Hero Xpulse 400 will reportedly be equipped with a 421 cc engine and it will likely go on sale in the second half of next year
Hero MotoCorp has been spotted testing a couple of higher cc motorcycles a few days ago on the Himalayas. Since then, several rumours have surfaced regarding their launch timeline and features. While one is a dual-purpose adventure tourer, the other is a fully faired supersport that could be called the Karizma 300 or the Xtreme 300 S.
The faired motorcycle is believed to be the first one to arrive in the first half of the next calendar year to compete against TVS Apache RR310, the recently launched BMW G310 RR and others with an engine cubic capacity of around 300 cc. The adv, on the other hand, will lock horns with the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan, KTM 390 Adventure, Yezdi Adventure and BMW G310 GS.
The Xpulse 200 has indeed created a cult following in India with its highly affordable nature and great off-roading capabilities in a nimble package. The latest spy images of what could be christened the Hero Xpulse 400 give us a clear idea of what to expect from the motorcycle. It will likely take advantage of Hero’s learning in gruelling rallies such as Dakar.
The spy pictures indicate the existence of an LED headlamp unit, an LCD instrument cluster, a tall windscreen, an upright rider’s triangle with slightly rear-set footpegs and a tall handlebar positioning. The adv appears to have a long wheelbase with enough space to move around for the rider and the pillion and the second test mule had a top box.
The prototypes ran on wire-spoked wheels at the front and the rear, petal disc at the front and a conventional unit at the rear assisted by a dual-channel ABS system, a long travel suspension, a side-mounted upswept exhaust system, a wide seat setup, sharp looking rearview mirrors, fenders mounted on the fairing, and so on.
The Hero Xpulse 400 could be positioned aggressively against its rivals and expect the power figure from the 421 cc single-cylinder engine to be around 40 bhp. It may not have a big list of electronic aids.