Hero Xtreme 160R 4V Review - An Extreme & Subtle Makeover

2023 will be an important year for Hero MotoCorp as it plans to introduce a barrage of new products in the coming year. In fact, it plans to launch a new product every quarter, and has commenced this ambitious journey with the introduction of the new Hero Xtreme 160R 4V. As the name suggests, it gets a new 4-valve head; and more importantly, there are updates made on the cosmetic and hardware fronts. These updates have brought about a price hike as well and we rode the new Xtreme 160R 4V to find out whether or not it justifies the new price tag. 

More Power Baby! 

While the 163cc, single-cylinder engine remains identical to its predecessor, Hero engineers have heavily reworked it. The big news is the addition of the 4-valve tech and oil-cooler, which is similar to the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V. These inclusions have hiked the power output to 16.9PS (1.7PS power bump), making it one of the most powerful bikes in the segment, and torque has also risen by 0.6Nm. The impact of these changes can be felt immediately, as the bike feels peppier than before and offers spirited acceleration. 

Hero claims that the new Xtreme 160R is the quickest accelerating bike in the segment and it does 0-60kmph in 4.41 seconds. Whether this is true or not we shall only find out post a proper road test. The other impressive bit about the bike is how tractable the engine feels because of the new 4V head. You can ride it at city speeds in 5th gear with hardly any knocking and this should make commuting less tiresome. The other advantage of this tractability could be better fuel efficiency in the city, but again we will have to wait for a road test to confirm the same. 

Let’s Go Upside Down!

The frame and brakes remain unchanged, but Hero engineers have now equipped the Xtreme 160R 4V with a chunky USD fork. The handling of the bike always felt neutral and predictable, which means it did a fair job with respect to high speed cornering and agility. The new front suspension has impacted the dynamics in a positive manner, as you can trust the front-end more and thereby confidently corner at high speeds.

Be it the handling section of the CIT test track or the mountain twisties, heading to Nahargarh Fort on the outskirts of Jaipur, I had loads of fun. And this is despite the fact that the new bike has gained around 5kg over its predecessor, so good job, Hero engineers! Another subtle change is the revision of the seat, which makes the riding posture more akin to that of a streetfighter than a commuter. In the older bike, you feel as if you have sunken into the seat. 

Muscle Mania 

I always liked the styling of the Xtreme 160R and felt it offered a good balance of muscular lines and subtle curves. With the new bike, Hero designers’ focus was to beef up its visuals even further. The LED headlight is similar but gets additional panels to make it look more angular. The fuel tank is now taller and looks bulkier, while the single-seat has been replaced with a chunkier split-seat. What makes these design changes work in my opinion is the golden USD fork that gives the Xtreme 160R 4V a menacing stance. However, I still feel the older design was more pleasing on the eyes with its subtle colour options, maybe it’s just me, or I am getting old! 

A Sprinkle Of Tech

The 2023 Hero Xtreme 160R comes in three variants - Standard, Connected 2.0 ((telescopic fork and single-seat) and Pro. Surprisingly the Pro variant misses out on a lot of features when compared to the Connected variant as it just gets call and message alerts via Bluetooth. The Xtreme 160R Connected trim receives an e-sim via which the rider can access the bike’s location and use geo-fencing; and it sends out accident alerts as well. 

The rider can also access turn-by-turn navigation, but for that he will have to use the app on his phone, and honestly Google Maps is more trustworthy. I am also not a big fan of the digital instrument console as it’s very difficult to read under harsh sunlight and also the layout is very cluttered; a large TFT screen would have been a welcome addition. 

Final Call 

Prices are ex-showroom Mumbai

By now you would have figured out that all the changes incorporated have made a positive impact on the new motorcycle. The Xtreme 160R feels quicker, the engine is more tractable and it now corners with vigour. Hero engineers have done a commendable job with the new set of updates, but what’s not commendable is the pricing. All the upgrades have resulted in a price hike of around Rs 8,000-10,000, which is a lot of money. So with respect to value, the new Xtreme 160R doesn’t score highly. Had Hero engineers managed to add dual-channel ABS and maintained this price, the tale would have been different. Having said that, if you’re planning to buy a fast, fun and easy to lie 160cc motorcycle, the Hero Xtreme 160R 4V should be under your radar.