Hero Xtreme 160R 4V Long-Term Review – City Report

What We Liked

Seating Posture

The Hero Xtreme 160R 4V has a sporty appearance, which is balanced with practicality. The latter is further evident once you get on the saddle. Since the rear seat is slightly scooped, you tend to sit ‘in’ the bike rather than ‘on’ it. This not only makes it easy to put your feet on the ground but also enables a quite comfortable rider triangle. The setup leaves enough room for the rider to scoot back and forth if needed.

Moreover, with the handlebar towards the rider and the slightly rear-set footpegs, the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V offers a commanding and sporty riding posture. You have enough leverage on the handlebar and the legs, too, get adequate space.

Seat

One element that often goes unnoticed is the stock seat cushioning. Thankfully, the Xtreme gets a dense foam, which makes commuting quite comfortable. Even during rides of over 250km, the Xtreme’s seat saved my day and made it easy to stay on the saddle and cover the distance without taking too many breaks.

Handling

Another area where the Xtreme shone and left me impressed is its handling. One usually expects a commuter bike to be nimble and easy to manoeuvre, but what caught my attention, even more, was the calibre and stability with which it took corners. During the occasional ghat rides, we noticed how well the Xtreme 160R 4V holds its composure and responds to feedback from the handlebar.

As I mentioned before, there is enough space on its seat. So, you can slide back, grab the tank, and gently counter-steer while riding through the corners. Even at high speeds, the Xtreme holds its line confidently, be it a straight patch or a long flowing curve. This makes it fun to ride spiritedly and adds to the bike’s character.

Suspension

Another aspect that not only works well individually but also compliments the aforementioned bit is the suspension. Although the Xtreme 160R’s monoshock is set up slightly on the stiff side, it absorbs most of the jolts you would get while riding over rumblers, bridge joints, or pothole patches. If ridden at higher speeds, these are barely noticeable.

Brakes

This is an area that has left me with mixed opinions. Although the reliable brakes complement the Xtreme’s sporty character well, I felt it could do more with the initial bite. Stopping prowess is not a problem with this bike, but you have to be slightly more calculated and squeeze the brake lever way before the bike comes to a halt.

What We Disliked

Engine Character

While commuting in the city, the Hero Xtreme’s motor feels just fine and behaves like you would expect it to. It is tractable and lets you ride at slow speeds even in the second gear. Even until the 85-90kmph mark, the bike feels in its element and is fun to ride. But once you cross or even approach the three-digit territory, the engine feels crude and underpowered. While you can keep the throttle pinned and will see about 120kmph of top speed on the speedometer, the experience just isn’t enjoyable.

For a 160cc motorcycle, the Xtreme feels like it doesn’t have enough appetite to clock long distances at a go. And even if you do manage to, the speeds will have to be kept in check so the motor doesn’t feel like it's taking a beating.

Build Quality

Another area where Hero needs to improve the Xtreme 160R is its build quality. The black panel, which is on the right side, above the rider's footpeg, behind the engine has turned white. This means the paint has faded due to the heat. Then, the fuel tank too has a patch where the gloss finish has worn out. These bits are unexpected and denote a poor finishing.

The instrument cluster’s packing too needs betterment. We had the bike washed an evening before the shoot and even till the next day, there was enough moisture inside the screen, which means some of the readings were barely visible.

Instrument Cluster

Apart from the packing, the instrument cluster also needs more brightness. Under direct sunlight, the readings are barely visible and you would either need to bring your face very close to the screen or block the sunlight with your hand to gauge any of the readouts. This is distracting and irritating at times.

What's Next?

Well, we have done enough city riding, so naturally, the next course is to take the Xtreme 160R for weekend jaunts and clock about 350km in a day. This will give us a fair idea of its touring capabilities too.

Product details

Make: Hero MotoCorp

Model: Hero Xtreme 160R 4V Premium

Kilometres covered this month: 5,000km

Fuel efficiency: 40-48kmpl (Tested)

Photography by: Kaustubh Gandhi