(X) PULSE OF THE WILD

There's a lot more to the new XPulse than a mere 10cc upgrade

- By Manaal Mahatme Photographs Kaizad Adil Darukhanawala

At some point or the other, we've all had this fantasy of riding through remote places, exploring the country on a fully-loaded ADV, right? I know I have, and the privilege of this 'job' often allows me to do just that. This time around, my partner in crime was the new Hero XPulse 210, reminding me that the best things in life are simple.

There was no GPS, no intercom or even a plan to end up where we did. Hero did suggest a route and the XPulse 210 did have Bluetooth connection, but that was no fun. The intention was to reach a small dam somewhere, but a wrong turn led me to an isolated village hidden behind the quaint hillocks near Udaipur.

The XPulse received attention like it probably never will in big cities and towns. After all, despite being completely new, it is similar to the XPulse 200 4V in almost every aspect. From its round LED headlight, compact and minimal body panels, and just the sheer simplicity of its design, the bike's critical aspects remain unchanged from the 200cc model, despite this one being a lot more sophisticated. The radiator is tucked behind the left tank extension; the exhaust, despite the new norms, is more compact than before; the chassis is entirely new, which allowed this model to get a linkage for the rear suspension.