Sporty Side

Hero drapes the Xtreme 200R with a fairing and adds more features to woo youngsters. But does all this make the Xtreme 200S any different to ride?

- Shivank Bhatt

After launching the XPulse twins, it seems that Hero doesn’t want to close the throttle on its 200cc offerings – given that they’ve added one more motorcycle to the range, the Xtreme 200S. Now, don’t go teary-eyed yet, for it’s not a replacement for the Karizma. What it really is is a full-faired version of the Xtreme 200R. Which essentially means that it has the same underpinnings, but in a fancier and sportier looking body. But does the fairing make it any different from its naked sibling in the way it rides? It’s a question worth asking, and that’s why, to find the answer, Hero took us to the exact same proving ground where we first tested the Xtreme 200R – the Buddh International Circuit.

Slippery style

As already mentioned, the Xtreme 200S is mechanically identical to the Xtreme 200R, barring the fairing and a couple of new features. When I first heard about this – around a month ago – I thought the end product would look atrocious. The spy pictures that surfaced on the internet didn’t help either. So, when Hero was dropping the veil on it at the launch ceremony, I was frankly expecting an oddball design like the Karizma ZMR. But, nope, I was so wrong!