Hero Xtreme 250R first ride review | Performance for the masses?

Remember the Xtunt 2.5R concept showcased back at the 2023 EICMA show? Hero didn’t waste any time to get a production version of the aggressively styled streetfighter. Christened the Xtreme 250R, we got a first look at this bike at the 2024 EICMA show and the 2025 Bharat Mobility Show and we’ve finally gotten to swing a leg over it. With this naked bike, Hero claims to offer a machine that is faster from 0-60kmph, 0-100kmph and to its top-speed than all of its rivals, all while having a superb ride and handling package. Is this actually the case and does Hero, with the Xtreme 250R, have a product that can essentially grab customers from a class above and below? We find out.

Hero Xtreme 250R design

Concepts, once showcased, often never see the light of day. Some that do make it to production, more often than not, have very little to do with the concept that was showcased. The Xtreme 250R is a welcome departure from this phenomenon, because a lot of what you see on the Xtunt 2.5R is what you get on the production version. The design is sharp, aggressive and everything you’d expect from a naked streetfighter motorcycle. The front headlight, with the signature ‘H’ shaped DRLs, the muscular cowls with the ‘R’ badging, the tall and sculpted fuel tank, the sharp and narrow rear section all lend to a really likeable design. This is further accentuated by the diamond cut alloys and the petal discs. The designers at Hero have done a stellar job with the proportions, the stance and the contrast colour panels. In my opinion this does look the best in its class.

Hero Xtreme 250R engine and performance

Powering the Xtreme 250R is a brand-new 250cc DOHC, four-valve, single-cylinder engine. In terms of outputs, the motor is good for 29.5bhp at 9250rpm and 25Nm of torque at 7250rpm, which are healthy figures for its class. Thumb the starter and you’re greeted by a pleasantly rorty exhaust note. Hero claims that the Xtreme 250R is the fastest in its segment, and I’m very eager to verify this claim. Although, that’s not the information this review is going to give you, that is for the comparison test that we do back at home. What I can tell you is how the bike is like to ride in isolation. Set off and you will immediately realise that the motor is peppy and eager to add digits to the speedometer and in a very linear, non-threatening manner at that.

The motor is mated to a six-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch and both work very well. Clutch action is light and requires barely any effort to modulate. The gearbox is slick but tactile and precise, making slotting in a gear a very satisfying affair. Coming back to the performance, the motor is fairly tractable for what’s meant to be a performance-oriented machine. Riding in higher gears with lower speeds is not cause for the motor to cry ‘blue-bloody-murder’. That along with the gearbox and clutch being easy to operate, make riding the bike in a sedate manner possible and therefore a good commuter. When you get to the twisties and want the scenery to streak by faster, all you have to do is get the revs past 5000rpm and you wave a torque that will keep building till fairly close to the 10,000rpm redline.

But between 5-8000rpm is where the engine is the most enjoyable for spirited riding. There’s enough grunt to have a lot of fun without refinement levels taking too much of a back seat. 100-110kmph seems like the ideal speed to settle into a cruise on the bike and at this point there aren’t many vibrations to complain about. You do feel a few creep into the footpegs, the seat, and the ’bar, but those stand more as reminders of a potent combustion engine, than an annoyance. The tractable nature of the engine allows you to make mistakes in the corner and carry a gear higher than required and actually get away with it scott-free. That makes the bike friendly for novice riders as well.

