Hero Xtreme 200S 4V: The True Jack of All Trades in Its Price Bracket – Rs. 1.3 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakh
Faired Machines have always had a greater emotional connect with motorcyclists than naked ones. Fairing lends manufacturers more opportunity to showcase design prowess and depths of their design team’s imagination in attracting buyers. In India, there are multiple faired motorcycles at Rs. 1.3 lakh to Rs. 1.5 lakh (ex-sh) price point.
Newest of this bunch is Hero Xtreme 200S 4V, which costs Rs. 1.41 lakh (ex-sh). Hero recently pulled the plug on older Xtreme 200S 2V model. Making newer 4V model, the only faired machine in its portfolio. But how does this faired motorcycle fare against other faired motorcycles in a similar price bracket? Let’s take a look.
Hero Xtreme 200S 4V
Most motorcycles in this list are semi-faired. Only Xtreme 200S 4V and Gixxer SF 150 sport full-fairing. You must be wondering what Honda CB200X is doing in this list. Because it is a faux ADV without any off-road prowess, it is basically a semi-faired motorcycle. Looks are subjective. If you ask me, CB200X is by far the most appealing.
In terms of displacement, Bajaj Pulsar F250 has the biggest engine. Unsurprisingly, it is the most powerful potent too with 24.2 bhp and 21.5 Nm. Gixxer has the smallest engine and offers lowest numbers. In terms of engine configs, all of these boast a single overhead cam and only Xtreme 200S 4V has a 4V head.
It is surprising that Bajaj offers a 4V head with much older and smaller NS160, but newer N160 and bigger F250/N250 miss out on it. All motorcycles have a 5-speed gearbox. After discontinuation of Suzuki GS 150R, this price segment has never seen a 6-speed gearbox.
Pulsar 220 is the oldest here and it shows with a double cradle chassis, twin rear shock absorbers and skinny tyres. Bajaj has a tubular chassis with F250 and all the other motorcycles in this comparo have a diamond frame. CB200X has fattest tyre combination among this bunch and has longest wheelbase too. Also, it is the only one with USD front telescopic forks.
Bang for the Buck: Which is the most feature-loaded?
Ground clearance is highest with CB200X, but by 2mm only. In this comparison, only the Pulsar F250 has dual-channel ABS. It has largest front disc too, while Gixxer SF 150 has largest rear disc. Flash value is highest with Honda CB200X as it has attractive golden USD front forks, all LED lighting and more.
CB200X’s LED turn indicators are not conventional. Instead, they are inside its knuckle guards, which is a nice touch. Pulsar F250 offers LED indicators too and is the only one to have LED projector headlight. Pulsar 220 has projector setup too, with halogen bulbs, though. Only the Xtreme 200S 4V and Gixxer SF 150 have Bluetooth connectivity with smartphone integration.
This allows notification alert, turn-by-turn navigation and more. Weirdly, Hero doesn’t offer its optional Hero Connect telematics solution with Xtreme 200S 4V. Even the Pleasure+ scooter gets this add-on for Rs. 4,999. Also, none of these motorcycles get ride modes. If there was a TVS offering with full-fairing in this price bracket, it would definitely get ride modes.
Sadly, that is not the case. Pricing-wise, Gixxer SF 150 starts from Rs. 1.35 lakh. But goes till Rs. 1.46 lakh if you want Bluetooth connectivity and fancy colours. Pulsar 220 costs Rs. 1.38 lakh and Xtreme 200S 4V commands Rs. 1.41 lakh and seems to be the jack of all trades considering pricing, features, and equipment. (All prices ex-sh).
That said, Pulsar F250 is the best bet for performance-conscious buyers and is worth the additional Rs. 8,000 over Xtreme 200S 4V. If looks and design outweighs performance for you, Honda CB200X makes a lot of sense as it is the flashiest of this bunch.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
