Hero Xtreme (Old Model)

Xtreme is a flagship bike from Hero which is their best seller in the 150cc segment of bikes. Hero Motocorp India has given another minor face-lift to its popular bike, Xtreme, which now gets host of new comfort and safety features. Technically, there is no major change and it is powered by the same engine. New Xtreme has all the Hero hallmarks - engine refinement, slick-shifting smooth gearbox, top-of-the-class vibration isolation, and low engine noise and quality components.

Exterior

There are no major changes to its style and designing. The new bike only features few cosmetic changes which are good enough to differentiate it with the outgoing model. The fairing Hero Xtreme has been redesigned with new graphics. The new headlight with integrated turn indicators looks more aggressive and edgy than before. The dark visor, dual coloured rear view mirrors and white coloured indicators enhance the visual appeal of this bike. It also gets new design for its black coloured alloy wheels. Move to the side of the bike and you will notice few striking changes which include a new tank and split seat. The new fuel tank features new tank shrouds and graphics. The bike looks more mature and aerodynamic than ever. Split seat is also a welcome feature which makes it look sporty and differentiates it with other 150cc bikes. New exhaust shield and rear disk brake is also noticeable. At the back, changes are less which includes a new prism LED tail light with integrated indicators and revised fender. The rear tyre and split grab rails remains the same.

Instrument Console

Finally, Hero upgrades to digital speedometer. New Hero Xtreme gets a new instrument console which features a digital speedometer, odometer and trip meter. New round pod for its analogue tachometer also looks improved. Small analogue fuel gauge and other indicators are placed just above the speedometer. The bike uses blue back light for illumination which looks very trendy. This new instrument console was desperately needed in Xtreme as its analogue speedometer was a big drawback for this bike as most of the present bikes feature digital speedometers. Hero has also added a key shutter on this bike which is seen in most of the scooters for secured ignition. Xtreme is the first 150cc bike to get this feature.

Engine and Gearbox

Sadly, there are no changes in this department. The new Hero Xtreme shares its engine with the outgoing model. It’s a single cylinder, 150cc, OHC engine. The four stroke, air cooled engine pumps out a power output of 14.2 bhp at 8500 rpm. The maximum torque output of 12.8 Nm is achievable at 6500rpm. This engine is equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox with one gear down and four gears up-shift pattern.

Acceleration and Performance

It’s a tried and tested 150cc engine which is also powering other bikes like Hero Hunk and Honda Unicorn. It’s a very refined and responsive engine which feels best when mated with Xtreme. It has an instant throttle response and one can easily feel it as the bike does 0-60km/hour within 5 seconds which is quite impressive. The high end performance of this engine is not satisfactory as after 5000rpm, this bike loses out to most of its competitors. Its heavy weight is also a matter of concern as the bike has less power to weight ratio which leads to frequent gear shifting in city traffic. However at high speeds, this engine feels very refined and there are no signs of vibrations and it feels far better than others like Bajaj Pulsar150. Its first gear ratio is relatively short but other gear ratios seem to be matched perfectly. The bike feels a bit strained after 90km/hour and it’s really hard to make this bike cross the speed of 110km/hour.

Mileage

It’s a very fuel efficient engine as this bike can give you a mileage of around 50-55km/ltr in city conditions and on highways, things are even much better as one can expect a fuel efficiency of around 60km/hr.

Comfort While Riding

Hero Xtreme is one of the most comfortable bikes in its segment. It has very wide and well cushioned seat which gives you optimum comfort. The rear- set foot pegs feels sporty and offers you a well relaxed position. You can easily reach to its handle bar and the bike manages to give you stress free long rides.

Storage Space and Safety Features

Hero Xtreme has very less or negligible under seat storage space with a bag hook on the left side. The front leg guard and the key shutter are the vital safety features in this bike.

Suspension and Braking

The bike gets new braking and suspension system. Its front telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers are the same but now it gets new gas filled 5-step adjustable rear shock absorbers. As far as the braking is concerned, the new variant of Xtreme features a rear disc brake of 220mm with its standard front disc brake of 240mm.

Ride and Handling

The new rear suspension and disk brake have resulted into improved ride and handling of this bike. Handling of this bike has always been on the lighter side and it’s perfect for daily commuting. Its slim tyres are a let-down as they are unable to hold the road properly which makes it really scary at sharp corners. However, its heavyweight and wheelbase (1325mm) keeps it grounded on high speeds. The bike behaves really well on bad roads and gives you optimum comfort with its new rear shockers. It may find hard to cross nasty speed breakers and obstructions as it has low ground clearance of 145mm.

Variants

Hero Xtreme is available in two variants: one features self-start, alloy wheels, rear disc brakes and digital plus analogue instrument cluster, second one features self-start, alloy wheels, rear drum brakes and digital plus analogue instrument cluster.

Shades

New Hero Xtreme is available in five four shades: Sports Red, Panther Black Metallic, Flaming Orange (discontinued), Digital Silver and Max Brown Metallic.

Verdict

The base variant of Xtreme is priced at INR 66K (ex-showroom, Delhi, may vary) while for a rear disc brake, you will have to spend 3K extra. CBZ has always been one of the most recommended bikes in India and with its new additional features like rear disc brake and digital speedometer, things will just improve. At this price, with Hero’s wide service network and high resale value, it’s a complete value for money bike.