I rode the bike for almost 600 kilometres and now seems like a good time to post my review.
BHPian amyntor recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Purchase experience:
This has nothing to do with Hero unfortunately. My original plan was to get a big bike for long distance touring, with my eyes set on the 2025 Transalp. However, I decided to improve my offroading skills and hold off on the big bike idea until next year.
Then I started hunting for a pre-owned Xpulse 200 4V and 200 Pro on Olx. One thing led to another and I finally landed on this less than 3 month old (at the time of my purchase) and 3700 kilometre run Xpulse 210. I couldn’t say no to the price on offer.
Build quality and looks:
Fairly high coming from Hero. Good paint quality and fitment of parts. The only minor oddity I noticed is a small part of paint bleed on the side panel. However, it’s on both the sides – leading me to believe that it’s intentional(?).
It’s also quite an eye turner on the road.
Performance:
When I test rode the Xpulse 200 4V back in 2023, I remember feeling underwhelmed by its performance. But in comparison, the 210 is much better. It’s quick to accelerate and can hold its speed well.
I miss my 2024 KTM 390 Duke’s manic acceleration and power on tap when I ride the Xpulse on tarmac but it redeems itself off the road.
Coming to the big question, can it hold 100 kmph on the highway? Yes, it can provided that you are riding solo. But when overtaking another vehicle from that speed, you will need some planning. 100 kmph comes at 7k RPM in 6th gear, which is when a small buzz starts in the handlebar and spreads to the footpegs. Suprisingly, the buzz reduces at 110 kmph.
Switching from the stock 46 teeth rear sprocket to a 40 teeth sprocket apparently helped this YouTuber. He claims that 100 kmph comes at 6.3k RPM after this mod. For your reference, XMR 210 has a 42 teeth rear sprocket.
Are you looking to tour at 100 kmph all day with a pillion and some luggage thrown in? Look somewhere else. That speed and weight combo will make the engine sound stressed.
Suspension:
Thoroughly impressive! It glides through all the bad patches and broken roads. I don’t slow down when approaching speed breakers or potholes anymore.
I also rode on some not so hard trails today, standing on the pegs almost 90% of the way. So comfortable and confidence inspiring for a newbie like me. I just wish that the forks were slightly stiffer because the front dives in quite a bit under medium/hard braking.
Other mechanical parts:
The brakes work as you would expect. No surprises there and nothing to write home about.
Light clutch. Almost as light, if not lighter than my Duke’s.
As you already know, no tubeless wheels. So, wish me luck in my journey to learn how to fix punctures.
Display and electronics:
Another positive thing about the bike is its colourful TFT display. It has matte finish and is clearly legible thanks to its minimal design. There are no funky or loud colours anywhere that try to grab any unwanted attention.
Switching riding modes can be done on the fly by pressing and holding the down button for 5 seconds.
I couldn’t care less about bluetooth, calls, and turn by turn navigation as I don’t listen to music or answer calls when I’m riding and I don’t plan to tour on this bike.
Vibrations and noise:
The bike is extremely smooth until 7k RPM. No hint of buzz or vibrations at all! It is that good. No weird noises from the engine either. The exhaust note is another good thing about the bike and makes the ride very engaging.
One thing that caught my ear was a strange sound that’s coming from the exhaust at a certain RPM. It sounds like you put some steel beads in a bowl and are shaking the bowl. I don’t know how else to describe it. This video has the same sound that I’m trying to describe:
I thought it could just be my bike but then I saw some videos of the exhaust note on YouTube and they all have it.
Service experience:
To be found out
Overall, I think this bike comes very close to being in a single bike garage if you need it for commuting, weekend rides (on and off road), and relaxed touring. But if you are already used to more powerful bikes, you will feel its lack of power on highways.
Will it make me sell my 390 Duke? I doubt it. On the contrary I might end up making room for one more bike, hopefully next year. But I have to come up with a better answer than “I just do” when my mum asks me why do I need so many bikes for someone who works from home in their underwear.
Signing off this post with some pictures.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
