With the launch of Xtreme 250R, Hero MotoCorp has now entered the big boy league. We say this because Hero has had in-house developed motorcycles in the 200cc to 225cc displacement, but they didn’t put out massive performance metrics like Xtreme 250R is. This calls for a comparison between other popular quarter litre motorcycles on sale in India. Let’s see how Xtreme 250R fares.
Hero Xtreme 250R Vs Rivals
Before starting this comparison, we have to get pricing out of the way because it is a key differentiating factor for buyers in this displacement class. Priced at Rs 1.8 lakh (Ex-sh), Hero Xtreme 250R is not as affordable as the expectations were. However, it still undercuts immediate rivals like Bajaj Dominar 250, KTM 250 Duke, Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 and Suzuki Gixxer 250.
Bajaj Pulsar N250 is still the most affordable, but is of a lower performance tier than the other 250cc bikes on this list. The most expensive one here, is KTM 250 Duke at Rs 2.45 lakh (Ex-sh). Unlike a few premium Hero motorcycles of the past (Xtreme 200S, Xpulse 200T), Xtreme 250R is desirable. This is quite a feat for Hero and Xtreme 250R might very well be the most handsome motorcycle. Especially in the Red shade.
All motorcycles here displace around 250cc and are single-cylinder in their architecture. Except for the Pulsar and Gixxer all other motorcycles have a DOHC head with 4V/cyl layout along with liquid cooling. Only the Pulsar N250 is mated to a 5-speed gearbox and others all get a 6-speed gearbox as standard. KTM is the only one with a quickshifter as standard, if you’re into that.
Performance & Weight
Vitpilen 250 and 250 Duke are the most powerful at around 30.6 bhp of peak power, but Xtreme 250R is not far off at 29.6 bhp. Where torque is concerned, Xtreme, Duke and Vitpilen boast 25 Nm. In terms of equipment, Pulsar N250 is at the bottom and is priced accordingly. However, Suzuki Gixxer 250 is also on the lower end, but is not priced accordingly.
Dominar 250 feels the oldest and the most out-of-date. Bajaj might bring in some fresh breath of air with similar updates we saw with 2025 Dominar 400. Dominar is the heaviest at 180 kg and has the longest wheelbase at 1,453 mm. Ground clearance is the highest with Duke and lowest with Vitpilen, where Xtreme is at a decent middle ground. Xtreme has manageable seat height, unlike Vitpilen which has a 835mm seat height.
Which is most feature-rich?
That said, Vitpilen is the lightest at just 152 kg and the small 9.5L fuel tank might be a contributing factor here. Duke has the biggest fuel tank here, despite Dominar’s touring angle. It is Dominar that has the skinniest tyres with 130-section rear tyre whereas Pulsar N250 gets a 140-section and rest get 150-section. All contenders get single disc brakes at both ends, coupled with Dual-Channel ABS.
Only the Gixxer 250 gets RSU telescopic front forks, while others offer USD forks. Pulsar and Dominar gets the 37mm USD forks, whereas Duke, Vitpilen and Xtreme get fatter 43mm forks. Mono-shock rear suspension is standard across the range. Hero is offering projector headlights on Xtreme 250R along with LED tail lights and LED turn indicators. It also has a fully digital instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity along with eSIM based connection and turn-by-turn navigation. Dominar is the only one without connectivity.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
