In recent times, Hero has tried to tap into the fast-growing premium motorcycle market but hasn’t really been able to make a major breakthrough outside of the capable Xpulse 200 4V. With this completely overhauled Xtreme 160R 4V, it is re-launching its attack and hopes to address the pitfalls of the Xtreme 2V. The Xtreme 2V has always been a fun yet practical city bike due to its nimble handling and frugal nature. Where it fell short is in the lacklustre top-end punch and its quality levels left a lot to be desired. Here, we’ll examine if Hero has succeeded in overcoming those flaws with the updated Xtreme 160R 4V.
Hero has retained the Xtreme 160R’s basic design but has beefed everything up. You can see that in the meatier fuel tank (although it measures the same 12 litres as before), longer tank extensions, a chunky-looking golden 37mm KYB USD fork (only on this top Pro variant) and the thicker split seats.
Overall, this is a good-looking motorcycle and it does catch your eye especially in this ‘Neon Shooting Star’ hi-viz colour. One thing you really need to consider if you’re opting for this specific colour is that the matte paint on the tank is very hard to keep scratch-free and in less than 1,000 km, this bike has already developed some scratches. Since the colour is an eye-popping neon yellow, the scuff marks where you grip the tank are more prominent than on a more muted hue.
The Xtreme 160R 4V in this Pro guise strangely misses out on Bluetooth connectivity that the lower Connected variant and even the 2V model get. However, unless you’re a real stickler for technology accompanying your motorcycling experience, I don’t think there’s anything you’re going to miss here.
The negative LCD dash shows you all you need although I wish it was either brighter or better positioned. The way it is set right now makes it hard to even make out what speed you’re doing when the sun is overhead. Rainwater has seeped into the dash over the past few months and has left a few marks on the inside of the lens due to condensation, which has further worsened readability. We’ve also noticed that the 160R stitching on the seat has started to fray within a few months of daily use, and these aren’t nice things on a bike that’s done less than 1,000km. Hero would do well to improve the overall fit and finish because despite this bike bringing an improvement over the Xtreme 2V, quality levels are still not quite up there with the segment leaders from TVS and Bajaj.
One thing that I have always noticed on all Hero two-wheelers I’ve ridden is that the company always manages to nail ride comfort. The Xtreme 160R 4V continues that and soaks up just about everything on the road without a complaint. It’s only those most severe bumps on the road that filter through and even then it deals with them reasonably well for what it is. Preload is set at five out of seven clicks, which has worked well for both 77kg me as well as 56kg Soham.
The comfort here doesn’t compromise agility and the Xtreme is good fun when on a tight, twisty road. Thanks to its petite 145kg kerb weight (up 4.5kg from the 2V) and short stature, it can slice through traffic almost as efficiently as a scooter. Seat height is a very manageable 795mm (for 5’11” me) although the thick seats do splay your legs out so shorter riders need to bear this in mind. Slimmer riders like Soham and Rishaad found the seat quite uncomfortable after 45 minutes, but I was quite comfortable despite nearly three hours of constant seat time.
Where the 160R 2V’s air-cooled engine used to feel gutless once past the mid-range, the 4V’s air-/oil-cooled mill pulls quite cleanly right to the redline. The Xtreme 160R 4V managed the sprint to 100kph in 14.95s, which is a big improvement over the 2V’s laidback 23.36s and makes it the quickest of all the 160s.
It’s also a fairly tractable engine and you can let it chug along at 40kph in fifth without any juddering. However, that tractability is partly down to the short gearing, which really handicaps your highway cruising ability. 80-90kph is fine, but at 100kph, you can hear and feel a strain that isn’t very pleasant. Top speed is between 120-125kph depending on rider weight and how much you crouch.
Overall, the Xtreme 160R 4V returned 46kpl, which is respectable but taller gearing can potentially even increase that number, especially at highway speeds.
While I gelled with the new engine quite well, the Xtreme’s gearbox left me wanting more precision. You really have to be positive with your shifts and over the 300-odd km I rode it, there were enough false neutrals to annoy me. This could be down to the fact that this bike is due for a service and we’ll circle back to this issue in a future long-term report.
With this comprehensive update, most of the Xtreme 160R’s prevailing issues have been solved.
The 4V update endows the Xtreme 160R with some much-needed peppiness and a good dose of flashy and functional features. At Rs 1.37 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), this top-spec Pro variant costs Rs 10,000 more than the comparable Xtreme 160R 2V and it’s definitely worth spending extra for the new engine alone. This new mill is refined, punchy and decently frugal, which is good for what is primarily going to be a commuter. It’s also a more handsome and eye-catching motorcycle and we’ve had plenty of people express surprise when they hear it’s a new Hero motorcycle.
Besides the quality and attention to detail, there’s not much wrong with the Xtreme. However, in an era where buyers are becoming increasingly conscious of quality and safety (especially the young buyers that Hero’s targeting), the single-channel-ABS-only Xtreme still has some ways to go. If Hero can step up quality levels, then the Xtreme 160R 4V can pose a serious threat to the rivals’ market share.
Rishaad Mody
Gavin Rodrigues
Azaman Chothia
