[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by b16h22

New Xpulse comes with a more dual sport oriented twin cradle frame plus a linked rear shock, looking at these pictures,. Didn't see that getting mentioned anywhere. Old bike had a road bike type stressed member frame. This is a substantial change.

These are only semi-dual cradle. I'm not really a fan of these, as these add some weight but don't offer the durability and stability that a dual cradle would for it. I was expecting the a trellis frame like the XMR anyway, so couldn't be bothered about the frame. I'm surprised to hear it's not mentioned elsewhere though.

The suspension setup has potential to be a substantial change. Only test rides would tell.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

These are only semi-dual cradle. I'm not really a fan of these, as these add some weight but don't offer the durability and stability that a dual cradle would for it. I was expecting the a trellis frame like the XMR anyway, so couldn't be bothered about the frame. I'm surprised to hear it's not mentioned elsewhere though.

The suspension setup has potential to be a substantial change. Only test rides would tell.

It does provide extra protection for the engine and sump under harsh off roading scenarios though. That is an upgrade in my book.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

These are only semi-dual cradle. I'm not really a fan of these, as these add some weight but don't offer the durability and stability that a dual cradle would for it. I was expecting the a trellis frame like the XMR anyway, so couldn't be bothered about the frame. I'm surprised to hear it's not mentioned elsewhere though.

The suspension setup has potential to be a substantial change. Only test rides would tell.

I don't think it's a major drawback. This is a KTM dirt bike frame and it's a semi double cradle. If KTM can, why not Hero?



And here is a more down to earth dualsport frame from a Yamaha WR155R. Again a semi double cradle.



Mods, Quoting the post again as the edit window was over. Please feel free to merge with my previous post.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by b16h22

why not Hero?

Dirt bikes are not directly comparable to Off-road bikes. For off-roading, as far as chassis design is concerned, things like rigidity, durability and stability matter. Dirt bikes don't really need any of that, as they are built for tracks or trails without any serious obstacles. In fact, they need some flexibility to handle high speeds better that they are designed to reach. With Off-roaders, it is just about getting to places through a technical terrain, and speeds don't matter. Dirt bikes technically ride off-road, be it motocross circuits, regular trails and such, but they are so 'purpose built' that such off-roads are just the kind of roads that they are designed for- if that makes sense. Choice of frame is very much a question of the bikes' purpose.

Why I feel not so impressed with the semi-dual on the 210 is because, it seems to me like it is only there to offer better mounting points for the engine and the bash plate. They could've kept the XMRs' Trellis chassis and retro-fitted a bash plate like KTM did with the 390 ADV. This would've offered a lighter and stronger chassis than the outgoing single cradle 200. The lightweight chassis might have also meant at least slightly more agile than the 200 with the same 21" wheels. But with this semi-dual, it is now heavier and not significantly stronger than the single cradle, and no improvement in terms of agility. I agree that it offers more crash protection. But I'd bet that if someone managed to damage the engine through the bash plate of the 200 (or the 390 ADV for that matter; Trellis and single cradles offer similar crash protection), they were deliberately trying to do so.

For a beginner off-road bike, the 200 offers enough protection. Given that the 210 is supposed to cover the touring aspect better as well, it could've been so much more: lighter, stronger & more agile, with similar levels of protection. But it is the exact opposite: more protection, but heavier, not particularly stronger and just as non-agile.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

This would've offered a lighter and stronger chassis than the outgoing single cradle 200. The lightweight chassis might have also meant at least slightly more agile than the 200 with the same 21" wheels. But with this semi-dual, it is now heavier and not significantly stronger than the single cradle, and no improvement in terms of agility. I agree that it offers more crash protection. But I'd bet that if someone managed to damage the engine through the bash plate of the 200 (or the 390 ADV for that matter; Trellis and single cradles offer similar crash protection), they were deliberately trying to do so.

For a beginner off-road bike, the 200 offers enough protection. Given that the 210 is supposed to cover the touring aspect better as well, it could've been so much more: lighter, stronger & more agile, with similar levels of protection. But it is the exact opposite: more protection, but heavier, not particularly stronger and just as non-agile.

I'm pretty sure the Engineers at Hero knows a lot more than us and what purpose it is built for. A frame design is a lot more than what meets the eye. The flex in key points are engineered in to improve the feel and grip of a motorcycle depending on the purpose. Xpulse is a dual sport and not a road based ADV. They would've used the ZMR frame if it was fit for purpose. It was never designed with a dual sport bike in mind.

