Hero Xtreme 160R: First ride review
Hero Xtreme 160R, one of the most important motorcycles in the company's line-up was launched in July first week. While it was scheduled for a launch in the early part of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in its launch plans.
It is yet another extension in the company’s famous Xtreme series of bikes and Hero is betting big on this one, and why not? It is a completely new bike from the ground up which aims majorly at the enthusiastic and young crowd. The Xtreme 160R is a very close adaptation of the original 1.R concept which was showcased a while back. It features a very similar sculpted design which makes it one of the best looking Hero bikes to have ever been introduced. Be it the robotic LED headlamp, smart looking alloys, step up seat or blacked-out stubby exhaust, everything looks just in place.
Switch gear quality is also decent and one of its highlights is a smart looking inverted LCD console which packs all the necessary information in a clear and legible format. It also gets two buttons at the base that can be used to jump between information.
The smart use of contrasting black/white colours make it look quite sporty and the overall design of the Xtreme 160R is quite interesting. The fact that it also gets LED turn indicators and tail lamp makes it even more appealing. The only niggle is the compromised field of vision from the rear view mirrors that are a tad too small.
The bike gets a BS 6-compliant 160 cc air-cooled engine which delivers 15 PS/14 Nm and comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The clutch action feels fairly light and the powertrain is as smooth and refined as seen on other Hero bikes. It is claimed to have a class-leading acceleration of 0 to 60 km/h in 4.7 seconds and it does feel quick, if not the quickest. The transmission on the other hand, lacked the clunky feel.
It rolls on 17-inch wheels which come shod with MRF rubbers. At the front, it gets 100/80 section tyre, while the rear gets a 130/70 section tyre. The grip from these tyres for its speeds is decent, but I didn't really thrash it around the corners much since roads were wet and the tyres were still fresh to take any kind of beating.
_1596005186998.jpg "Hero Xtreme 160R has a soft and comfortable ride quality. Picture Courtesy: Sabyasachi Dasgupta")
The Xtreme 160R acts and feels light thanks to its low kerb-weight of 138.5 kg. Around the corners, expect it not to be as committed as the bigger Xtreme 200R/200S, but it still gets the job done.
The overall suspension setup on the bike feels soft but not overtly squishy. The ride quality of the Xtreme 160R is comfortable which is perfect for an everyday bike.
Its braking is delivered with disc brakes at both the ends. The stopping power from this setup is sufficient for its speeds which is also complemented by the safety of net of single channel ABS.
The final word:
Hero finally has a winner in its hands in the form of Xtreme 160R. It has all the right ingredients that make it a strong contender in its segment. It might not be the outright sportiest bike as some of its rivals, but it has the right balance of all the necessary elements and starting at just under ₹1 lakh, this one packs a lot of bang for your buck.
