Hero and their motorcycle range have been making waves in the South African motorcycle market since their arrival. These days it’s not unusual to see a pair of Xpulse 200 adventures on the back of a bakkie heading to some trails on a weekend or even the Uber Eats guy knocking at your door on an Eco 150. It’s clear to see that Hero South Africa have penetrated both the urban and small cc adventure market.
Now one of Hero’s most popular models has been their all roads Xpulse 200, surprising many riders with its all-round performance and frugality at the petrol pumps. It’s not unusual to see a dual sport or adventure bike do well in South Africa, however, with a lot of praise going towards the Xpulse we almost forget that the Xpulse has an on-road sibling called the Xpulse 200T.
Most of us South Africans own some form of off-road vehicle almost as a habit, with the idea of someday heading off-road for that family camping trip or dream 4×4 dirt holiday. Unfortunately, when money is tight you can’t afford to have a vehicle that complicates your daily needs in order to fulfil one’s wishes, only every blue moon. This is the decision we money-strapped and maybe more mindful daily commuters face when purchasing a daily ride. Now, this is when the Xpulse 200T comes into the equation.
This year sees the Xpulse 200T enter the urban sprawl with some refinements, making it a more attractive proposition in the commuter bike market. The T gets an improved neo-classic look thanks to its new liveries and offers riders neo amenities like LED lighting, single-channel ABS, USB charge station, LCD display (that has onboard navigation), fuel injection and now an oil cooler.
For me, it’s the small details that paint the picture in the 200T’s favour. Let me explain. The Xpulse comes standard with a fly screen, fork boots, crash bars, wavy discs, pillion grab handle, centre stand and Pirelli C.T tyres. These details don’t only put the Xpulse high on the shopping list, but reveal how Hero have made sure that the daily commuter is completely sort after.
The heart of the Xpulse is a newly updated 200cc single-cylinder fuel injection 2-valve motor, which has increased the performance from 13.5 kW to 14 kW and from 17 Nm to 17.8 Nm. These figures don’t sound like much but Hero has focused on making the motor smoother, more flexible in its power delivery and even more fuel efficient. What this translates to on the road is a torque-rich motor that likes to be short-shifted through its lower rpm range—you could chug along in 5th at 40 km/h if you really wanted to.
Once speeds start to climb the Xpulse sits most comfortably at around 100 km/h, without feeling in any way stressed. Compared to the predecessor the latest 200T is significantly less vibey than before, with rubber foot pegs and a softer seat adding to the overall comfort. With low city speeds ridden on the test, a commuter should see high 2s to low 3s when it comes to litres per kilometre and with a 13L tank that gives you plenty of commuting freedom.
When it comes to handling, the Xpulse 200T behaves really well on our slick city streets with a well-damped suspension. I honestly wasn’t expecting the 200T to handle much better than the Xpulse 200 Fi, but I was completely wrong. The 200T is way more competent and stable in its shoes and it actually makes for quite an enjoyable ride around town. For one the suspension is stiffer with much less rebound damping, giving the 200T a more planted feel through the corners.
With the added confidence coming from the stiffer setup and Pirelli tyres, you then feel how it has transformed the braking characteristics of this little Hero too. Although single-channel ABS (only upfront), the 200T’s braking is progressive and not overpowering for the size of the bike. I actually prefer not having ABS on the rear as it gives me more control over the bike in some situations.
At R45,999, the Xpulse 200T offers fantastic value and has very little competition within its class thanks to the number of features and hardware it offers as standard. Hero has truly packaged a lot of bike within the Xpulse and offer their buyers a 5-year/100,000 km warranty. With the current fuel prices, and with mindsets slowly starting to focus on daily needs, the Hero Xpulse 200T should be an inner-city commuter’s top pick.
Hero XPulse 200T
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