Here’s a bit of an exclusive: Indian manufacturer Hero MotoCorp is set to bring its comically fun-looking Xpulse 200 and Xpulse 200 Pro to the United Kingdom.
I stumbled upon this news on Tuesday, when I was up at the Chorley headquarters of Hero’s UK importer/distributor, MotoGB (which also serves as importer/distributor for QJMotor, Voge, Benelli, Moto Morini, and many others). As paperwork was being sorted out for another bike loan (the QJMotor SVT650X – review coming in February, probably), the company’s PR man gave me a quick tour of the facility.
“Ooh! What’s this?!” I asked as we wandered through a storage area.
I was pointing at a tall, old-school-looking, small capacity dual-sport. Regular readers will know that I’ve become mildly obsessed with the idea of getting just this sort of thing.
“Ha-ha, well,” he chuckled. “This, this is definitely a bit of fun.”
The bike in question was the Xpulse 200 Pro. Driven by a 199cc air-/oil-cooled four-valve single cylinder engine, it is very much a throwback to simpler times. It even has a kickstarter! I have no idea what it sounds like or what it’s like to ride, but I will admit that I fell into deep fascination right away.
Hero, often mis-identified as Hero-Honda, is one of India’s largest motorcycle manufacturers. It is huge. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, it churned out an astonishing 19.6 million two-wheelers (motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds). Its most popular model, the Splendor, sells roughly 1 million units a year.
The company was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between Honda and bicycle-focused Hero Cycles. This is why many still refer to it as Hero-Honda. However, that partnership ceased some 16 years ago. In recent years, Hero’s been expanding globally. It currently operates in 48 countries around the world, with the UK having been added to the list late last summer.
Both the Xpulse 200 Pro and its lower-suspension sibling, the Xpulse 200, are set to arrive in the UK in mid-February of this year. Both claim peak outputs of 19 bhp at 8500 rpm and 12.8 lb-ft of torque at 6500 rpm. Not a mind-blowing amount of power, but enough for the sort of bimbling, low-risk off-roading that I’m keen to take part in.
What really hooked me, however, was the price. The Xpulse 200 is being offered for just £2,499, while the Xpulse 200 Pro costs £2,699. I mean, yeah, it’s a relatively low-power, low-tech motorcycle (although it does have three-setting ABS and is Euro 5+ compliant), but that’s an incredibly attractive price. You’ll struggle to even find comparable secondhand motorcycles for that amount of money.
Forget about Japanese dual-sports, for example. The most affordable Honda CRF250L I can find is 11 years old, has 3,249 miles on the clock and costs £3,000. The closest bike I can find that competes in terms of price and intent is a 9-year-old Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 with 19,300 miles on the clock. In terms of seat height and suspension travel, that bike roughly pairs against the Xpulse 200, but it weighs 32 kilograms more.
Both versions of the bike are equipped with Metzeler tires and LED lighting. They also have an electric start if you’re not keen on bashing your shins with a kickstarter. The bikes have been available in India for a while. Having been introduced in 2019, they were recently replaced by the liquid-cooled Xpulse 210/Xpulse 210 Dakar Edition.
Why the UK gets the less-fancy, older versions, I do not know. But I kinda like the idea of it. Charmingly simple. And I would seriously consider buying one of these because, at that price, you’re not going to be too upset about dropping it in the mud.
2026 Hero Xpulse 200 and Xpulse 200 Pro specs
| Xpulse 200 | Xpulse 200 Pro | |
| PRICE | £2,499 | £2,699 |
| ENGINE | 199cc air-/oil-cooled 4 valve single cylinder | 199cc air-/oil-cooled 4 valve single cylinder |
| POWER | 19 bhp at 8500 rpm | 19 bhp at 8500 rpm |
| TORQUE | 12.8 lb-ft at 6500 rpm | 12.8 lb-ft at 6500 rpm |
| TRANSMISSION | 5-speed | 5-speed |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 825 mm | 890 mm |
| WEIGHT | 159 kg | 161 kg |
| GROUND CLEARANCE | 220 mm | 270 mm |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 13 liter | 13 liter |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | 37mm RWU adjustable, 190mm travel | 37mm RWU adjustable, 250mm travel |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Adjustable monoshock, 170mm travel | Adjustable monoshock, 220mm travel |
| FRONT TIRE | 90/90-21 Metzeler Enduro | 90/90-21 Metzeler Enduro |
| REAR TIRE | 120/80-18 Metzeler Enduro | 120/80-18 Metzeler Enduro |
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