Hero Xtreme 160R
Hero Motocorp’s latest offering promises quite a bit
Hero MotorCorp unveiled the Xtreme 1.R concept at the 2019 EICMA show and right from the word go it was clear that the production version would be an aggressive looking streetfighter. True to those thoughts, here is the Xtreme 160R, the production version of the 1.R concept.
The Xtreme 160R to begin with comes with an aggressive overall design. The compact dimensions, lack of ‘overhangs’ and chunky tyres give it that mean look. Adding to it is the all LED headlamp unit which Hero refers to as the ‘Droid’ design. The small winkers are all-LED and gel well with the overall design. The bike features fat telescopic forks as well and all put together, the front end design looks rather imposing. The 12-litre fuel tank is also one massive unit and we love the way Hero has left out those tacky decals and instead kept it simple and colour coordinated. The instrument panel is an all-digital unit and is easy to read on the go. The numbers on the tacho though could have been slightly bigger for better visibility especially during the day. We also sorely missed having Bluetooth connectivity. The switchgear is a mix and match as far as quality is concerned. Some switches like the hazard
light feel good, while some like the indicator switch feel a bit flimsy. The seat on the other hand is nice and comfy and the rider gets the larger portion complete with a small bumstop. The rider’s triangle is tuned with comfort in mind for sure. The tail section of the Xtreme features a brilliant design element. The grab rails are integrated within the panel thus omitting ghastly looking metal units. The short tail also houses the LED tail light unit. The fat 17in rear tyre completes the overall sporty design of the bike.
The Xtreme 160R is powered by a 163cc, fuel injected, air-cooled 4-stroke motor. The single churns out 15bhp@8,500rpm and 14Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. All that power is sent to the rear wheel via a 5-speed gearbox. Once astride, the first thing which impresses is the riding position. The rather upright stance and neutrally placed foot pegs should keep most riders happy. The motor
starts up rather smoothly and is vibration free. The engine note too is rorty in nature. The clutch feels light and the gearbox crisp. Acceleration is smooth till around 85kmph after which things start to slow down. But what impressed us the most is the smoothness of the engine. Even with the tacho bouncing off the redline, the vibes are kept well under control. It is a fantastic achievement by Hero engineers. This also means that one can hold on to relatively high speeds on open stretches. While cruising in the city, there is ample grunt to keep going at higher gears. Twist the wrist and the Xtreme glides through fuss-free. The Xtreme has been tuned to offer generous comfort on the go. The suspension absorbs ruts and rough stuff with ease and there is very little which can shake it off. The soft seat also helps matters. But the interesting bit is that the Xtreme also likes to play around corners. Just dip in and the tyres grip in and you keep going. Overall the suspension has been tuned to cater to both worlds. One can enjoy riding every day as well as tip the bike into corners in order to have some fun.