Hero MotoCorp Xpulse 210 Top

Autocar India

•10h

Both the machines you've shortlisted are great ones for commuting within Mumbai but have different characters. The Royal Enfield Classic 350's smooth thumper is known for its low-end torque and encourages you to ride in a relaxed fashion. Its seating posture and suspension comfort both are excellent at keeping the rider shielded from road imperfections and should be good enough for you. We'd also recommend you take a look at the Honda CB350 models if you want a similiar riding experience with a little less weight and clutch effort. If instead, you want a quicker and more modern-feeling machine, then the TVS Apache RTX 300 is a great option to consider. The RTX has a tractable engine but its smaller motor cannot be lugged around in higher gears like the Classic's engine can. However, the Apache has a much higher performance ceiling and a lot of electronic features (including a bidirectional quickshifter, from the Top variant onwards) if that sounds appealing to you.You should also consider the Hero Xpulse 210 because this bike has lovely suspension and upright, commanding ergonomics - both great attributes to tackle Mumbai's largely subpar roads. The Xpulse will be slower than the RTX but quicker than the air-cooled 350s and you can expect it to be the most fuel efficient of the lot, when ridden sensibly. A test ride of these bikes should help you decide which is the best fit for you.

Autocar India

•2d

The Royal Enfield Guerrilla comes with a 452cc engine, whereas the Triumph Scrambler 400 X now comes with a 349cc engine so its no surprise that the Triumph didn't feel as sprightly in comparison. However, for your usage, should you be willing to sacrifice some pep, the 350cc Scrambler 400 X is actually a great all-rounder. Especially since you're a novice and want to get into off-roading. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 is a great bike but we'd advise you to not consider this bike, at least not if you plan to start your off-roading journey with it. At 196kg, the Himalayan is a heavy machine and with its fuel tank full, it also feels rather top heavy, which could get challenging for a beginner to manage at crawling off-road speeds. However, for city commuting and highway journeys, this Royal Enfield bike will be quite nice - its only off-roading where its weight will be a serious deterrent.The 350cc KTM 390 Adventure would be a good middle-ground option between the two aforementioned bikes - in theory, at least. Its lighter than the Himalayan and has more power than the Scrambler. A test ride should shed more light on whether this KTM bike is the one for you. Since you said you're looking to get into off-road riding, we'd be remiss if we didn't recommend the Hero Xpulse 210 to you. Now, the Xpulse is definitely a smaller and slower machine than all the machines listed above but if you genuinely want to hone your craft and get better at off-road riding, there's genuinely no better place to start than here. City commuting is another strength of the Xpulse, although on the highway, its engine feels a little stressed post 100kph. If you don't mind compromising on outright performance on the highway, then the Xpulse will be a good option for you. Some other benefits of choosing the Xpulse would be that it returns excellent fuel economy - much higher than all other options - and it costs much less to buy too.You need to evaluate your priorities and make an informed decision after test riding all three bikes. Best of luck!

Autocar India

•1d

In the relaxed neo-retro space, you've already ridden the TVS Ronin and the Honda CB350 H'ness, that are two of the best bikes available in the class. We would also recommend you look at the Royal Enfield Bullet / Classic 350 because these bikes still remain the benchmark in the class, in our opinion. Especially since you've mentioned you're a heavier person and carry a pillion regularly. The Classic and Bullet both have lovely seating comfort, sorted suspension and neutral ergonomics. Pair that to a torque-rich engine and lovely fit and finish and you have a concoction that's hard to top - unless you're looking for more performance, that is. In that case, the 350cc Triumph Speed T4 makes a good case for itself although do bear in mind, it isn't as large a machine as the Honda bike or Royal Enfield 350s and could feel cramped for a larger rider as well as pillion. If you're open to considering ADVs, the Hero Xpulse 210 makes a compelling case for itself and will offer you more comfort and fuel economy than any of the machines listed above. Take a test ride of these bikes and compare them with your notes of previous test rides to see which one you like best before you make a decision.

