At Rs 80,000 (on-road,Pune), the bike is priced slightly lower than its carbureted competitors like the Pulsar AS150 and Suzuki Gixxer. But when it comes to styling, overall refinement and dynamics, the Xtreme Sports has a lot of catching up to do, says Narendra Sharma
Hero Motocorp has been doing pretty well commercially even after their split with Honda. They also have been upgrading their motocycles and the Xtreme Sports is also an upgrade to the Hero Xtreme. We spend some time exploring this 150cc motorcycle to see how it fits in the segment.
The Hero Xtreme Sports is an upgrade over the Xtreme however it uses some parts from the earlier CBZ Xtreme like the tank, split seats, the two piece grab rails and the engine cowl. Even the instrument cluster is the same. The bike features a LED pilot looks good and it sports a sharper blackened windscreen too. The fuel tank is same as the Xtreme but gets fenders that enhance its appeal.
Once you sit on the bike, you realise that it feels tall, which is not necessarily due to the height of the bike, but due to the wide seat. Short riders may find it uneasy. In fact, the seat is awkward and it does not allow one to grip the tank with the knees either. The ergonomics on the bike are also not exactly one that would be desired.
The handlebar position is a bit low due to the clip-ons while the footpegs are not pushed back. This results in a sort of a confused riding position, that of a commuter bike trying to add a sporty stance. The riding position does feel awkward at first, however you get used to it after riding for some time.
Another flaw that is apparent is the placement of the ignition switch. In the strangest position one could think of, it is placed on the right hand side of the bikini fairing. Sitting on the bike it is impossible to see the location of the keyslot and one has to lean sideways and play blind man's buff to locate the spot. Even more annoying is the absence of an engine kill switch, which makes switching the ignition on/off at traffic signals a real chore.
Awkwardly placed ignition switch
No engine kill switch
The Hero Xtreme Sports has a 149.2cc, air-cooled single cylinder engine that delivers 15.6bhp at 8,500rpm and 13.5Nm torque at 7,000rpm. This makes it around 1bhp more powerful than the Hero Xtreme. The power figures place the new Hero Xtreme Sports among the highest powered 150cc motorcycles in the country.
Coming to the performance, the acceleration is quite brisk and the engine is eager to gain speed. It is a significantly refined motor and displays a lot of Honda characteristics as well. However, it still lacks the refinement of its rivals.
The engine has a decent bottom end and mid-range performance and helps in city riding but gets strained at higher end. Clutch is not the best and the five-speed gearbox is also notchy. The bike feels heavy at 147kgs and we feel it should have been lighter as it is is difficult to manoeuvre it without putting extra effort. Overall fuel efficiency achieved was 48-50 km/l.
Ride and handling on the Xtreme Sports is fine. The bike rides on telescopic front forks and adjustable gas charged twin shock absorbers at the rear which absorb road undulations quite well. Handling dynamics are also nothing to complain about. But the bike feels better in a straight line than curves and corners.
The braking performance is impressive and the bike is equipped with disc brakes on both the wheels that have a good bite too. While the riding position may feel odd, pillion comfort is good and the seat is well cushioned, offering ample support while the grab handle is easy to hold.
The Hero Xtreme Sports tries to be an improvement over earlier models but falls short in several areas. While the engine performance is good, other things like ergonomics and repeat styling dampens the differentiation of the motorcycle. At Rs 80,000 (on-road,Pune), the bike is priced slightly lower than its carbureted competitors like the Pulsar AS150 and Suzuki Gixxer. But when it comes to styling, overall refinement and dynamics, the Xtreme Sports has a lot of catching up to do.
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