Hero MotoCorp could be planning to launch a new enduro class motorcycle in the Indian market which could be named XTEC. The company has filed the ‘XTEC’ trademark under the Nice Classification 12. The new motorcycle could be something on the lines of the Xpulse 200 or a full-fledged Adventure Tourer that will compete with the Royal Enfield Himalayan, the 250 Adventure, 390 Adventure and the BMW G 310 GS, depending on the engine power and price.
Now, market speculation believes that Hero could bring a smaller more budget-friendly iteration of the Xpulse 200 powered by the 160cc engine from the recently launched Xtreme 160R. This could mean that the price of the new motorcycle could be closer to the sub-1-lakh category. The smaller iteration is also expected to delete some of the features available on the Xpulse 200 such as Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation.
If this turns out to be true, the XTEC will make close to 15 PS of power and 14 Nm of torque, and depending on how it is tuned the single-cylinder air-cooled motor will be good enough for the urban jungle. The Xpulse 200 is powered by a 199.6cc single-cylinder air-cooled, 4-stroke 2-valve OHC engine that produces 17.8 PS of power and 16.45 Nm of torque matched to a 5-speed.
Now, Xpulse 200 aficionados already feel that the motorcycle could do well with more power and we think the brand could be planning to launch a much larger and advanced Adventure Tourer in the Indian market. Our theory is based on the Adventurer Tourer prototype that was teased at the Hero World 2020 event. The prototype is speculated to have 300-400cc of displacement and the showcased powertrain was a liquid-cooled unit wrapped into a trellis frame, which will be a first for Hero MotoCorp but will enable to motorcycle to better compete in the Adventure segment.
If this theory holds ground, the XTEC could feature a tall aerodynamic fairing, LED lighting, digital instruments cluster with Bluetooth connectivity, a commanding seating position, spoked wheels, dual-sport tyres, long-travel upside-down front fork suspension and high ground clearance to traverse over off-road terrain as well as long-distance on the highway. Hero MotoCorp could use its extensive knowledge from the coveted Dakar Rally and use it in the production model. Back then the prototype was hypothesized to enter production in late 2021.