Hero MotoCorp has introduced a new Xtreme 250R Carbon variant with a substantial feature overhaul, adding multiple hardware and tech updates. Here are the five things you need to know about the bike.
1. What’s new on the updated Hero Xtreme 250R?
The Xtreme 250R Carbon features ride-by-wire, which unlocks four riding modes – Rain, Road, Sport and Track – along with traction control calibrated individually for each mode. A bi-directional quickshifter, cruise control and TPMS have also been added. In terms of tech, the LCD instrument cluster has been replaced by a 4.2-inch TFT screen borrowed from the Xpulse 210.
The rear suspension gets Frequency Selective Damping (FSD), a system that uses a secondary valve to automatically vary damping across two distinct profiles based on the speed and frequency of road inputs. It stiffens up to absorb high-frequency impacts, such as road chatter, and softens for longer, slower compressions, such as when going over a speed breaker.
2. What does the Hero Xtreme 250R engine have to offer?
The 249cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine is carried over largely unchanged, producing 30hp at 9,250rpm and 25.3Nm at 7,500rpm. The latter represents a minor 0.3Nm increase over the outgoing bike, delivered 250rpm higher in the rev range.
3. Which is faster, the KTM 250 Duke or the Hero Xtreme 250R?
We found the Hero Xtreme 250R to be the quicker of the two during our tests. The KTM 250 Duke completed the 0-60kph run in 3.44 seconds and the 0-100kph run in 8.50 seconds. The Xtreme 250R, tested on the same day, completed the same runs in 3.15 seconds and 8.22 seconds, respectively.
It’s worth noting that these figures are for the standard Xtreme 250R. However, the engine remains largely unchanged, and Hero’s claimed 0-60kph time for the Carbon is identical to that of the standard model, so we expect the updated bike’s performance to be largely similar.
4. What is the price of the updated Hero Xtreme 250R Carbon?
The Hero Xtreme 250R Carbon is priced at Rs 1.98 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), a Rs 14,000 premium over the standard Xtreme 250R following an Rs 11,000 price hike for the standard model alongside the introduction of the Carbon variant. Despite the premium, the Carbon remains notably more affordable than the KTM 250 Duke, which costs Rs 2.28 lakh.
5. What colours is the new Xtreme 250R available in?
The Hero Xtreme 250R Carbon is offered in three colours: Carbon Red, Carbon Black and Carbon White. Along with the new colours, the Carbon variant also gets coloured wheels and exclusive graphics.
Autocar India Team 
Stephen Raj Antony
