Hero’s new global motorcycle launch confirmed

The head honcho of Hero MotoCorp, a billion dollar company which is also the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world, Mr Pawan Munjal has declared today that the company will launch a new flagship, which will also be Hero’s new global motorcycle at the culmination of Dakar Rally in January 2017.

Now, the interesting question to ask is, which is this new Hero motorcycle? We guess it could be either of the three – Xtreme 200S, HX250R, or XF3R. And if we can be more imaginative, we can also include the Hero Hastur 620 cc motorcycle in the list.

The Hero Xtreme 200S was one of the premium motorcycle exhibits displayed by the two-wheeler giant at the 2016 Auto Expo. The motorcycle concept was described by the company as a ‘showcase of directional guidance to future products in the premium category’.

At the same show, Hero MotoCorp had also showcased HX250R and XF3R Concept. Of the two, the former is a 250 cc motorcycle which was first showcased a the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo while the latter is a completely new 300 cc concept motorcycle. The last motorcycle, Hastur 620, was a twin cylinder concept which was showcased back in 2014 January, and ever since, there has been no update about it.

Of the four bikes, three seemed near production ready while the one remaining was still a concept. The three which seemed production ready are Xtreme 200S, HX250R and XF3R, while the Hastur is seemingly far away from production, judging from the last public display of the bikes.

But, considering the manner in which Mr Munjal made the announcement, and the fact that it will be a new global motorcycle, the HX250R (which looks more like Karizma ZMR facelift design-wise) and the Xtreme 200S (which is a continuation of the existing Xtreme brand), probably do not make the cut. This leaves the door open for the stylish XF3R concept.

This Hero concept bike has all the right ingredients to be a global success. It is powered by a 300 cc engine, which nowadays seem to be the norm for being an entry level sportsbike (BMW G310R, TVS Akula, Mahindra Mojo, KTM Duke 390, Ninja 300, etc).

The sturdy character of the XF3R is helped by a muscular fuel tank, red finished tubular trellis chassis, inverted front telescopic fork, high tail exhaust canister with twin apertures, a tall tailpiece with split seats, digital instrument console and minimal headlamp with LED pilot lamps. The single-sided die cast swing arm, rear monoshock, digital instrument console, disc brakes at both ends with ABS, alloy levers and top-end Pirelli tyres are the other noteworthy elements which make the XF3R stand out from the crowd.

The Hero XF3R concept is powered by a 300 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel-injected DOHC 4-valve engine which is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Specifications are under wraps as of now. The motor is estimated to churn out around 30 PS of power.

Only time will tell which bike Mr Munjal was referring to. Until then, have a look at the image gallery of XF3R below.

This article first appeared on Rushlane.com