The Hero Xoom 160 is a maxi-scooter with adventure styling that finds itself in a growing segment that includes the Yamaha Aerox 155 and TVS Ntorq 150. If you’re in the market for one, here are three reasons it’s worth considering and two reasons that might deter you.
Reasons to buy the Hero Xoom 160
Bold design and presence
The Xoom 160 stands out with its ADV-inspired maxi-scooter styling that’s bound to turn heads on the road. The large bodywork, distinctive front-end design and windscreen make it unlike most scooters in our market. Plus, details such as the integrated rear grab handle and chunky swingarm further add a premium touch.
Convenience features
From our first ride, it was clear that convenience is one of the Xoom 160’s strengths. The keyless system, in particular, adds a lot of practicality. With the fob on you, you can use a rotary knob to handle ignition and fuel-cap access, and there’s also a button on the fob to unlock the spacious 22-litre underseat storage. The boot is cleverly designed to accommodate a full-face helmet, which most other scooters in this class can’t manage.
Accessible for most riders
Despite its bulky size and adventure styling, the Xoom 160 is still approachable for shorter or less experienced riders. Its 787mm seat height is low enough on paper, and in practice, the downward-sloping seat makes it easy to get both feet on the ground. While this scooter carries ADV looks, it will likely spend most of its time in the city, and the seat height should make low-speed manoeuvring much more manageable.
Reasons not to buy the Hero Xoom 160
Doesn’t have ADV scooter suspension
The adventure-inspired styling may lead you to expect relatively long-travel suspension, and that would have been ideal for a lot of our roads. However, the Xoom 160 only offers slightly more travel than typical scooters, with 97mm at the front and 94mm at the rear. The result is a ride that doesn’t feel particularly plush.
Throttle issue
During our tests, the one drawback that stood out was that the throttle requires an almost unnatural amount of twisting. To access the Xoom’s full performance, you need to roll it further than feels natural, which undermines the effortless 150cc performance that buyers will expect. A quicker throttle action would make the riding experience far more engaging.
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