New Hero motorcycles spied testing in Ladakh

The 250 to 500cc segment of motorcycles has been gaining some serious traction in India over the past few years, and in a bid to obtain a slice of the pie, Hero MotoCorp is readying not one, but two new 300cc+ motorcycles. Both these motorcycles were recently spotted undergoing testing in Khardung La, Ladakh. 

• ADV’s engine casing and frame look similar to the prototype’s

• Supersport seen with clip-on handlebars

Upcoming Hero ADV motorcycle details

The first of these two motorcycles is Hero’s new ADV, which was shown in prototype guise a few years ago. Although the test mule is covered in camouflage, it does reveal a few details about the upcoming motorcycle.   

First of all, the engine casing and a small part of the frame can be seen in the spy photos, and they look very similar to that of the prototype. The test mule also featured an upside-down fork up front and a monoshock at the rear, much like the prototype. The bike in the images is also running on wire-spoke wheels, with the front likely being a 21-inch unit.

Other than that, the test mule featured the usual ADV bits like a beak-style front mudguard, an upswept exhaust end can and knobby tyres. Once launched, the new Hero ADV will rival the KTM 390 Adventure and the BMW G 310 GS. 

Upcoming Hero supersport motorcycle details

The second motorcycle that was spied was a supersport, with its overall silhouette appearing quite similar to the Xtreme 200S. This bike featured a full fairing, a small windscreen, low-set, clip-on handlebars, a spilt-seat arrangement and alloy wheels. 

The supersport gets petal-style discs at both ends and, although not clear from the images, appears to have the same upside-down fork and monoshock suspension set-up as the ADV. The supersport’s set-up won’t have as much travel as the ADV’s though. In terms of competition, this new Hero motorcycle will have to contend with the TVS Apache RR310 and KTM RC 390. 

As mentioned earlier, both these motorcycles will be powered by Hero’s new liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that’s expected to displace over 300cc. Output figures are yet unknown but expect more details to come through fairly soon.