Hero XPulse 210 first ride review: More than just 10 extra cc

It was in 2014 when Hero MotoCorp launched the Impulse in the Indian market, a dual-sport motorcycle that failed to make a mark and was discontinued in just two years. Then in 2019, the brand brought the XPulse 200 and it slowly gathered a lot of followers. Then in 2021, Hero updated the motorcycle with a 4-valve engine and a few other updates. One of the gripes that people had with the XPulse 200 4V was the lack of power.

Now, the brand has addressed that by launching the XPulse 210 which sits above the XPulse 200. As the name reveals, the XPulse 210 uses a larger engine than the XPulse 200 4V. However, Hero MotoCorp says that the XPulse 210 is more than just an extra 10 cc. To test this claim, the company invited us to the beautiful city of Udaipur where they set out a route for us which included off-road sections, twisty roads and open highways.

Hero XPulse 210: How does it look?

Hero MotoCorp took the basic design of the XPulse 200 4V and turned it a notch up. There is a beak-like mudguard in the front along with a circular LED headlamp with a fly screen or a windscreen, depending on the variant that the customer opts for. The fuel tank is similar but there are new tank shrouds on offer. It comes with a single-piece seat and there is a tail rack at the rear as well. At the rear, the tail lamp is the same unit that is doing duty on the Xtreme 125R as well.

Hero MotoCorp offers the XPulse 210 in four colour options.

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Hero MotoCorp offers the XPulse 210 in four colour options.

There is a new upswept exhaust on the side that is a lot slimmer than the XPulse 200 4V unit and it not only looks nice but also sounds really nice with occasional pops while downshifting. What I really liked is that Hero knows that there is a possibility that on a few occasions, customers will end up getting the motorcycle stuck somewhere so there is a grab handle in the front, right below the headlight which can be used to pull the motorcycle when it is stuck.

Hero XPulse 210: How comfortable is it?

The riding triangle of the XPulse 210 is quite comfortable with a high handlebar which by the way is adjustable and centre-set foot pegs. There is an ample amount of space for the rider to move around and get comfortable. Despite having a seat height of 830 mm, I with a height of around 5 feet 8 inches was able to position my feet on the ground. This is because the middle section of the motorcycle is quite slim which also helps the rider in grabbing the motorcycle via its legs while standing up while riding.

The XPulse 210 now gets tank shrouds that help in hiding the radiator that helps in cooling down the engine.

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The XPulse 210 now gets tank shrouds that help in hiding the radiator that helps in cooling down the engine.

The suspension setup on the XPulse 210 consists of 41 mm telescopic forks in the front and a 10-step adjustable mono-shock at the rear. The front has a travel of 210 mm whereas at the rear the travel is of 205 mm. It absorbs everything that a rider can throw at it. It glides over potholes and speed breakers and still maintains composure and stability while doing high speeds.

Hero XPulse 210: How does it handle?

There is a new beak-like front mudguard in the front. Hero offers a grab handle as well that can come in handy when the motorcycle is stuck somewhere and needs to be pulled out.

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There is a new beak-like front mudguard in the front. Hero offers a grab handle as well that can come in handy when the motorcycle is stuck somewhere and needs to be pulled out.

Show Xpulse 210 a corner and it will not disappoint you. Despite being an adventure tourer with a 21-inch front wheel, you can carve a decent bit of corners with the XPulse 210. It stays to the line that the rider chooses while the tyres are providing you the confidence to push more. So, yes you would enjoy your time with the XPulse 210 in the twisty roads of mountains.

Hero XPulse 210: How does the engine perform?

This is one of the things that people have been eagerly waiting to know about. Well, I am happy to report that the XPulse 210 does not disappoint. It is powered by a 210 cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that is taken from the Karizma XMR. However, the XPulse 210 uses a different camshaft and gearing. Hero MotoCorp has tuned the engine for more low-end and linear power delivery which does show while riding the motorcycle. The engine is tuned for 24.26 bhp of max power at 20.7 Nm. There are minimal vibrations and torque is available throughout the rev range which does make sense because Hero claims that over 70 per cent of torque is available up to 3,000 rpm. This also helps in making the engine very tractable so low speeds and higher gear is no issue for the XPulse 210.

The engine is tuned for 24.26 bhp of max power at 20.7 Nm. It is smooth for the most part, there are vibrations only at higher levels of the rev range.

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The engine is tuned for 24.26 bhp of max power at 20.7 Nm. It is smooth for the most part, there are vibrations only at higher levels of the rev range.

Then there is the 6-speed gearbox, which is a slick unit which comes with a slip-and-assist clutch because of which the clutch action is very light. Rev matching for the downshifts is very easy too. The engine can also cruise on highways doing legal speeds quite easily.

Hero XPulse 210: How are the brakes?

The XPulse 210 uses a single-piece seat that offers ample amount of space for the rider to move around.

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The XPulse 210 uses a single-piece seat that offers ample amount of space for the rider to move around.

The braking duties on the XPulse 210 are performed by a 276 mm petal disc in the front and a 220 mm petal disc at the rear. There is dual-channel ABS on offer which is switchable and there are three ABS modes on offer - Road, Off-road and Rally. The brakes do a good job of bringing the motorcycle to a halt while inspiring a good level of confidence. The tyres are also quite good, they provide an ample amount of grip and confidence to the rider.

Hero XPulse 210: How feature-loaded is it?

Hero XPulse 210 comes with all-LED lighting, and hazard lights and there is a tail rack as well. Depending on the variant, the motorcycle is equipped with a TFT screen or an LCD unit. The instrument cluster shows a lot of information that includes real-time fuel efficiency, average fuel efficiency, trip meters, and gear position indicator and there is also Bluetooth connectivity with navigation on offer. The instrument cluster is bright and comes with day/night modes so it is legible even in bright sunlight.

The TFT cluster can be controlled via the switchgear on the left handlebar.

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The TFT cluster can be controlled via the switchgear on the left handlebar.

Hero XPulse 210: Should you buy one?

Overall, I loved my time with the XPulse 210. It does everything brilliantly, Now, I am not an off-road rider so I would not be the right person to comment on that. However, with the little off-roading that I got to experience, I can say that the XPulse did inspire confidence and I was comfortable with it. The engine is now decently powerful, the ride is sublime and it is feature-equipped as well. If you are in the market for a new adventure tourer then I would definitely suggest you take a look at the XPulse 210.

Now, we asked Hero MotoCorp whether there are any plans to bring a version of XPulse 210 with alloy wheels for riders who only want to tour. To this, the brand said no as they want to keep the XPulse nameplate for off-road riding only. Also, if you want a more hardcore version then I would suggest that you wait for some time as Hero will bring the Rally kit for the XPulse 210 as well.

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