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Rajesh Alva finds out if the Hero XPulse is a new bike or an upgrade of the Hero Impulse.
The adventure segment is a growing market in India as well as in several other countries.
Hero was the first in India to hit this segment with the Impulse in 2011. However, despite having a lot of potential and uniqueness, the bike failed to capture this market.
The main reason was the under-powered engine. To make up for it, Hero MotoCorp unveiled the new Hero XPulse concept at EICMA (Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori), aka the Milan Motorcycle Show.
Hero says XPulse takes the Impulse legacy to the next level with a bigger engine and total focus on off-road performance.
The Hero XPulse adventure bike concept indicates it will rival to Royal Enfield's Himalayan.
The bike ticks all the right boxes when it comes to style.
It comes with long travel conventional front fork and a raised front fender.
It also has a larger front tyre with deep treads capable of meeting the off-roading experience.
It has plenty of ground clearance, comfortable seat height for an off-roader.
A round headlight with retro type assembly comes with twin led setup, and it's complimented well with the windscreen and raised front mudguard.
The XPulse gets an stylish handlebar with a hand guard.
The fuel tank reminds me of the Karizma with a flush fitting fuel tank cap.
For braking power, it has a disk on front as well as a disk at the back. It will be offered with ABS (Anti-lock braking system) version.
We believe the black engine is based on the Xtreme 200 S concept showcased at the 2016 auto expo.
As for the fire power, speculation suggests that it has a new 200cc BS-IV compliant, air cooled engine producing around 18 BHP and 17 Nm of torque. Exhaust runs through the right hand side of the engine and ends very close to the tail light.
Hero has hinted that it will come in production by end of 2018. Speculation is it will be available in two variants: an off-roader and a touring-friendly version.
Is this the sign of change from Hero MotoCorp?
Well, we surely hope so.
Poll: Do you like the new Hero XPulse adventure concept bike?