About a year ago, Hero launched the Xtreme 200R, its first 200cc offering. That bike was a naked machine, and while it offered exceptional value, its design wasn’t very inspiring; and certainly not extreme. Now, there’s a new addition, and it’s called the Xtreme 200S. As they did with the original, Hero has flown us to the mighty Buddh International Circuit to see what’s new on this motorcycle.
Clearly, the huge change comes in the design. The Xtreme 200S is not just Hero’s first faired bike in a long time, it’s also the company’s first genuinely attractive and sporty design in ages. The big talking point is the new full-LED headlamp. The relatively slim trapezoidal lamp stretches right across the bottom of the cowl and is flanked by two sharp triangular LEDs on both ends. The lamp is split into two parts, one for low and one for high, and with the high beam on it lights up to provide a cool-looking beam of white light. It’s different, will be instantly recognisable, and there’s a hint of retro 80s Japanese sports bike there. The headlamp is surrounded by a black plastic trim, which works in conjunction with the dark tint on the windscreen.
Before we first saw the bike, the big concern was whether Hero got the proportions right, especially after the mess that was the Karizma ZMA and ZMR. Things are executed much more neatly, this time around; the fairing doesn’t look too skinny and it’s definitely not too fat. However, it’s not just the fairing and headlamp that have changed — the Xtreme 200S also gets the new LCD display from the XPulse twins, that offers Bluetooth connectivity and a turn-by-turn navigation assist. Finally, the bike runs the shorter exhaust from the XPulse T, which goes with the design better.
Beyond this, everything else stays the same, including the flat handlebar, fuel tank, seat, rear-quarter panels and tail-lamp. There’s a lot of feedback saying that clip-on bars would have been nicer. Instead, I wish Hero went with a sleek set of mirrors, but the bike continues to use the handlebar-mounted mirrors from the Xtreme 200R.
That just about rounds off the changes on this motorcycle. Under the skin, the chassis is exactly the same as the Xtreme 200R, as is the suspension/brake set-up and tyre selection. The 199.6cc, two-valve, air-cooled motor remains in Xtreme tune, and only comes with a carburettor. The power and torque output figures stay at 18.4hp and 17.1Nm, and because kerb weight has gone up by just 2kg (now 149kg), the Xtreme 200S feels just like the old bike.
This means you’ve got a good spread of low-end torque and good tractability for city riding. At the BIC, the bike spent most of its time with the throttle wide open in fifth gear, without seeing anything above 115kph. Given a very long downhill stretch of road, you should manage an indicated top speed of about 120-125kph, but this is clearly not a bike that excels at top-end performance.
The Xtreme 200S turns quickly into corners and smoothly settles into a stable state of lean, with good grip from the MRF tyres. In the sub-₹1 lakh space, the Xtreme keeps company with the Gixxer, RTR 160 and Pulsar NS160, but it comfortably holds its own against most of these rivals in the dynamics department. Braking is also a positive affair, with good feel at the lever and the right amount of power for a bike like this. The ABS continues to be a single-channel set-up.
The Xtreme 200S has been priced at ₹98,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi), which makes it quite a bit higher than the Xtreme 200R (₹90,900). That may seem like quite a lot, but you are getting a full-LED headlamp and a TFT display Most of all, you’re getting a striking and handsome design, which is something that can’t be said about the Xtreme 200R.
This price also puts it bang at par with the likes of the Suzuki Gixxer SF. What Hero has done with this motorcycle is to give it a good platform and an attractive set of clothes; and that may well make it the best-selling motorcycle in the company’s 200cc line-up.