Hero Xpulse 200T 4V review, road test

Having used it in and around Mumbai, where good roads are a rarer sight than a Rolls-Royce, the suspension was put through its paces and I’m quite pleased to report that save for the nastiest craters, the 200T shrugged off just about everything else thrown at it. The suspension (based on the erstwhile Xtreme 200R) is the same as before and it doesn’t have the long-travel figures of the regular Xpulse. Its rider triangle is nicely balanced and even after riding all day, I had no discomfort in any of my joints. What dissuades you from spending more than an hour on the bike is the seat, which gets uncomfortable quickly and has also proven too narrow for my XL-sized keister.

Having ridden our long-term Xpulse 200 and the 200T back-to-back enlightened me on just how much of a difference to lightness and agility a 17-inch wheel set-up can make. The 200T feels sublime in nearly every situation you put it in. Tackling the crowded “roads” of Mumbai or making its way down a twisty section of the road, this bike is, very simply put, effortless to ride.

Brakes are sharp although on Mumbai’s slippery roads, it’s very easy to lock up the rear wheel (compounded by the lack of a slipper clutch). The addition of dual-channel ABS would have been a welcome addition as well. But, the attractive price tag is one of many USPs here, which is why  Hero has stuck to a simpler single-channel system.