Hero Xtreme 200R long term review #1: An introduction

I got the Xtreme 200R with little over 100km on the odo, and the first thing I set about doing was running it in. Which meant not really straining the engine, and keeping things easy on an already very easy-going motorcycle.

My first impressions of it? It’s perfect for the city. It is light, nimble and super easy to manoeuvre around town. It’s not particularly powerful considering the displacement it has, but it is more than adequate for a quick commute. Our cities don’t allow for much speed anyway. I have taken it out of town too, on a leisurely ride up to the hills. Again, this was done while running it in so I wasn’t unnecessarily straining the engine. What stood out was its handling — it is very flickable and thoroughly enjoyable on a twisty road.

A service light popping up at 500km meant a quick trip to the service station, for an oil change. I did get the bike back soon enough, but the service light remained and my motorcycle now sounds like CS Santosh’s Dakar bike. I suspect the air filter hasn’t been fit properly. I’m going to have to see if I can fix it myself, or another trip down to the service centre is due.

Date acquired: March 2019

Total mileage: 850km

Mileage this week: 45km

Costs: Nil