Hero MotoCorp has been spotted testing a new version of its XPulse 200 dual-sport motorcycle, complete with a 4-valve cylinder head.

• Likely to improve top-end performance
• Will come in new colours too
• Rest of the bike seems unchanged

The Hero XPulse 200 certainly is a commendable motorcycle. Its BS4 version was a little rough around the edges, but Hero worked hard to make the BS6 bike a more well-rounded package with better engine refinement levels. However, the one chink in its armour continues to be a lack of top-end performance. But with a simple 2-valve OHC setup for its 199.6cc air-cooled engine, there’s not much that Hero can do to remedy this.

So it has seemingly decided to change the layout of the cylinder head, going for a 4-valve configuration instead. An XPulse 200 has been spotted testing, sporting a new black and blue colour scheme that features a 4-valve sticker on the fuel tank. The cylinder head itself also appears slightly different from that of the current motorcycle’s, backing up the sticker’s claim. If it does go into production, this will be Hero’s first-ever 4-valve production engine.

As a rule of thumb, a 4-valve setup helps the engine breathe better at high rpms, giving better top-end performance. One can only assume that this is what Hero is aiming for here, while hopefully not sacrificing the strong bottom-end performance that is imperative for off-roading.

The XPulse 200 is currently priced at Rs 1.23 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), and produces 18.1hp and 16.45Nm. The 4-valve version should improve upon these figures slightly, while costing around Rs 5,000 to 8,000 more. The XPulse has become quite a lot more expensive since it was first introduced, so it’s quite likely that the more affordable 2-valve bike will continue to be sold alongside the new 4-valve version. What’s also quite probable is that this higher performance 4-valve engine will also make its way into the sportier Xtreme 200S, where its benefits will have an even greater impact.