Hero XPulse 200 4V Rally Kit At Pune Off-road Expedition 2022

Fully adjustable suspension and knobby tyres (and a few other knick-knacks) for just Rs 45000 more? It sounds like the Rally Kit is a steal for Hero XPulse 200 owners. So, with our long-term XPulse kitted to the brim with all components, I took it to the Pune Off-road Expedition 2022, one of Pune’s most prominent annual off-roading events. The aim was to actually see if the Rally Kit-equipped XPulse was making the act of tackling obstacles easier, or was it just adding more drama and chaos than what a semi-amateur off-roader could handle?

The Ride Begins

It was supposed to be a healthy representation of Team Zigwheels at the Pune Off-road Expedition, at least eight or nine of us were interested. But as is the case with any riding plans, many of them dropped out at the eleventh hour. Ultimately, only three of them – Ishan with his custom Hero Impulse, Nishaad with a bone-stock Hero Passion XPro and Sudipto on his KTM 390 Duke with dual-purpose rubber fitted – tagged along.

The whole loop was a 20-odd kilometre transport stage followed by some 10-15km of serious trails, filled with rocks, deep ditches and, since the monsoons were in full swing, large water crossings. The trail wasn’t too gnarly, though the ever-changing conditions meant it required an observant mind to keep the bike rubber-side down.

Breezing through the transport stage, the XPulse felt at ease soaking up the bad countryside roads. More than the tyres, the revised rider’s triangle made things easier for me. Staying in firm control over the motorcycle was no biggie. It gave me a better view of the terrain ahead, keeping me better prepared for any obstacles that I may encounter. Plus, the advantage of going with the rally seat is that it allows you to straddle the bike well. With the stock seat, I am not able to lock my legs properly to firmly grip the bike. It forces me to grip it with the fuel tank, which then pushes my weight forwards, causing improper weight distribution.

Fast And Pacey

Upon reaching the start point of the actual trail, all the boys with knobby tyres were busy fiddling with tyre pressures. Thankfully, I had Suraj Giri, a trusty friend who is one of the craziest off-roading nutters, riding along with me. Suraj is the same dude who built the dirt bike using the Tork Kratos as a base for his passion project. He helped me figure out the right amount of air for the tricky stuff ahead and geared up himself to join us on his creation.

Tyres, and egos deflated, I began the ascend. There were quite a few XPulses swarming up, each one of us trying to get ahead of the pack. Battling for traction and vision, we tried our best to keep the momentum going. The XPulse 4V’s well spread torque band allowed me to keep it singing between second and third for the start section. Until…

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Miss And Continue

Barely five minutes into the trail, we arrived at what was the first real obstacle of the expedition: a deep trench with long grooves. Given that I was riding in a group, it is always beneficial to keep an eye out for what the guys ahead do. If they were slowing down, you too should take caution and take heed of a potential hazard. So, when a couple of the guys slowed for this said section, I rolled off as well but to my luck, I had to take quick avoiding action.

Why? Because I saw off-road noob Sudipto beached at the beginning of this trench section. This forced me to lose drive further, throwing me off the line I was hoping to take to get through the tricky bit. Credit to the XPulse, it didn’t get flustered with sudden movements, and in fact, when it tipped over slightly, was easy to dab back up.

• EXCLUSIVE: Tork Motors Is Working On An Electric Dirt Bike But There's A Catch
• Hero XPulse 200 4V 2000km Long Term Review: Back To Basics
• Here’s How Different The Hero XPulse 200 4V Rally Edition And Rally Kit Are

Heavens Opened Up

Prior to the ride, I was contemplating whether or not to fit the knobbies on the bike. Thankfully, I did because I don’t think the stock dual-purpose tyres would’ve gotten me through the day quite so easily, especially when the spits of rain turning into a full-blown thunderstorm.

With natural elements making the event all the more exciting and engaging, it was but natural that most bikes would struggle. Not the XPulse, though. Wading through waist-deep water? No biggie. Maintaining traction even when there are no tracks to follow? It created its own path. I even found myself trailing some of the motocrossers who had turned up for the event, the XPulse barely breaking a sweat on the tight technical portions.

Disaster!

Finishing the off-road loop was a feat in itself. And while many were contemplating going out once more, I aimed to dash back to the start-point as there was some delicious biryani awaiting me.

I got punished for my gluttony, though. Or maybe it was for my stupidity. As I completely forgot I was riding back on deflated knobbies. In my haste to reach back as quickly as possible, I wasn’t paying as much attention to the road imperfections, thinking the suspension would handle the bumps. And then halfway into my return, bang!

A puncture. The valve stem had been ripped off the tube and I faced a slow, lonely and deflated ride back to the camp. It was excruciatingly boring. The rain clouds had disappeared and the sun was beaming down. What should’ve been a 15- or 20-minute cruise took me a little over an hour and a half.

And my misery didn’t end there, as after lunch, I had to ride back into Panshet village to get the puncture fixed. This meant another hour-long ride with a punctured rear tyre, plus another hour to fix the issue.

Highs And Lows

The following morning’s hill climb challenge was daunting. The gradient was quite steep and with a light rain shower just before my run, the terrain was going to make the climb even trickier. I was more than happy to not drop tyre pressure this morning, following the mistakes of the day before.

Slipping and sliding my way to the top, the XPulse made its way to nearly three-fourths distance. It had already begun to lose traction once I crossed the halfway mark and it somehow made its way before I gave up.

I was more keen on completing the hardcore enduro section of the expedition, which thoroughly lived up to its name. Sangram Patil, a friend, chief organiser of the event and someone who has helped us out with great off-road locations in the past, had devised a treacherous trail for those who felt brave (read: me).

Within a few metres of the trail itself I knew I was in a world of pain. It had deep trenches, sharp drops and big boulders to go over. I saw a couple of my friends chicken out, and maybe I should have as well. Just reaching the base section of this ridiculously challenging trail took the stuffing out of me. With not much room and a conservative pace, the bike kept digging into the deep ruts. I had no other choice than to ride through the ruts and gas it out whenever possible.

We were led to believe that the climb up was going to be a bit more relaxed. However, Sangram casually claimed at the bottom that the only way back up was the same way. Exasperated and fed up, I had no other choice other than to stretch my limits and somehow try and reach the marshalls.

But again, just 10-15m away from the finish line, a gnarly obstacle caught me out. It locked the bike in and threw me off the seat. No harm done to the man; but to the machine, a bit. I had to call it quits and asked a couple of the organisers to help me bring the bike up.

Pride Swallowed

Over the course of the two days, the XPulse 200 4V proved that with the Rally Kit, it just elevates the capabilities on offer to a whole new level. I wouldn’t have been as confident through the first day on a stock XPulse and no way in hell would have ventured for the enduro section.

Ultimately, the Pune Off-road Expedition might arrive once a year but the added capabilities of the bike surely make their mark felt all year long. More on how battered and bruised the XPulse was at the end of the event in the upcoming long term report.