Hero XPulse 200 & 200T launching on 1st of May

It’s official. Hero MotoCorp will finally launch the XPulse on-off road motorcycle in India on the 1st of May, 2019.  Both the XPulse 200 on-off road version and its road going sibling – the XPulse 200T – will be launched on the same  day. The Hero XPulse 200T is expected to be slightly cheaper than the XPulse 200. Both motorcycles are expected to  have an ex-showroom price of under Rs. 1 lakh, making them the cheapest off-road oriented bikes available in the  country.

The XPulse 200 and the 200T will be powered by a 200cc, four stroke single cylinder engine borrowed from the Xtreme 200R. The air cooled motor will put out 18 Bhp-17 Nm, and will be paired to a 5 speed manual gearbox. Fuel injection will be standard on this engine, which has been developed in-house by Hero MotoCorp’s Jaipur-based research and development unit. Production of both the XPulse 200 and 200T has already commenced in India, and the motorcycles will differ mainly in styling and cycle parts.

The XPulse 200T, oriented mainly towards touring, will have a 19 inch front wheel and an 18 inch rear wheel. The  XPulse 200 on the other hand, will use a 21 inch front wheel and an 18 inch rear wheel. Both motorcycle will used  spoked wheels, and we expect tube-type tyres as standard on both. High travel suspension will be standard on both  bikes. The front ends will use telescopic forks with 220 mm of travel while the rear ends will get monoshocks with  180 mm of travel. Ground clearance, will also be generous at 220 mm.

While the Xpulse 200 gets knuckle guards, bash plate, a high set mudguard, fork gaiters and a high set exhaust to aid in off road riding, the 200T does away with these parts. Instead, it offers a taller headlamp fairing meant to  deflect wind off the rider’s chest, and a conventional mudguard. The tyres on the 200T will be oad biased while those on the XPulse 200 will be on-off road units. Both motorcycles are expected to offer luggage mounting points at the rear. They will get twin seats as standard, a USB charging socket and a full digital instrument cluster with  Bluetooth connectivity for turn-by-turn navigation.

The Hero XPulse 200 and 200T technically have no direct competition as the next cheapest ADV motorcycle – the Royal Enfield Himalayan 400 – is priced at about Rs. 2 lakhs, on-road. The Xpulse 200 and 200T are expected to be the lightest bikes in their segment, with a kerb weight of about 140 kilograms. This should give them good acceleration through the gears and a top speed of about 120 Kph. A cruising speed of around 100 Kph will be more than ample for most bikers opting for these motorcycles.