Hero Xtreme 160R 4V 6 Months Long Term Report

For the past 6 months, the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V has been in our garage, and I have been using it for my daily commutes. Now, my daily riding, to and from the office, is a good 45km minimum, which includes the city and highways too. So here’s a rundown of what the past 6 months have looked like for me.

Mileage

If your daily rides involve treading a lot of kilometers, then the first thing you might want to know is – What is the fuel efficiency? Well, through the 6 months, the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V has returned a mileage of around 35-37kmpl. Yes, for a 160cc bike that is significantly less, and could potentially be heavy on your pockets. However, I should mention that my daily travels included the very busy city traffic and long durations on the highway as well. And to be honest I wasn’t very easy and gentle on the throttle, I was usually riding at the higher rpms and at faster speeds. So if you ride a little more gently, then it can give a mileage of 40kmpl or more.

Comfort

Another important thing for people riding longer distances daily would be the comfort. If you are less than 6 feet tall, the bike would be a lot more comfortable for you, otherwise, there will be some discomfort. I am 6’2 and I am not the biggest fan of the riding posture and comfort of the bike. There is the slightest bit of tucking that is required which combined with the high seat and lower handlebars, usually put me in an awkward position. The ergonomics aren’t very sporty, but aren’t upright either, and the slightly rear-set footpegs might make things difficult for riders with tall legs. That said, if they aren't as unfortunate as the tall folks, then this bike should be rather comfortable.

With regards to the pillion comfort, the 2023 Hero Xtreme 160R 4V gets a raised pillion seat, which is just not comfortable. It is difficult to get on for most pillion riders, and because it sits really high the pillion riders are constantly nervous, and that might also affect the rider’s balance.

Suspension & Brakes

Next up, in the list is the ride quality. Now there is one thing common on all Hero two-wheelers, and that is a perfectly tuned suspension. The Hero Xtreme 160R 4V too gets a very comfortable suspension setup and takes care of most potholes, undulations and broken roads. Adding to that, the disc brakes on the bike are good too and offer a good initial bite and bring the bike to a halt pretty quickly. The front ABS is calibrated well enough that I have saved myself from a lot of close calls on the road on daily rides.

Appeal

With a pretty aggressive streetfighter design the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V looks quite appealing initially. Interestingly, if you are someone who appreciates sporty streetfighter designs, then like me, you wouldn’t get tired of the bike’s styling either. It might not be the most striking or impressive, but it ages well. There is one thing though, the paint quality on some parts of the bike starts looking dull rather early and might not make the bike look very clean or shiny.

Performance

Usually you keep the good things for the last, but that is not the case in this long term review. You see, the 160cc segment in India is highly competitive, and has some really sporty and exciting offerings. Now even as a standalone, the Xtreme 160R 4V is not a very exciting bike when it comes to performance. It picks up pace very gradually and is considerably, for the lack of a better word, lazy. 

It misses out on that pull that you expect from a sporty bike and in the long run, if you have to ride the bike daily for longer periods, you might just get bored of riding this motorcycle, especially on the highway. Oh, and even the roll-on acceleration is not that impressive and it takes some time to overtake other vehicles on the road.

Verdict

There are some goods and some not so good to this bike. It isn’t the sportiest, or even the most comfortable. So, it is just somewhere in the middle in the 160cc segment. That said, if you are somebody who isn’t very interested in an exciting performance, or standing out in the crowd and just want something you can commute on without any issues or hassle, and still have some power to get you by, then the Xtreme 160R 4V could be the pick for you. Another thing is that it does look good, and might catch your fancy for an extended period. Mileage and comfort for taller riders would be a compromise though.

However, if you want a lot more from your bike, especially in the long run, then there are better alternatives in the market.