Hero Xtreme 160R: The Hero Xtreme 160R marks Hero MotoCorp’s attempt at a striking 160cc streetfighter—a space that has already witnessed a lot of heat from motorcycles like the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, Bajaj Pulsar N160 and even the Honda Unicorn.
Instead of being a me-too kind of a product, the Xtreme 160R has a character and personality of its own, with a unique look, good city performance, and a lighter weight which gives it exceptional handling.
Aimed at new, sporting young city riders, this machine strikes a delicate balance between performance, practicality and style and is hardly lacking in appeal in its category.Helpers.
Hero Xtreme 160R Styling That Turns Heads
From the very first glance, the Hero Xtreme 160R feels new and sporty. It delivers aggressive streetfighter styling, and features a razor-sharp fuel tank, lightweight frame, short tail and features its own light, nimble and modern look.
The premium looking LED indicators and LED tail lamp are a rare feature in a bike at this price point.
The split seat model in particular stands out, and while the single seat version cuts a cleaner, more commuter-style look.
Colour schemes with a mix of matte and gloss ensure the Xtreme160R looks distinctive in traffic – without having to try too hard.
Form and Function in the City
The Xtreme 160R is powered by a 163cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine which produces 15.2 bhp of power at 8500 rpm and 14 Nm of torque at 6500 rpm.
Mated to a 5 speed transmission, the engine is more on the responsive side rather than being focussed towards the top speed.
The quick throttle response and low kerb weight of 139.5 kg is what makes this bike fun to ride in the city. This makes it eminently flickable and quite nifty in traffic.
The power delivery is silky, particularly in the low and mid range where urban riders tend to be spending most of their time.
It’s no high-speed tourer but through the midrange the engine felt smooth and torquey enough for the kind of commuting, weekend rides and on-the-throttle overtakes that it will mostly be used for.
Ride and Handling
The Xtreme 160R’s stand-out feature is easily its handling. The diamond type frame, telescopic 37mm front forks, and a 7-step adjustable mono-shock at the rear end allow it to handle well on the road.
Whether you’re cutting through tight corners or rough city roads, the bike is planted and confidence inspiring.
Seat height is a rider-friendly 790mm, so it’s inviting to an even broader spectrum.
The sporty but comfortable upright position and rearward-position footpegs are a compromise between comfort and sport.
Friction from the disc brakes is very engaging and the combination of 276mm in front and 220mm at the rear has single-channel ABS as standard. There’s plenty of bite and the feel is progressive, which only adds to the fun of riding.
Features and Tech
Hero has not skimped on any features. The Xtreme 160R is provided with a fully digital LCD instrument cluster which shows speed plus trip meter, gear position indicator, among others, along with a side-stand engine cut-off feature.
Other handy additions are auto sail technology, engine kill switch and hazard lights which increase everyday ease of use and safety.
Though it doesn’t have Bluetooth compatibility like a few competitors, but what it does have is useful and rider-oriented.
Pros
Sharp and modern styling
It’s light and really maneuverable.
Immediate pick-up in city appications
Along with LED lights and full digital console
Great value for money
Cons
No built-in Bluetooth and no turn by turn navigation
The engine appear to struggle at higher rpm’s
Minor buzzing at the top end
Only single-channel ABS
Comfort for touring will be limited by the size of the bike
Hero Xtreme 160R Verdict
The Hero Xtreme 160R is a well rounded streetfighter that scores high on design, city performance and nimble handling.
It doesn’t purport to be the fastest or most feature-laden model in its class, but it gets the basics of an everyday motorcycle right — reliability, maneu verability and economic usage.
So, for those on the lookout for such a motorcycle in the city, which looks sporty, rides well, and isn’t too hard on the wallet the Xtreme 160R is a serious option to consider.