Hero Xpulse 160 Spied For The First Time – Impulse Successor
New Hero Xpulse 160 Spied
When Hero and Honda parted ways, Impulse ADV was the first motorcycle from Hero MotoCorp. Impulse was way ahead of its time, but it was not well received by Indian audience owing to its smaller 150cc engine. However, the formula of an affordable off-roader evolved into Xpulse 200 and the recently launched and rather brilliant Xpulse 210 off-roader / tourer.
Now that Indian motorcycle buyers are more evolved and matured, Hero seems to be exploring a possibility to bring back a small capacity off-roader. Fueling these speculations, we have the first ever spy shots of a probable Hero Xpulse 160 with a smaller engine and more affordable components. Let’s take a closer look.
New Hero Xpulse 160 Design Compared With Xpulse 200
Hero Xpulse 160 Spied
In a rather interesting turn of events, Hero MotoCorp seems to be working on a new off-road motorcycle. We’re not talking about the ADV with a 440cc engine that has been spied testing before and definitely not the 250cc Xpulse that everyone is craving for. We are talking about a new Xpulse that packs a smaller engine than the current 210cc and 200cc units.
These recent spy shots show an air-cooled engine that looks different from the current air-cooled 200cc unit. It looks smaller in size and cross referencing it with Hero’s other powertrains, it looks sort of like the 163cc engine seen on Xtreme 160R. We hope it has the 4V version which is rated at 16.9 PS of peak power and 14.6 Nm of peak torque, mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
New Hero Xpulse 160 Design Compared With Xpulse 200
Other notable giveaways suggesting this is not the Xpulse 200 include the circular disc brakes as opposed to Xpulse 200’s petal discs. These also look a wee bit smaller in diameter. The radiator for Xpulse 200’s oil cooling and windshield are missing too. Another change is in its knuckle guards which are of old type that were hinged at the ends.
Same design retained?
Comparing these new spy shots with current Xpulse 200, we can see that Hero has carried over the design and body parts. This way, Hero is saving on development and production posts, achieving economies of scale. New Hero Xpulse 160 spied could be packing similar suspension along with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheel size combination as well.
New Hero Xpulse 160 Design Compared With Xpulse 200
Speaking of possibilities, Hero could position this motorcycle as Impulse successor and even name it accordingly. It will boast a more affordable price tag and be much lighter in weight than Xpulse 200’s 159 kg kerb weight for Base variant and 161 kg for Pro variant. It is likely to be advertised as an off-roader only, positioned below Xpulse 200 or probably even replace it. Xpulse 210 is more than capable if touring comfortably at triple digit speeds is what you need. More