Autocar India

•1d

From the options you've shortlisted, the Hero Xpulse 210 will be the most comfortable as well as the most fuel-efficient. Its long travel suspension can gobble up pretty much anything our roads will throw your way while keeping you comfortable.However, if you want a neo-retro machine that's easier on your eyes but don't want to sacrifice comfort, then the Honda CB350 models and the Royal Enfield Bullet / Classic 350 are your best bets. These 350s are spacious and offer good ride comfort, which helps on Mumbai’s notoriously bumpy roads.A test ride will help you decide which is the right fit for you.

Autocar India

•1w

Within your budget, depending on the type of bike you prefer, the Hero Xpulse 210, TVS Ronin, Royal Enfield Hunter 350, Bajaj Pulsar N250 and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V are good options to consider. If you want a good all-rounder street naked, then the Apache and Pulsar are the way to go. Expect good fuel efficiency and and handling but the pillion comfort will only be good for short distances. If you'd like a neo-retro machine, the TVS Ronin, Royal Enfield Hunter 350 and base variants of the Bullet 350 (with a rear drum brake and single-channel ABS) are available within your budget. Pillion comfort will be best on the Ronin and Bullet, and all three will happily go touring as long as you stay below 100kph. These bikes will be fun to ride but in a different way than a sporty machine, if that's your cup of tea, then you should proceed with these. Last but not least, the Xpulse 210 is a wonderful do-it-all motorcycle on a tight budget; although if you are of short stature, its tall seat will be something to consider. Take a test ride of all these machines before you make up your mind. And before you do that, evaluate which sort of bike is best suited for you.

Autocar India

•10w

The two frontrunners in the ADV space within your budget would be the TVS Apache RTX 300 and Hero Xpulse 210. The Xpulse will be the more city-friendly machine compared to the RTX because it is lighter and not as physically large a machine. It will also return noticeably better fuel economy, and if that's important to you, then it becomes the clear pick. The RTX does have better seating comfort, although in isolation, the Xpulse is good too. A test ride of these two will help you decide which is the better machine for you.

Autocar India

•10w

Since you aren't familiar with the clutch/gear shift coordination that a motorcycle will demand. We would recommend you first learn these basics under the guidance of a professional or a trusted relative/friend. The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 may seem like a small machine, but it can comfortably accommodate larger riders without a hassle. Coming to the Xpulse 210, this is a lighter and taller machine than the Hunter and will also have a very different riding experience. The Honda SP125 will undoubtedly give you excellent fuel economy, but it can't compete with the Hunter and Xpulse in terms of performance or road presence. We'd recommend a test ride of all three before you make your purchase, as that will help you make an informed decision. However, if you think that riding a motorcycle is too complicated, and you want to stick with a scooter. It makes sense to go with proven options in the ICE and EV segments like TVS Jupiter, Honda Activa, Suzuki Access and TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Ather Rizta and Vida VX2, respectively.

Autocar India

•10w

Both the Hero Xpulse 210 and TVS Apache RTX 300 are both good bikes for tackling bad roads, but when it comes to off-road riding, the Xpulse is clearly more capable. It has longer travel suspension and wire-spoke rims, both making it better suited for the job. It is also the lighter and narrower of the two machines and has minimalist bodywork. It will be helpful in the inevitable case of a tipover because neither the bike nor your wallet will sustain too much damage.

Autocar India

•11w

In your budget, you will be able to get both the Hero Xpulse 200 4V and the newer Xpulse 210. In our experience, the 210 is a more modern and capable machine than the 200, with much better road manners, which will be helpful for your usage, which is mostly in the city.Take a test ride of both to see which bike you prefer.

Autocar India

•12w

Since you have mentioned that this will be your first bike and you'll be spending most of your time within the city, the TVS Apache RTX 300 isn't the ideal candidate for you. It is quite a tall and substantial motorcycle with decently punchy performance too and wouldn't be the most welcoming machine inside the tight confines of a big city, especially so for a new rider.If you are in the market for an ADV, we'd instead recommend the Hero Xpulse 210, which will be lighter, more manageable and friendlier for a newbie to motorcycles.If you decide you want something sporty, then the KTM 250 Duke would be a great option to start with. It has energetic yet friendly performance, great handling and features and will also be decently fuel efficient when ridden sensibly.Take a test ride of these bikes to see which one suits your riding style best and feels the most comfortable.