Hero plans to have four different products based on its new 200cc platform and we now might have an idea of what the third bike in the range could be. We’ve already ridden the first of the new 200cc Heros to go on sale, the Xtreme 200R, and the Xpulse 200 is expected to debut at the end of this year. Now, a leaked patent image sheds light on what could be the third bike based on this platform and it looks like quite a unique prospect.
What is it?
Quite a few details can be gleaned from the patent image. For starters, the bike appears to share quite a few components with the Xpulse, and these include the round headlamp and the fully-digital LCD instrument display. Even the fuel tank looks the same, while the alloys appear to have come off the Xtreme 200R.
The patent image reveals a bike with a monoshock (only available on Hero’s 200c platform for now) and we’re quite sure that the new bike will feature the same 200cc, air-cooled unit. Whether it will be in carburetted form, or if it will feature the fuel injection system that will debut on the Xpulse, is unclear at the moment.
What kind of bike will it be?
Design-wise, this is quite an interesting motorcycle. The headlamp, fuel tank and a long seat that extends onto the fuel tank suggest that it could be in the direction of a scrambler-like design. The front and rear fenders, however, are quite conventional-looking and take away from that idea. Our take is that this could be a tough and rugged street motorcycle that will lie somewhere in between the Xtreme and Xpulse in terms of capability and equipment. Hero might even tune the suspension setup to reflect this intended role.
In that sense, this as yet unnamed motorcycle follows the Xpulse’s minimal and functional design philosophy and it appears to take quite a straightforward approach. There are a couple of small shrouds at the front of the fuel tank and the bike stands apart with a split-seat design, something neither the Xpulse nor the Xtreme 200R offer. Chunky tyres should add to the tough image this bike aims to generate.
When and how much?
We believe that we’ll get to see a production, or near-production-spec version of this bike before the year runs out. Hero tends to unveil its products many months before they actually hit the streets and we expect the same with this one as well. The bike will go on sale next year and considering it should fill the gap between the Xtreme 200R and the Xpulse, we expect a competitive price tag between Rs 90,000 and Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom).
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
Dinshaw Magol
Vishal Venugopal
