[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by ask_017

One other question is regarding the cushioning of the seat. I feel the stock seat is inadequate in that respect. Will changing it improve the comfort levels over long distances?

This is an error I have committed as well on a brand new machine back in 2013;







Upside was that I got splendid under thigh support, downside was that on longer rides you need firm support on your buttocks such that the coccyx isn't burdened but with more cushion there was load on my coccyx which made matters worse, pain of the flesh you get used to, pain originating from the bone is on a whole different level of its own.

Another concern is the lack of feedback, the more cushion you have under your butt the less feedback you get from the rear tire, meaning more the chances of you loosing control when riding in situations where the rear would break traction.

Hence why I firmly believe that the manufacturer knows best when it comes to seat design, now if you're still adamant then the least you could do is ensure that they do not install a ready made cover as they come with plastic beading's on either side that are even worse than the borders of your briefs.

If you have the time and resources you could try sourcing gel pads that used to be sold for wheelchairs, I've been hunting for them for a really long time but failed to source so far, if you can source a few sheets and find a fabricator that could replicate the design of your stock seat replacing the foam with gel pads then I believe there'd be nothing better than that, as even the stock foam wears down within a few years.

Cheers,
A.P.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ask_017

Took my bike on a 650 km round trip. From Trivandrum to Palakkad and back. Few take aways.
- Engine performance was very good with no rattles at speeds above 80.
- Pushed maximum to 100, did not go beyond that. 100 comes at about 7k rpm.
- Cruising best done at anywhere from 80 to 90 kmph.
- Braking was adequate. ABS worked well.
- Was so easy to handle especially in the famous Kerala traffic blocks.
- Only negative I felt was the seating comfort seemed to be on the lower side.
- Did not face any problem with engine over heating or anything like that.

What mileage did you get for that sort of riding? One solution for improving your seating comfort is to use cycling shorts which have padding in them that can be easily bought from Decathalon. The price is around Rs 700. I learnt this trick from seasoned Team BHP riders.

[ask_017]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Hence why I firmly believe that the manufacturer knows best when it comes to seat design, now if you're still adamant then the least you could do is ensure that they do not install a ready made cover as they come with plastic beading's on either side that are even worse than the borders of your briefs.

If you have the time and resources you could try sourcing gel pads that used to be sold for wheelchairs, I've been hunting for them for a really long time but failed to source so far, if you can source a few sheets and find a fabricator that could replicate the design of your stock seat replacing the foam with gel pads then I believe there'd be nothing better than that, as even the stock foam wears down within a few years.

Great points AP. I doubt if I would go great lengths to procure the gel pads as I am yet to take seriously to long distance riding. But sure will keep an eye if anything of that sort comes up in my networks.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

What mileage did you get for that sort of riding? One solution for improving your seating comfort is to use cycling shorts which have padding in them that can be easily bought from Decathalon. The price is around Rs 700. I learnt this trick from seasoned Team BHP riders.

Hi Neil, I somehow managed to miss tankful to tankful calculations. But my rough estimate is 40 kmpl. And thanks for suggesting cycling shorts.

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by ask_017

Few take aways.
- Engine performance was very good with no rattles at speeds above 80.
- Pushed maximum to 100, did not go beyond that. 100 comes at about 7k rpm.
- Cruising best done at anywhere from 80 to 90 kmph.
- Braking was adequate. ABS worked well.
- Was so easy to handle especially in the famous Kerala traffic blocks.
- Only negative I felt was the seating comfort seemed to be on the lower side.
- Did not face any problem with engine over heating or anything like that.

Hello, any further updates on your 200S. Assuming that the run in and first few services are done, has the engine mellowed? What about the city, highway FE?

The bike was really well priced, cheapest among all full-faired bikes. BS-6 and visual updates from Xtreme 160R should make it even more enticing. However, this would still continue to be an underdog, and hence may keep attracting unnecessary attention.

[ask_017]

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

Hello, any further updates on your 200S. Assuming that the run in and first few services are done, has the engine mellowed? What about the city, highway FE?

The bike was really well priced, cheapest among all full-faired bikes. BS-6 and visual updates from Xtreme 160R should make it even more enticing. However, this would still continue to be an underdog, and hence may keep attracting unnecessary attention.

Hi jetsetgo, my bike has done only 2500 km so far and is pending the second service. I am getting FE of around 40. I am sorry to say yet to do a proper tankful method. The handling is a breeze in city and is very sure footed on the highways. When I did my 650 km round trip, I could comfortably cruise at 90kmph.

It sure is an underdog among the top bikes. I believe the road presence is very good and I do get looks as it is very rarely seen on the roads. But as the sales numbers are too low, I am a bit skeptical about the future for this bike. They might pull the plug on it even though Hero website shows the BS6 version is coming.

[ask_017]

Finally got the second service done. Got a coat of polish also applied at the service center. As expected, the engine is starting to get mellowed. But nothing else much to report due to the limited running.

[darkLightning]

I saw this bike for the first time on road day before yesterday. I have seen it in showroom before where it looked and felt quite nice. Here are my observations based on what I saw yesterday

1. Bike appeared big in showroom and not really a long shot from being called Karizma's successor however on road it didn't look as big, it was having decent presence but Karizma reminded us of a super bike where as this one is somewhere in the ball park of R15 presence wise.