I'm pretty sure the likes of Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda knew something when they all chose a semi double cradle frame for their road going dual sports. Even a CRF300 uses a similar frame design. Hero was trying to fix a mistake they did in the initial Xpulse. That frame was never built for a dual sport. Now they've fixed it and went to the traditional double cradle setup which is found on pretty much all dual sports bikes worldwide.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by b16h22

I'm pretty sure the Engineers at Hero knows a lot more than us and what purpose it is built for. A frame design is a lot more than what meets the eye. The flex in key points are engineered in to improve the feel and grip of a motorcycle depending on the purpose. Xpulse is a dual sport and not a road based ADV. They would've used the ZMR frame if it was fit for purpose. It was never designed with a dual sport bike in mind.

I'm pretty sure the likes of Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda knew something when they all chose a semi double cradle frame for their road going dual sports. Even a CRF300 uses a similar frame design. Hero was trying to fix a mistake they did in the initial Xpulse. That frame was never built for a dual sport. Now they've fixed it and went to the traditional double cradle setup which is found on pretty much all dual sports bikes worldwide.

I don't doubt that they know more one bit. But the pros and cons I mentioned are those by design. Surely the engineers can think of something further to improve it; but they will be limited by the range of improvements the design fundamentally offers. For instance, in the images you shared earlier, the KTMs' semi-dual looks slightly better engineered to me- there's just more metal around the down tube, there's a cross member that connect to the main tube, the overall design looks like it connects the steering and the swing arm points more directly than the Yamaha. All these should help with rigidity; but can never match an equally well engineered dual cradle. For a dirt bike, these are perfect though- don't get me wrong. The additional rigidity a dual cradle offers is probably not worth the added weight, reduced flexibility, etc., for a Dirt bike.

I'm willing to die on the hill that the Trellis frame- or any modern equivalent- is the best for even Dual Sports or ADVs. Rigid and durable enough, but lighter than a dual cradle equivalent, and connects the steering and swing arm points more directly, which has its benefits on road. The way I see it, a Trellis frame fits the purpose just right. And, I think, they didn't go with the Trellis frame as they are a bit expensive to make.

Again, these are semi-dual cradles; and these are indeed found in most Dual Sports. But that's only because most Dual Sports are born Dirt bikes, with added road legality. They don't quite fit the purpose of what we mostly do with Dual Sports or ADVs.

[RD410]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

This would've offered a lighter and stronger chassis than the outgoing single cradle 200. The lightweight chassis might have also meant at least slightly more agile than the 200 with the same 21" wheels. But with this semi-dual, it is now heavier and not significantly stronger than the single cradle, and no improvement in terms of agility.

Xpulse 200 4v uses a diamond frame, not a cradle frame. The frame is similar to Honda Unicorn, here the engine/crank case is part of the chassis and acts as a stressed member. There is no 'cradle' beneath the engine. Diamond frame offers superior handling and agility as the centre of gravity is lower due to the engine acting as a load bearing member of the chassis. Diamond frames are only used in street bikes, where handling and stability are the priority. Xpulse 200 4v is the only dualsport to use as diamond frame instead of cradle frame, as it shared it's platform with Xtreme 200. Hence why the handling is pretty good, despite the 21 inch front wheel.

Rest all light capacity dualsports viz. Hero Impulse / Honda NXR series, Yamaha WR155, Yamaha Lander 250 etc. use cradle frame. Even the Kawasaki KLX 230 uses a hybrid trellis-cradle frame. Here, the chassis literally cradles the engine like a baby and bears all the stress and load. A cradle frame offers superior rigidity and durablity, which is desired in off road oriented bikes. Engine crash protection is just an additional, unintented benefit of this kind of frame.

The way I see it, I am really happy that instead of platform sharing with Karizma/Xtreme, Hero has finally launched a dedicated, rally derived, hardcore platform/chassis for Xpulse. Then again, whatever kind of chassis, it all depends on how good it's tuned. And Hero (TVS also) are really good at tuning chassis.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by RD410

Xpulse 200 4v uses a diamond frame, not a cradle frame. The frame is similar to Honda Unicorn, here the engine/crank case is part of the chassis and acts as a stressed member. There is no 'cradle' beneath the engine. Diamond frame offers superior handling and agility as the centre of gravity is lower due to the engine acting as a load bearing member of the chassis. Diamond frames are only used in street bikes, where handling and stability are the priority. Xpulse 200 4v is the only dualsport to use as diamond frame instead of cradle frame, as it shared it's platform with Xtreme 200. Hence why the handling is pretty good, despite the 21 inch front wheel.

