Hero Xtreme 200S: Top five facts about Hero's newest fully-faired motorcycle

Hero MotoCorp tells us that the new Xtreme 200S is a spiritual successor of sorts to the Karizma. Of course, we all remember the Hero Karizma - it was the manufacturer's first fully-faired sportsbike and is a motorcycle that enjoyed a cult status with enthusiasts for years, before other manufacturers also realised that Indian motorcycle buyers love the idea of a fully-faired motorcycle. There's a lot going for the Hero Xtreme 200S in that sense. So here's our favourite five things about the motorcycle.

The Hero Xtreme 200S is an interesting proposition as a fully-faired 200cc motorcycle and has been priced handsomely at just under a lakh rupees ex-showroom

Powertrain

The Hero Xtreme 200S uses the same engine and gearbox as the Xtreme 200R, XPulse 200 and XPulse 200T. The engine is in the exact same state of tune as the others and offers the same 18.4PS at 8,000rpm and 17.1Nm at 6,500rpm. Gear ratios on the Xtreme 200S are identical only to the Xtreme 200R though, as the ratios on the XPulse twins are slightly different considering their different positioning.

Chassis and suspension

The chassis and suspension on the Xtreme 200S are identical to the Xtreme 200R too. The bike uses the same diamond-type frame and the suspension hardware is exactly the same as well (37mm diameter telescopic forks and 7-step preload adjustable monoshock). However, the suspension is in a slightly different state of tune considering that as is the case with faired motorcycles, the front end of the Xtreme 200S is slightly heavier and has also been weighed down in the interest of better handling.

The alloy wheels on the Hero Xtreme 200S are the same as the Xtreme 200R and interestingly, Hero has equipped the motorcycle with single channel ABS which works on the front wheel only

Brakes

The Xtreme 200S comes equipped with a 276mm disc up front and a 220mm disc at the rear, which is the same set-up as its siblings. But these are standard discs and not the petal discs seen on the XPulse 200 and obviously, this has been done in the interest of lowering costs. Also, like the Hero XPulse 200, the XPulse 200T and the Xtreme 200S use a single-channel ABS only, so only the front wheel gets the sensor-rotor for the ABS while the rear wheel does not get ABS.

Instrument cluster

The Xtreme 200S gets Hero's new instrument cluster that made its debut on the XPulse 200 twins. This a fully-digital LCD unit that is split into two sections. While the section on the left displays regular information like the tachometer, speedometer, clock, odometer, gear indicator and fuel gauge. The section on the right integrates the tripmeter, trip details like average speeds etc. but more importantly, it offers turn by turn directions for the bike's navigation system.

The fully-digital instrument cluster on the Hero Xtreme 200S offers lots of information and also integrates a dedicated display on the side for Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation, making it the third motorcycle in Hero MotoCorp's line-up to offer the technology after the XPulse 200 and XPulse 200T

Bluetooth connectivity

The Hero Xtreme 200S is the third bike in Hero's product line-up to offer Bluetooth connectivity and the only motorcycle in its segment to have the feature. You basically need to download the Hero Ride Guide app (available on iOS and Android both) and sync your phone to the instrument cluster via Bluetooth. You can feed in a destination onto the app, which then provides turn-by-turn directions using navigation that's based on Google maps. This information is relayed onto the right side of the digital display on the motorcycle which eliminates the hassle of having to pull out your phone again and again to check for directions. This is a great feature to have on a motorcycle, especially when you consider the price point â€" Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation are features unheard of, in motorcycles costing just about a lakh rupees.

Also see: Hero Xtreme 200S First Ride Video