Ever since the Xpulse 210 was launched, I was fascinated by the balance it strikes between a dual-sport motorcycle and an adventure tourer. With its slim midsection, 21-inch front wheel, long-travel suspension and commanding riding position, it seemed like the ideal companion for our less-than-perfect roads. After spending over two months with the bike, I can confidently say it has lived up to those expectations. The odometer has now crossed the 5,600km mark, and the Xpulse continues to reinforce why it’s such a unique proposition.
There really isn’t another motorcycle at this price point that offers the same blend of everyday usability, touring ability and genuine off-road capability. Spend another Rs 30,000-40,000, and you’ll find yourself looking at the TVS Apache RTX, which is a more touring-oriented adventure motorcycle. The Hero, meanwhile, stays true to its dual-sport roots, making it just as happy on broken roads and dirt trails as it is on the highway.
The suspension remains the bike’s standout feature. Mumbai’s cratered roads barely faze it, and the confidence to ride over almost anything without slowing to a crawl is what makes the Xpulse so easy to live with. It opens up new roads within the city that you earlier avoided. The high-mounted LED headlight and sculpted tank flowing into the relatively low seat give it a distinctive, imposing stance. Living with it hasn’t been entirely perfect. The Xpulse has a pronounced lean on its side stand, and the soft suspension causes the bike to settle and readjust as you get off, making parking feel less reassuring than it actually is.
The lack of a tubeless tyre option is another compromise. While tubed tyres make sense on a motorcycle designed to venture off-road, they can be a real inconvenience in everyday use. I learnt that the hard way when both the front and rear tyres punctured on the same day. Between pushing the bike to puncture shops, removing the wheels and getting everything back together, I lost well over three hours.
The brakes, too, continue to disappoint. We’d previously complained about the lack of bite and feel, and although the service centre bled the brakes and confirmed the pads didn’t require replacement, the improvement was only marginal. During the same visit, we also queried about the amount of heat being thrown onto the rider’s left leg was normal, but didn’t receive a satisfactory explanation.
As a motorcycle retailed through Hero’s premium Premia dealership network, the overall service experience and ambience still have plenty of headroom for improvement. Although the service cost was quite reasonable at Rs 2,214, of which, Rs 1,300 went towards oil, Rs 145 for the air filter and Rs 649 for the service charge.
Despite those shortcomings, the Xpulse 210 remains one of the easiest motorcycles to recommend. Few bikes at this price blend commuting fun, decent touring capability and genuine off-road chops as convincingly, and even after 5,500km, we all still find ourselves reaching for its keys.
