims that this bike has the fastest acceleration in its class. It certainly feels like one of the faster motorcycles in the group. Whereas the old bike would start to taper down above 80 kph, this one pulls more convincingly and appears to hit 100 kph a lot quicker. 0-60 feels speedy. The maximum speed is between 120 and 125 kph.
The tractability of this motor is its best quality. You can accelerate significantly by putting the car in practically any gear and stepping on the throttle. The engine was content to gradually gain speed even in fourth gear at 25 kph on an incline, and this characteristic will make it rather pleasurable in the city. Although it isn’t as incredibly polished as the Bajaj Pulsar N160, refinement on this vehicle is still fairly outstanding and you won’t find yourself grumbling. The 5-speed transmission can occasionally be a bit clumsy, but for the most part, it does the job; it’s not great, but it’s also not horrible.
Ride and handling of the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V
For the most part, the Xtreme 160R continues to be a light, nimble, and smooth handling bike. With a weight reduction from 139.5kg to 145kg, the top model with the USD fork is still among the lightest motorcycles in its class. In addition to its attractive appearance, the USD fork will likely result in some gains in front-end rigidity and stability, but we won’t know for sure until we ride this bike side by side with the normal telescopic fork version.
Hero has somewhat softerened the suspension to increase comfort, and while it’s still a fun vehicle to drive, it does seem a little more squishy and less responsive when pushed to the limit. The footpegs will easily scrape the ground when you really push it, but given what this bike is designed to be, it is still a fun little thing. Overall, I recall the Bajaj Pulsar N160 feeling tauter and more secure in the corners, although most customers won’t be concerned with this particular aspect.
They’ll be interested in how comfortable the bike is, which is fantastic news. The majority of the time, the suspension comfort is good, but if you hit a big enough bump with enough force, the bike could seem a touch too soft. Although we were unable to test out the single seat, the new split seats are likewise substantial, well-padded, and rather comfortable. The bike generally smooths out bumps well, and the riding position is comfortable for big riders with just a hint of a sporty lean forward to the handlebar.
Hero Xtreme 160R 4V characteristics and design
Hero has also taken use of this opportunity to gradually change the design; on the USD variant, the headlamp is set a little lower and the plastics around the fuel tank region are slanted a little more aggressively. For a motorcycle of this capacity, the bike appears bulky and very huge with its split seats.
The bike feels a little more costly because the new switchgear looks and feels substantially nicer than the old Xtreme. I personally like the cool neon colour scheme on our bike, but not everyone does. There are various more subdued colour palettes if you want something subtler.
There are two Standard Connected variations and one Pro variant. The USD is only available on the Pro version, but oddly enough, the mid-spec model is the only one that offers all the Bluetooth-enabled connected functions, such as geo-fencing and navigation alerts.
This motorcycle will be sold above the Xtreme 160R 2V, which is still available. Prices for the ordinary form start at Rs. 1.27 lakh and rise to Rs. 1.36 lakh for the Pro version that you see above. As a result, the Pro is more expensive than the Bajaj Pulsar N160 dual-channel ABS model and the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V with the highest level of specification. However, because to all these upgrades, the Xtreme has climbed back to the top of its market in terms of how it rides and feels. It’s time for a fair comparison review.