Hero Xtreme 250R chassis, ride and handling

The Xtreme 250R is built around a brand-new chassis setup at the centre of which is a trellis frame. The trellis frame has been the gold standard for handling without making things too difficult for manufacturers to produce while keeping overheads low. The frame on the Xtreme 250R is no exception and is very communicative and endows the bike with great handling traits. The frame is suspended off of 43mm USD forks at the front that are finished in a light gold colour, if that sort of thing excites you. The rear makes use of a gas-charged monoshock that is preload-adjustable. Fairly standard stuff. In terms of handling, a sub-24 degree rake angle, 86mm trail, and a wide handlebar results in an agile motorcycle. One that is eager to change directions on a dime, without unsettling you or the bike too much. The short 1357mm wheelbase also aids this, but none of it makes the bike feel unstable or twitchy. The Xtreme 250R really shines in the corners and filtering through traffic is effortless too. The 167.7kg kerb weight with the 11.5-litre fuel tank nearly roped up really helps matters. Tyres come courtesy of MRF with the Steel Brace-X 110-section front and 150-section rear set. The tyres are grippy enough for mixed riding and commuting, but if you see yourself hitting the twisties or the track very often, I’d suggest getting stickier rubber. Lucky for us, there are plenty of options in the market now.

The ergonomic triangle is quintessentially streetfighter, with a wide handlebar that offers more than enough leverage, an accessible 806mm tall saddle, and footpegs that aren’t too rear-set or relaxed either. This allows you to sit comfortably while commuting and the seat is roomy enough to allow you to move around when it’s time to attack the corners. See the bike from the side and you’ll see just how tall the tank is and when seated you get the sense that you’re sitting in the bike and not on it. Even with my 5-foot, 10-inch frame and ample girth, I had no problems with space and never felt cramped on the motorcycle.

Coming to the ride quality, the suspension feels solid when the roads are in top shape. Get to a section where roads are not perfect, with smaller bumps and undulations and the suspension gives you the sense that it is working hard to iron things out but doesn’t manage to get all the imperfections. The rear rebounds a little quickly and the front feels a little softer than I’d like. It feels a little too busy and not as sophisticated as the rest of the handling package. Mid-corner bumps also make themselves felt. Not too much, but enough for you to be more cautious of the lines you’re taking. But bear in mind, I’m a large rider and my weight isn’t in the optimal operating range of the suspension. So do take a test ride before you form your opinion. All-in-all, the setup works well for the most part but a little better damping would have made the bike feel that much better as a package.

Braking comes from a large 320m petal disc at the front and a 230mm rear petal disc with a twin-piston and single-piston ByBre calliper set, respectively. Braking performance is acceptable, although a slightly sharper bite from the front would be nice. But owing to the softer tune on the USDs, I can understand why the engineers may have chosen not to sharpen the bite too much. The ABS system is also well calibrated and doesn’t intervene unless you’re being careless.

Hero Xtreme 250R features

In terms of features, the Xtreme 250R gets LED lighting all-around, and like the Hero Mavrick and the Harley-Davidson X440, it gets the auto-headlight function that turns on when it gets dark out. The sensor for this is on the cluster, which has been picked right off the Karizma XMR 210 and feels very dated in present company. The negatively lit theme makes reading the screen under harsh sunlight very challenging and Hero should have either gone for a TFT or an LCD that doesn’t make you spend too much time looking to get basic information clearly. While the layout is acceptable, the display quality simply isn’t in this day and age. Other features include phone connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation and a dual-channel ABS system that can be turned off at the rear. Called the track mode, it allows you to back it into corners and be a general hooligan if you so choose to. The calibration for the ABS is spot on and doesn’t intervene unless the wheel is genuinely slipping.

Hero Xtreme 250R verdict

The Xtreme 250R sits in a sweet spot where rivals with similar displacement are either significantly lower on power but cheaper, or at par but more expensive. Yes, you can always argue that if you pay a little more than the ₹1.8 lakh ex-showroom asking price, you can get the Bajaj Pulsar NS 400 Z, but that doesn’t feel nearly as polished and the extra power on the Pulsar could likely alienate beginners. The Xtreme 250R on the other hand has a great chassis with a potent engine that can excite novice riders and keep riders with a little experience entertained as well. The styling is spot on without being too offensive, making it appeal to a wider audience than some of its competition. All-in-all, Hero has done a good job with the overall package and the Xtreme 250R is a very likeable motorcycle. Yes, it does have a few flaws, but in this case the pros far outweigh the cons. As far as the ‘fastest in the segment’ claim goes, it does feel quick, but is it actually the fastest? Time for a showdown.