Let’s start off with a little bit of a history lesson! A little brand was formed in 1984 and that venture was with Honda, yes the big Japanese motor brand, and the rest was history. Hero Honda was formed and slowly but surely grew a presence in India. That lead to the name becoming a family name, a mode of transport, a brand that bought families together.
They had grown so big that by 2011, Hero became independent. They have done something that no many brands can say they’ve done. In January of this year, they exceeded a production milestone! They had sold their 100th million motorcycle. Now for anyone, that is no mean feat but for a brand that started not too long ago, it is massively impressive and they continue to grow.
Now, let’s history class is over. Let’s get to the saucy (que Jim Carrey’s voice) stuff. They are recent to our shores but the Hero brand has made an impact already. The delivery bikes such as the Eco Deluxe and Eco 150s are selling out faster than McDonalds can make burgers. The 200 XPulse, however, has caught everyone’s eye and made everyone stand up and take notice.
A machine that isn’t fast, nor powerful, nor got the best of the best, but it has a massive attitude problem. It makes you feel like you can take on any bike regardless of size, weight or looks! People may look it as a bad thing that it has an attitude problem, but I think it’s great! The only way for a motor vehicle to break into the market is to bring an attitude and say “who’s your daddy?”.
Where do we start off with the bike? It’s a 200cc, fun and easy to ride. Very plush, good suspension with a great amount of feedback. LED headlight to light up even the darkest roads. Turn by turn navigation, via Bluetooth, to help you along the darkest roads. ABS in the front for maximum amount of braking, but not at the rear for unlimited fun. Crashbars to help break any fall. Bashplate to protect the motor in any way. Buttons and toggles that feel sturdy. Okay… Are you done now? While… Nearly! These bikes have got a 5 year/100 000km warranty! That is practically unheared of in the bike industry, especially at the price bracket of R41 999.00.
First time I rode it, I giggled a little bit. It reminded me of the Honda Grom. Can ring its neck and it won’t make you feel scared. The gears are as slick as a Elvis Presley’s hair. Surprisingly light on fuel even with a nearly fully opened throttle. The turn by turn navigation was not able to be confused, especially with the random twists and turns I did running through the center of Cape Town which can be quite confusing for most! Brakes were great, especially in the heavier braking areas. A bit of a nose dive, but that’s what is expected for an off road machine with lots of suspension travel.
I must admit, I was never someone who judged a bike coming from India. My KTM is made there and its proven itself time and time again that the build quality is way superior to what it was 15 years ago. However, I never really expected an India born and bred bike to be quite as fun and exciting as this bike was.
I would highly recommend to anyone and everyone. Old or young. Experienced or inexperienced. Tall or short. Literally anyone, to come and take this bike for a ride and experience what I’m on about. As a commuter or weekend fun bike, it will definitely make you giggle a little bit, and make you want to ride it a little more each day.