Absolutely worth the premium!

The Hero Impulse was in a massive need for power and the 223cc engine from the Karizma just adds lots of it to the bike which is now more fun to ride, writes Indian motoring website MotorBeam.

Hero MotoCorp made a bold move by launching the Impulse in India back in 2011, but the country's first transroader was still a tad bit early for the market. However, for those who did like the practical ergonomics and off-road capabilities of the bike, the inferior 150cc engine turned out to be a bummer, weakening its prospects further. Over the years, the Impulse faded into oblivion and Hero didn't seem to care much. However its dealer, Fortpoint thought otherwise and updated the bike with a 223cc engine from the Karizma, solving its power issues.

MotorBeam took a test ride of this one-off Impulse, playing around with it on the streets of Mumbai as well as the highways while going off the tarmac as well. How does it fair? Read on to find out.

Fortpoint has made no changes to the styling of the Hero Impulse, which continues with the stock setup including the long travel front forks, raised front mudguard, small headlamp, slender fuel tank along with the LED tail light.

That said, the powerful engine looks beefier and compliments the bike rather well. The dealership though has made two major changes on the Impulse which include the new tail tidy that is now shorter and compliments the rear tyre for a good look while the stock exhaust unit has been replaced in favour of a custom made one that seems to have taken inspiration from the MX exhaust.

Much like the styling, the instrument cluster and switchgear come from the stock Hero Impulse. The bike gets a semi-digital instrument console with an analog tachometer redlining at 10,000 RPM while the digital display with an amber backlight shows the speed, odo reading, two trip meters and also the service due indicator message.

The switchgear quality is decent, but nothing to talk home about and does the job reasonably well. Given the fact that the Impulse is essentially a rebadged Honda NXR Bros (sold in Brazil), the bike misses out on an engine kill switch.

Made for on and off-road applications, the Impulse is bestowed with an impressive ground clearance which results in a higher seat height and can be a cause of bother for short riders. The seating position is upright with the foot pegs set a tad bit forward.

The seat is really long on the Impulse and even extends above the fuel tank making it comfortable. But being a slim unit, thigh support isn't the best on offer.

Nonetheless, riders will find it comfortable even on long distances and the seat also accommodates the pillion with comfort.

Despite being an excellent bike in its stock guise, the Hero Impulse came with an underpowered 150cc engine that churned out just 13 BHP and 13 Nm of torque. The puny power figures left a lot to be desired on the transroader and this is where Fortpoint stepped in.

The dealer upgraded 223cc single-cylinder unit produces a healthy 6 BHP more power at 19 BHP and 19.2 Nm of torque. The added power is immediately felt and the bike is a lot quicker in acceleration.

The mid-range is extremely potent and power delivery is linear throughout the rev range. In terms of figures, the Impulse 223 does 0-60 km/hr in 4.5 seconds and 0-100 km/hr in 15.46 seconds (as per VBOX tests), while we achieved a top speed of 117 km/hr.

The custom exhaust is quite loud and attention seeking. Coming to the issues, the vibrations are on the harsher side as the revs increase and the NVH levels aren't the best either. The 223cc motor does heat up quickly while a cover on the exhaust would have been appreciated.

The Hero Impulse is equipped with an able chassis which takes the bump in power easily and provides ample stability. The on-road dynamics on the bike are a point of concern as going through corners, pinning through traffic and braking hard takes a lot of effort due to the added punch.

The knobby tyres do offer grip but also provide a lot of drag on the tarmac. However, take the Impulse 223 off-road and it quickly changes character riding like a gem. The bike just glides over corners and exits while the front wheel is prone to lift off courtesy of the added power.

The CEAT rubber is brilliant and provides lots of grip even in the complicated off-roading conditions.

The Impulse could have been the start of an all-new segment in the motorcycle space but was led down by a couple of reasons with power being a dominant one. Fortpoint has turned that very weakness into its biggest strength as the modification brings in more power and better performance.

The 223cc Impulse is quick even at low revs and gets punchier as you twist the throttle. The chassis too handles the larger motor quite nicely. Fortpoint is charging Rs 30,000 over the price of the stock Impulse to get the engine swap done, and it is absolutely worth the premium. Moreover, the dealership also provides a 5 year warranty on the engine, thereby lending the needed peace of mind to the buyer.