Adventure motorcycles have been witnessing an ever-rising demand, not just in India but also globally. Yamaha recently gave Brazil a small ADV in the form of the Crosser 150 ABS. The overall theme of the motorcycle matches that of the Hero Xpulse 200 4V available in India. But which one of these is a better proposition on paper? Let's have a look.
Engine
Owing to the larger displacement, the Xpulse 200 4V clearly has an upper hand in this department. It’s powered by a 199.6cc, oil-cooled, four-valve engine that churns out 18.8bhp of power and 17.35Nm. Whereas, the Crosser runs on a more modest 149cc, air-cooled engine that makes 12.2bhp and 12.74Nm. Both these engines come mated to a five-speed gearbox. One unique trait of the Crosser is that it can run on petrol, ethanol or both while the Xpulse is compatible only with petrol.
Hardware
The Xpulse 200 4V is slightly better here as well. It rides on a larger 21-18-inch spoke wheel combination which should be more capable of handling tricky terrain than the Crosser’s 19-17-inch combo. Even the front and rear disc brake sizes are marginally bigger than the Yamaha’s. The suspension setup is quite similar comprising telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the rear.
Features
While the Crosser gets a conventional bulb-type headlamp and tail lamp, the Xpulse 200 gets a full-LED headlamp and tail lamp. Even the instrument cluster on the Xpulse is a more advanced fully-digital unit with Bluetooth connectivity. The Crosser, meanwhile, comes equipped with a more basic semi-digital console. For added convenience, Yamaha has integrated a height-adjustable handlebar in the Crosser, something that isn’t available in the Xpulse.
Pricing
Despite being better on almost all fronts, the Hero Xpulse 200 4V is more affordable at Rs 1.28 lakh. Whereas, Yamaha has pegged the Crosser 150 ABS S and Z variants at R$ 15,590 (roughly Rs 2.09 lakh) and R$ 15,790 (roughly Rs 2.12 lakh). While the Crosser is unlikely to come to India, we might see another small-size ADV from Yamaha in the future.
