We’ve had the opportunity to test the performance of the all-new Kawasaki KLX230 and Hero Xpulse 200 4V. While both motorcycles produce roughly the same output on paper, our testing numbers shed light on how these figures stack up in the real world.
Acceleration test
| 0-100kph acceleration test | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kawasaki KLX230 | Hero Xpulse 200 4V | |
| 0-40kph | 2.04s | 2.22s |
| 0-60kph | 3.90s | 4.33s |
| 0-80kph | 6.75s | 7.61s |
| 0-100kph | 11.51s | 13.52s |
This test is conducted from a standstill to assess how quick these motorcycles are and how easy they are to launch. Yet again, thanks to its lighter weight and shorter gearing, the KLX230 accelerates to 60kph 0.43 seconds quicker and reaches 100kph a whole 2 seconds faster than the Xpulse 200 4V.
In-gear acceleration test
| In-gear acceleration test | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kawasaki KLX230 | Hero Xpulse 200 4V | |
| 20-50kph (2nd gear) | 2.23s | 2.73s |
| 30-70kph (3rd gear) | 4.31s | 5.24s |
| 50-80kph (4th gear) | 3.89s | 5.55s |
For our in-gear acceleration tests, we assess both motorcycles to see how quick they are in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear. Thanks to its shorter gearing and lighter weight, the KLX230 is ever so quicker than the Xpulse 200 4V. This lead becomes even more prominent in the 4th gear, where the Kawasaki managed to go from 50kph-80kph a whole 1.66 seconds quicker.
60-0kph braking test
| 60-0kph braking test | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kawasaki KLX230 | Hero Xpulse 200 4V | |
| 0-60kph | 17.52m | 18.11m |
This test focuses on evaluating braking performance under hard or emergency braking situations. We accelerate up to 60kph and then apply the brakes with ABS turned on. In our test, both motorcycles performed almost on par with only a negligible difference of 0.59m.
Kawasaki KLX230 vs Hero Xpulse 200 4V price
| Price | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kawasaki KLX230 | Hero Xpulse 200 4V | |
| Price | Rs 3.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) | Rs 1.51 (ex-showroom, Mumbai) |
With the KLX230 priced at Rs 3.30 lakh and the Xpulse 200 4V costing between Rs 1.52 lakh and Rs 1.65 lakh for the standard and Pro variants, respectively, there’s really no comparison when it comes to price. What we can tell you is that the KLX230 feels significantly more competent and focused in its approach when ridden back-to-back with the Xpulse. Whether the Kawasaki is worth double the money that the Hero commands (literally) is a question that will have different answers depending on the buyer.