Rest all light capacity dualsports viz. Hero Impulse / Honda NXR series, Yamaha WR155, Yamaha Lander 250 etc. use cradle frame. Even the Kawasaki KLX 230 uses a hybrid trellis-cradle frame. Here, the chassis literally cradles the engine like a baby and bears all the stress and load. A cradle frame offers superior rigidity and durablity, which is desired in off road oriented bikes. Engine crash protection is just an additional, unintented benefit of this kind of frame.

The way I see it, I am really happy that instead of platform sharing with Karizma/Xtreme, Hero has finally launched a dedicated, rally derived, hardcore platform/chassis for Xpulse. Then again, whatever kind of chassis, it all depends on how good it's tuned. And Hero (TVS also) are really good at tuning chassis.

Didn't know that single cradle has a different name depending on the engine mounting, as engine as stressed member is kind of the norm in most modern bikes and 'single cradle' is the common name (at least with the exposure that I've had).

My earlier bikes were FZ150 and Classic 350, and the handling was noticeably worse to even a beginner me. But I suppose it would've been much more worse with the cradle continuing under the engine (with no compromise on ground clearance).

I feel the allure on Rally/Dirt bikes is misplaced when someone is looking for a Dual Sport/ADV. The purposes of these and roads (or the lack of) these are designed for are vastly different. It is dissimilar to the allure on other sport bikes like MotoGP, when someone is looking for a Track bike/Sports Tourer. The frame on this 210 makes perfect sense on a Rally bike; evidently so looking at the professionals riding it. But on Off-roaders this doesn't directly translate to the purposes we use them for as Dual Sports/ADVs- unlike on-road bikes as mentioned above. This is what I've tried to convey in the previous posts.

[Vagabond27]

Base variant

• LCD display
• Single channel ABS

Top variant

• TFT display
• Dual channel ABS

[neith]

Any info on the Rally version? Saw very few videos of it from the show.

[2000rpm]

Does this bike come with tubeless spoke wheels?

If not, can we addon any alloys from other hero models?? Atleast for the rear wheel?

I love this bike, but just dont want a puncture on a tubed bike

[nasirkaka]

I am not too happy with the colour options on the bike as I feel they are a bit too much and too busy. But if I was to, Alpine Silver would be my pick. Waiting for test ride.

Is there no center stand on the bike? Without that and tube tyre, it would be an issue to fix punctures. ALso the rims seem like Sheet metal and not alloy, so tubeless conversion may be an issue as well.

[BullettuPaandi]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Is there no center stand on the bike?

I think it was an optional accessory even with the old 200. If I remember correctly, it reduces ground clearance by about 10mm and of course not including it as standard helps them with a 'lower' launch price. I seem to recall opting for it when I bought a 200 4V.

It is likely the same case with the 210; although no brochure released yet to confirm online. Will have to enquire the showrooms.

About the colours, I like the base variant white one the most actually. Looks unassuming, which fits the XPulse's overall 'easy-going' persona, with minimal graphics. And I don't like the colours on the engine head cover and crankcases covers on the top variants- I think they add to the overall 'busy-ness' you mention. I'm fine with LCD and Single Channel ABS, and missing accessories- like windscreen, knuckle guards and luggage plate- on the base variant is more of a pro, as after-market options are better anyway, and we can customise to our taste and need/want, with the money we save by going for the base variant. So it'd be the white base variant for me.

I feel the variants are reasonably equipped for the cost, and limiting colour options by variant both helps with exclusivity and keeps the production costs down, which is probably a part of how they've managed to keep the price premium reasonably down- a win-win situation, as I see it.

When I bought my 200 4V, stocks were highly limited and the only options were mostly blue-black and some red-black. I picked the latter as a I liked the contrast on it better. But over the years, I seem to have developed a liking for how dirty the bike would look, after I thrash it on dirt or mud. Of late, I've not even been washing the bike as much as I used to, as I've not been riding as much as I used to and hence like the dirt & mud on the bike all the more. So, in case I decide to exchange my 200 for a 210, I really want the white colour to be available, which I understand is not a popular choice.

[Ganapathy]

It is really disappointing that Hero is not offering tubeless tyres even as an optional accessory. Moreover they must have launched with the 250 cc engine

[GunShot007]

When do you think the first review will drop