Apart from the four new motorcycles unveiled by Hero MotoCorp, the star motorcycle of the Auto Expo 2014, the HX250R sports bike, in new blue shade was also showcased at the biennial show. The near-to-production-spec model dropped the R suffix from the concept model of 2014, while the design and technical details remained unchanged.
While there is no official information on the launch date, the buzz at the pavilion indicates market launch in the festive season of this year. The HX250 is one of the most important bikes to be launched for being the flagship model after the discontinuation of the Karizma range recently. The fully-faired sports bike has been co-developed with US-based Erik Buell Racing (EBR). However, bankruptcy of EBR last year had slowed down the arrival of the HX250.
The 250cc motorcycle will come with telescopic front forks and a five-step adjustable monoshock at the rear. Hero HX250 will be equipped with Pirelli rubbers and, 300mm front and 220mm rear disc brakes. The motorcycle measures 2,085mm in length, 735mm in width and 1,145mm in height with a ground clearance of 145mm. Despite being a fully-faired motorcycle, the HX250 weights just 136kg and has a 12.9-litre in fuel tank capacity.
The HX250 will be powered by a 249cc, single-cylinder, 4-valve engine that uses liquid-cooling and fuel-injection to produce 31bhp of power and 26Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed transmission. Hero claims 0-60kmph speed can be achieved in 2.7 seconds.
The motorcycle will come with twin projector headlamps with LED DRLs, LED taillamps, underbelly exhaust, clip-on handle bar, split seats, digital instrument cluster and segment leading dual riding modes -- City and Sport. The new Hero motorcycle will be pitted against the likes of Honda CBR 250R and Kawasaki Ninja 300 and is likely to be priced around Rs 1.5 lakh.
