Hero Xpulse 200 long term review: Introduction
I've been very excited about the Xpulse right from the time it was shown as a concept at the EICMA 2017 show, as more power and equipment made it the right successor to the ever-popular Impulse on paper. I also sampled its off-roading potential at the Big Rock dirtpark with CS Santosh. The figures of 18.4PS and 17.1Nm didn't mean anything exemplary but then CS had mentioned, "This bike is an entry to the adventure class, without getting intimidated by lots of power that makes it extremely friendly". Our Indian Dakar hero saying that meant a lot, and that's the reason I called dibs on the motorcycle and headed straight to the trails to welcome the Xpulse 200 to the OD Garage.
The 200cc unit is impressively smooth and is at its best when you're commuting in stop-go traffic. The only let-down is the lack of exciting response, especially on the highways when you are trying to overtake or reach higher speeds wherein you end up keeping the revs at 8,000-8,500rpm. However, it is a completely different story when you are on the trails with its capability to effectively absorb the undulations. The Xpulse comes equipped with digital instrumentation with smartphone connectivity, navigation, LED lights and also USB charging. The first impression of the Xpulse has been positive but then will it continue to keep up when we take it touring and also as a daily commuter? Only time can tell.
Acquired: November 2019
Inducted at: 2,451km
Total mileage: 3,027km
Fuel: 14.58 litres
Economy: 39.5kmpl