2. Three kids in shorts and flip flops were on it and they were by no means anywhere near legal driving age, needless to say they were driving it as if they had just came out of watching Mad Max. This kind of riding did not matched the bike at all, She gave clear looks of being one bike that loves sophisticated riders.

3. Styling is good and understated.

4. I feel BS6 version if priced rightly and stock management done well then it will slowly turn into a good seller for Hero. Although if Hero decided to downgrade the bike and bring this same styling to a fully faired version of Xtreme 160R I don't think it will be a bad idea in fact 160R is bound to be a better success than 200R and it will pull more crowd towards a faired sibling.

[Bismaya]

Some images I had clicked a few days ago before today's BS6 launch. Not the most clear images but none the less, the BS6 Model was out today.

Source: Rushlane

Hero MotoCorp has finally launched its fully-faired bike Xtreme 200S in its BS6 derivative. The bike was not yet been upgraded to the latest emission norms and, therefore, has not been in sale since April this year. Now, the brand has launched the latest iteration of its flagship motorcycle in India. Price is Rs 1,15,715, ex-sh; making it about Rs 9k cheaper than Pulsar 220F.

Powertrain & Tranmission: Hero utilizes the same 199.6cc single-cylinder motor on Xtreme 200S which has been upgraded to BS6 emission norms in Xpulse 200. This unit is also set to receive an oil-cooler as seen on the adventure tourer. It will continue to be mated to a 5-speed gearbox. As in the case with most updated BS6 two-wheelers, power figures on the new Xtreme 200S will be slightly altered. Output figures on the BS4 version read as 18.4 PS of maximum power and 17.1 Nm of peak torque. In its BS6 avatar, it now delivers 17.8 BHP @ 8500 RPM and an impressive torque of 16.4 Nm @ 6500 RPM. This means, power and torque figures, both have declined in BS6 avatar, when compared to BS4 figures.

[ask_017]

Originally Posted by Bismaya

Some images I had clicked a few days ago before today's BS6 launch. Not the most clear images but none the less, the BS6 Model was out today.

Source: Rushlane

Attachment 2078900

Hope it catches up with people. Because right now, it is a very lonely feeling to own this as I have seen only one other owner on the roads here in Trivandrum. It is quite a capable machine from my experience so far. Of course not as explosive as the KTMs, Pulsars et al; but a very good looking machine, can cruise at 90 kmph, not a back breaker on long rides, easy to handle for a 5'6 tall guy like me, riding posture is very good and not at all aggressive. And being a rare piece, still gets wonder looks from people.

[ask_017]

Happy new year to all fellow BHPians. Went on a solo ride from Trivandrum to Thirunelli, Wayanad. It was a beautiful experience and the bike performed well barring one issue on the return journey.

Day 1: Trivandrum to Calicut. Spent an evening at Calicut with friends.
Day 2: Calicut to Thirunelli. Stay at KTDC Tamarind.
Day 3: Tholpetty wilidlife sanctuary, Irpu water falls in Kutta, Karnataka, Kuruwadweep
Day 4: Thirunelli to Kollam - longest day on the saddle for me.
Day 5: Kollam to Trivandrum - final leg and shortest one.

One hiccup on the return journey when the bolt attaching silencer to the frame was gone somewhere and the silencer was hanging down and touching the frame. Managed to stop at a work shop and they fixed with materials available at their disposal.

Customary pic at Thamarassery churam.






Stayed at KTDC Tamarind. Rooms and dormitories available. Food made to order. Very friendly and courteous staff.


Crossed into Karnataka. Somewhere in Kutta.



Trek upto Irpu water falls.





Highlight of the trip for me was this water fall. For some 15 minutes I was the only person there. It was all me and nature. Had a small bath in the pristine waters.


On the foothills of Brahmagiri.


My favorite pic from the trip.


The only hiccup I faced during the entire trip. On the return journey, the silencer was hanging and touching the frame as a result of losing the bolt somewhere.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ask_017

Happy new year to all fellow BHPians. Went on a solo ride from Trivandrum to Thirunelli, Wayanad. It was a beautiful experience and the bike performed well barring one issue on the return journey.

Nice pictures! What mileage did you get from the motorcycle on this cross Kerala trip?

[ask_017]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Nice pictures! What mileage did you get from the motorcycle on this cross Kerala trip?

Thanks Neil. Tankful method gave me 42. So I believe it's fair to assume I got 40.

[TorqMaster]

Nice thread, thank you so much for regularly updating on the xtreme 200s ask_017

The xpulse had an infamous chassis cut. Does this also have that chassis cut?

I do not know if that is bound to cause issues though.

[ask_017]

Originally Posted by TorqMaster

Nice thread, thank you so much for regularly updating on the xtreme 200s ask_017

The xpulse had an infamous chassis cut. Does this also have that chassis cut?

I do not know if that is bound to cause issues though.

Hi, to be frank it was the first time I heard about this 'chassis cut'. So did a little googling to understand what it is. And then I went to check my bike and yes, it is there. See the click.



So far in my running of just over 5000 KM, haven't felt any issue related to this.