Hero Xtreme 125R Long Term Report Part 3: The Goodbye

I’ve been riding the Hero Xtreme 125R for the past 3 months now, and over the course of this time I have ridden over 1800km. I’ve used the bike as my daily commuter, and have also done some weekend trips on it from time to time. Now, 3 months and 1800km later, saying goodbye is not easy, here’s why:

The City Performance Is Impressive

My daily commute is around 16km, with most of it spent in the slow-moving and often stop-and-go traffic conditions of Pune. The Hero Xtreme 125R has been a good companion during this time. The engine has a lot of grunt at the bottom end, followed by a healthy mid-range, both of which have made riding in the city quite an easy affair. 

City riding is something I can honestly say I don’t really enjoy. The experience for me has always been quite a dull affair on my personal bike, a Yamaha MT-15. This comes down to almost lifeless bottom-end performance. With the Xtreme 125R, city riding felt a bit more engaging and not as boring as on my personal bike. The agile and nimble nature of the Xtreme 125R is another aspect that has to be highlighted; this made it super easy to cut through city traffic and I really enjoyed it.

Another big advantage the bike offered was the excellent mileage, which helped me save quite a bit of money while filling fuel. I was getting around 55kmpl to 60kmpl of mileage in mixed riding conditions (city and highway), which is quite good for a 125cc bike. During these months, I used to fill a full tank of fuel at the start of the month. After that, I didn’t have to worry about refuelling for the next four weeks. 

Weekend Rides Are No Problem

With the beginning of the monsoon, the Western Ghats became lush green and a lot more beautiful. During this time, I had the chance to go on a weekend ride of 120km. The Xtreme 125R’s performance was decent, and the bike was able to cruise on the highway at a speed of 75kmph without feeling stressed. 

Like I had mentioned in my previous reports, the highway performance was not exactly impressive, as the bike felt like it had no juice left once pushed past 80kmph. This means that executing quick overtakes is not easy, and while riding on the highway, you will have to plan your overtakes way ahead. 

Now, highway riding with the Xtreme 125R might feel like a dull affair. But it makes up for this in the twisties. The bike is extremely nimble and tips into corners effortlessly. This is something I really enjoyed about the bike, and made it quite fun to ride while going into the twisty roads of the Ghats.

A Comfortable Experience?

Even our split seat version of the Xtreme 125R has a really long rider seat, and this makes it easy to sit in an upright riding position or even a more sporty and committed one. For most of my rides in the city, I’ve sat on the bike upright, but having the option for a more committed position has been a bonus.

The seat height of 794mm also makes it quite accessible for riders of most heights. I was easily able to get a flat foot with my height of 5’7. So overall, rider comfort has been taken care of quite well. 

Pillion comfort is not exactly the best. This comes down to the raised tail-section, which makes it difficult for shorter pillions to get on the bike. Another issue is that when riding two-up, there is a fairly big gap between the rider and the pillion. Plus the pillion ends up sitting quite high, almost getting a clear view ahead over their rider’s helmet, which makes them a bit nervous during rides.

An Unlikely Hero

One of the things I had mentioned in my previous reports was the excellent braking performance. The 276mm front disc really impressed me and helped quite a bit during emergency braking situations. Now, another thing which I noticed recently is just how good the tyres are.

Earlier, I had said that the MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres offer excellent grip and inspires confidence when cornering. But when the rains started, I was a bit uncertain about how the tyres would fare. As the days went on and I went about with my commutes as usual, it became clear that the tyres are excellent. They offer good grip in both dry and wet conditions. Even when riding on concrete roads after a heavy downpour, I didn’t have to worry too much about losing grip and falling. So my monsoon experience was a lot better than what I had expected.

A Bit Of A Hassle?

One of the things that I didn’t like about the bike was how hard it was to do basic maintenance, like cleaning and lubing the chain. This comes down to 2 factors, first of which is the lack of a centre stand, and the second is, rear tyre hugger and chain guard. 

The lack of a centre stand makes it difficult to clean the chain by yourself, and it turns into a two-man job, with one balancing the bike on its side stand. If you plan on getting the Xtreme 125R and also doing a bit of maintenance by yourself, then you should consider getting the optional centre stand,.

The tyre hugger and chain guard setup at the rear is more of a double-edged sword. In the monsoon season, it does a very good job protecting the chain from dirt and debris, and keeping it clean to a great extent. But in the summer, it becomes an unnecessary obstacle while doing maintenance. I would suggest removing them during the summer and reattaching them when the monsoons start. 

A Difficult Goodbye?

The time with the Hero Xtreme 125R has been quite enjoyable, and I’ve also made some good memories with the bike. After this time, I feel like the bike has managed to combine two important things well, sportiness and frugality. 

The performance is quite engaging for riding in city traffic, and really made a big difference in my daily commutes.The good mileage has been an added bonus, and made a bigger difference in my pocket. The Xtreme 125R in a sense is a middle-ground between a sporty bike and a commuter, and it combines aspects of both. The issues I’ve noticed, like the lack of a centre stand, are minor inconveniences which do not take away from a wonderful experience overall.

Saying goodbye to the bike won’t be easy, and there are a few things which I will miss, the city performance being the main aspect. In conclusion, I would say the Xtreme 125R is a really good bike for those who are upgrading from something like the Hero Splendor Plus. It is also an option worth considering for college students who are looking for a sporty 125cc bike. It can also be used as a good stepping stone before upgrading to something bigger.