Changes on the new Hero Xtreme 160R are likely to be USD front forks and Bluetooth connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation
India’s largest bikemaker, Hero MotoCorp is set to launch its updated Xtreme 160R USD fork variant on June 14th. This particular motorcycle rivals the likes of Bajaj Pulsar NS160, Pulsar N160, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and the likes.
As of now, Bajaj Pulsar NS160 is the only one to offer USD front forks. Hero is set to take on its rival by offering USD front forks for added agility and muscular stance. We expect other changes bundled as well. Pricing will see a hike with updated features, which Hero MotoCorp will announce on June 14th.
Hero Xtreme 160R USD Fork Version
As of now, Hero Xtreme 160R is not a high-seller for India’s highest-selling 2W brand. For instance, Xtreme 160R / Xtreme 200S sold a combined 105 units in March 2023. Hero’s own Xpulse 200, which is a more expensive motorcycle, sold 4,525 units in the same time period.
With heavy hitters like Apache RTR 160 4V, Pulsar NS160 and Pulsar N160 to compete, Hero is set to make it more feature rich. For starters, it will get USD (Up-Side Down) telescopic front forks as opposed to RSU (Right-Side Up) telescopic forks on the outgoing model. This lends a muscular appeal to the bike’s overall design.
Functionally, USD forks should enable sportier handling and a better front-end feel. We hope Hero MotoCorp adds Bluetooth functionality along with turn-by-turn navigation which is present on Xpulse 200 and Xtreme 200S. This will lend a tech-savvy appeal to Xtreme 160R that might work in its favour. It is highly unlikely that Hero will make any changes to its engine. Considering that Raider 125 gets oil cooling, we hope Hero adds oil-cooling setup on this engine to extract more oomph.
A feature-loaded 160cc motorcycle
Hero Xtreme 160R has quite a few features already. Some of them are LED headlights, LED tail lights, LED turn indicators, hazard light function, smoked effect tail light, a fully digital instrument cluster, knuckle guards and more. With USD telescopic front forks, updated instrument cluster with Bluetooth functionality, Xtreme 160R will make a stronger case in its segment.
The company will retain its 163cc single cylinder engine, generating 15 bhp of power and 14 Nm of torque. This engine features a 5-speed gearbox as well. Other componentry include mono-shock rear suspension, front and rear disc brakes (rear optional), single channel ABS, 17” alloy wheels, 100/80-17 front and 130-70-17 rear tyres and more.
With the new updates, there will be an increment in price tag. We expect a hike of around Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000. All these changes are likely to make it a more appealing motorcycle than before and help boost sales. For context, prices for Hero Xtreme 160R start from Rs. 1,18,886 (ex-sh).
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
