Hero Xtreme Sports First Ride Review

How does it ride?

Our country’s roads have a notorious reputation for destroying many bikes, especially in the rural areas, but guess what? The Hero Xtreme Sports tackles all that effortlessly. The suspension setup is on the softer side and is perfect for the city dash. Even for long rides, it will support you well.

The only thing that I found irksome was the vibrations from the upgraded 149cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine. We usually expect vibrations at higher revs, but in case of the Xtreme Sports, it starts at idling and stays all the way till the 11,000rpm. Vibrations could be felt on the handlebar, fuel tank and also foot pegs and foot brake.

The power figure on this bike has been bumped up to 15.6bhp, and it comes with linear power delivery. The low-end torque is quite impressive as the 147kg bike managed to travel well for long distances with a 100kg rider. The five-speed gearbox, however, behaves quite oddly and is not very smooth (say, like the Honda CB Unicorn 160). You will feel comfortable behind the wide clip-on handlebar if you are riding straight or are in touring mode. But try pushing the bike in the corners and the MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres will disappoint you as it doesn’t offer good grip especially in wet conditions. The riding position of the Xtreme Sports is good, but I somehow found the rider footpegs to be oddly placed. It should have been slightly rear set.

Seating comfort is one of the best in the segment, thanks to the brilliant cushioning. Even the braking of this bike is excellent as it has good bite and feedback. All these aspects together make the Hero Xtreme Sports a decent commuter motorcycle.

Anything else I should know?

Though this motorcycle is based on the Xtreme platform, it does not come across as a cheap makeover. The overall styling of the bike is quite fresh for a Hero product but not enough to draw in the youth. The instrument cluster is nice with its big round tachometer and LCD display area. However, one letdown could be the blue backlight which only hinders your vision rather than helping. If you are someone who likes perfection, then you won’t be pleased with the analog fuel indicator either. It doesn’t indicate real-time fuel level, rather it updates the fuel level at every 1/4th occurrence, which I found to be a waste.

I would say the same for the ignition keyhole. It is placed on the right side headlamp assembly and not below the instrument cluster, which is quite quirky. Firstly, it’s a tedious task to access the keyhole at night (and even in daylight). It gets equally difficult to switch off the bike, especially when the Xtreme Sports doesn’t get a kill switch. So stalling the bike or stretching your arm all the time is the only two options to switch off the motorcycle. But the bike has it positives as well. The quality of switch gears is top notch and is easily one of the best in the segment. You also get a side stand indicator, which is quite useful.

Why should I buy one?

You should buy the Hero Xtreme Sports if you trust the Hero brand. It is a decent sporty-looking motorcycle apt for everyday riding. Long rides will be smoothly undertaken and in case of any breakdown, the service centre will be just a few kilometres away.

If you were to ask me would I buy the Hero Xtreme Sports? My answer would be – No. I would rather prefer the Suzuki Gixxer which, apart from being a great bike comes Rs 3,500 cheaper. Also, I am looking for a certain level of engine refinement, which the Sports is unable to give me.

Where does it fit in?

The Xtreme Sports looks more like a confused attempt by Hero MotoCorp to make a mark in the 150cc segment. I say confused because the Xtreme is priced just Rs 700 cheaper than this version, which doesn’t really make sense. It will if Hero discontinues the Xtreme in future.

Technically, the Xtreme Sports competes with the Bajaj Pulsar 150, Suzuki Gixxer and TVS Apache RTR 160. All of them are cheaper than the Xtreme Sports and few of them have even taken on a much sportier appearance through constant updates. This makes the Hero Xtreme Sports a very difficult buying proposition. Hero MotoCorp could and should do much better in this segment. Take some more time, I say.

Where does it fit in?

The Xtreme Sports looks more like a confused attempt by Hero MotoCorp to make a mark in the 150cc segment. I say confused because the Xtreme is priced just Rs 700 cheaper than this version, which doesn’t really make sense. It will if Hero discontinues the Xtreme in future.

Technically, the Xtreme Sports competes with the Bajaj Pulsar 150, Suzuki Gixxer and TVS Apache RTR 160. All of them are cheaper than the Xtreme Sports and few of them have even taken on a much sportier appearance through constant updates. This makes the Hero Xtreme Sports a very difficult buying proposition. Hero MotoCorp could and should do much better in this segment. Take some more time, I say.