‘Why Udaipur of all places?’ I wondered when Hero MotoCorp’s invite came in for this ride. I absolutely love the city for its serene lakes, colourful market in the old part of the city and the palaces. But that’s no setting for the most performance-oriented motorcycles from the Indian two-wheeler marque, isn’t it? Maybe the Xtreme 250R isn’t that extreme, I thought. But little did I know of the surprises in store for me, both from the city and the motorcycle.
Not having much expectation from the route planned, I quickly snuck off to the closest lake — Fatehsagar. The sun had yet to unveil the grandeur of the lake, and the equally stunning motorcycle. Like midas’ touch, the daystar’s rays turned the water golden and stretched towards the Xtreme, revealing its beautiful curve. This was the first time I was seeing the bike without the usual spotlights — well, except for the one in the sky. From every angle it looked fast and like it meant business. The sharp headlight with its tastefully done and minimal DRLs, the muscular tank, stubby tail… everything was cohesive and had a flow to it. Heck, I didn’t mind the tank shrouds that resemble the ones on the BMW G 310 R. To my eyes, this was the best-looking Hero bike ever.
And it wasn’t just me, but almost every soul I came across at the lake. Joggers, tourists, police, locals… no one got enough of the Xtreme in one look. I didn’t mind going slow enough for them to admire the bike and the engine didn’t either. The 249.03cc liquid-cooled single-pot mill seemed super relaxed at city speeds. Keeping it in the fourth gear, I could easily navigate through the streets. But I had to leave the city to get to the destination marked by Hero, and I did so reluctantly.
Soon, the roads got narrower and bumpier. The 43-mm USD forks and monoshock were doing their job well for most part. It was only on big potholes or speed bumps that the rear felt a bit tossy. Thankfully, the effect of the quick rebound of the monoshock was toned down to an extent by the composure of the front suspension. For a bike intended for spirited riding, this one seemed to handle bad roads just fine. But I was yet to verify the ‘spirited riding’ bits, and the destination was still an hour away.
Thankfully, the monotony of that stretch was briefly broken by a short highway section. This is it, I thought; finally a chance to stretch the Xtreme’s legs… and mine, too. And as the tacho rainbow touched the 5000-rpm mark in the sixth cog, the vibrations peaked — handlebar, tank, seat, footpegs — everything was buzzing; and I was just at 80 kph. Is that it? That’s what Hero’s big talk was for? It was time to leave the national highway and take the ‘country road’. Thinking that’s what the bike’s good for, I crossed the first intersection on this road and it opened up to one of the most pristine stretches of tarmac I have experienced in this country.
Like a dog set free in a park after waiting in the house all day, I let loose… and so did the Xtreme. The LCD screen indicated that I blitzed from nought to 60 in 3.6 seconds and hit the 100 kph mark in about 8.7 seconds and soon I clocked a 153-kph top speed. And the engine seemed to not mind that ‘abuse’, at all. In fact, the vibrations subsided post 120 kph, but there was a slight buzz at the ’pegs and the handlebar, but come on, at those speeds, the mind had other things to focus on.
Which, at that point was an uphill which led to a tight right turn followed by a sweeping left-hander. As I tackled through the first curve, I realised that blindly trusting the front MRF Zapper-FX1 and the rear MRF Steel Brace X wasn’t a good idea; I could feel the rear grip fading mid corner, and chose not to push further. Going slower through the same set of corners wasn’t as scary, but not fun either.
What was fun though, was the bike’s ABS settings — Road and Race. With the latter, Hero claimed shorter stopping distances and stoppies, and of course it had to be tested. The brakes never let down, and provided ample stopping power and feedback. It was only the tyres that proved to be the Achilles heel of the Xtreme.
After a 200-km ride, the 11.5-litre fuel tank hit reserve, forcing me to return the bike. Throughout the day, not once did I find myself tired or cramped. There was enough distance between the seat and the footpegs, and the handlebar was just wide enough to put me in a commanding posture and give total control on the bike.
At ₹ 1.80 lakh, the Xtreme 250R packs all the right ingredients to make for an engaging ride. Okay, except for the tyres, but that’s an easy fix. But the kind of performance, handling and of course the styling that Hero has brought to the table with this bike is commendable. Now, only to wait for the Karizma XMR 250.
