Deetee, glad to know you isolated the problem and fixed it yourself The before pics of the console are really sad while the one in full glory looks really good

I think its better you inform the mechanic at the service center to first secure the wires and then pressure wash the bike. Anyways you have isolated the problem and done their work for them.

Thank You, will keep that in mind. And since I see RTR 180 in your signature, may I ask if you have used TVS chain lube on your machine and how do you rate it ?
I cleaned the chain after 250km and sprayed TVS lube. Its about 440km now and I can see grime appearing again.

Differences between NXR 150 Bros and Impulse

I am happy to note that Impulse is not a complete copy of NXR 150 and is better in some aspects. Key differences are:

NXR 150 Bros 2012 VS Impulse 2012

1. Fuel injected VS Carburetor model
2.Console is analog with secure locking VS Fully digital console with normal key




3.Tail lamp is bulb type VS LED tail lamp on Impulse

4.Indicators are amber colored VS transparent hexagonal indicators

5. 1st gear ratios is some 2.8 VS 3.0 something 1st gear ratio which gives more lowend torque

6. Oval mirrors VS Hexagonal mirrors
Body panels are also different.

7. Tyres by Pirelli VS Tyres by CEAT

8. Price is 8690 Brazillian reais which is ~ 2,46,000.00 INR VS Price 68,000 INR ex-showroom.

I am using the TVS chain lube for the last 1500kms on the bike. I lube it every 500kms. Bangalore is very dry and dusty in winter. So the chain dries up after around 470-480kms. But don't really see grime like how it would be if i use normal chain oil. I go on long rides of 450-500kms on weekends. So i ensure i lube it before the journey and once after i come back. Has been working well so far.

Mind-blowing review deetee and super comprehensive. My Yamaha YBX is lying unused for months now. Looking at your passion, I am inclined to kick start it to life, if needed get my hands dirty as well.
"Once a biker, always a biker"

I was comparing the grime to how a new chain looked and not with a normal chain lube Good to know that you are finding it good. I planned to lube the chain every 250km but seeing how fast am gobbling up miles, I think I can stick to 400-500km interval.

Quality of Yamaha was legendary and my bike never let me down no matter how hard and harsh I was to it. It is a true work horse. I am not sure if Impulse is so rugged, so am being extra careful.
Happy biking.

Honda does have a 223 cc (zma engine) dirt bike:
The CRF 230F- 107kg , 19.3 bhp ~ 180bhp/ton
Note the red spark plug

Attached Thumbnails

 

After 2 weeks of ownership, my take on the bike:

What I liked:
1. Ultra capable suspension and steering geometry.
2. Quite flickable and responsive in bumper to bumper traffic.
3. Mileage ( 52kmpl as of now!, under mixed driving conditions ).
4. Good low end torque, rev happy engine.
5. Large front tyre helps to tackle bumps with ease.
6. Rear tyre offers good grip on road.
7. Excellent slow speed handling, quite handy in bumper to bumper traffic.
8. Comfortable seat and ergonomics for rider.


What could have been better:
1. Engine! though capable on its own, the bike could have been damn good tourer with a bigger engine. For offroad though I think the current 150 cc mill will be ok.
2. Electricals- should have been full dc. Head light being run off alternator dims when engine idles.
3. There should be atleast a provision to temporarily fit a centre stand like in R15 v1.0
4. Engine becomes hot in bumper to bumper traffic, I can feel the heat it radiates. Good in winter but wonder how it will be in Summer.
5. Torque peaks out at 5k rpm, so speedo doesn't seem to climb that fast beyond the mark.
6. The rear mono shock is not adjustable- I didn't find it necessary but desirable.
7. Engine kill switch- didn't like this hero tradition of not providing it even on ZMR.
8. The bottom of engine is not perfectly flat, so placing a block/flat support under it to hold the bike straight is not possible.
9. I wish am taller

Congrats deetee and thanks for a nice review. Did you get a chance to check whether the high silencer creates a problem for the pillion riders? Does it get uncomfortably hot by any chance?

You are absolutely right on it and that's a big question even i have and have been looking out for first hand information on other forums also to see if anybody tried taking the bike over there.

An update after 2250 Km and 55 days of ownership.

The bike, how it is now:
1. Engine seems to have opened up a little. The exhaust is perceptibly louder. Vibrations are felt at handle grips and foot pegs after the RPM crosses 5000 mark. The torque peaks at this point too, don't know if that has anything to do with those perceptible vibrations.
2.Gearbox, has its own character. I neither like it nor dislike it. Slotting from first to second or reverse happens with a loud 'clunk' noise and sudden change in power and torque. First gear is too short and quite torquey. Second gear onwards, it becomes progressively smoother as I upshift. 4th - 5th is just a touch shift , I mean I don't need to exert much pressure on shift lever as I do to shift in other gears. To summerize, they should have had a gear between 1st and 2nd ratios.
3.One note about the exhaust, just even after a 30 min ride in city traffic, the heat from exhaust on the right side of the engine starts baking the calf muscles on right leg. The air scoops doesn't seem to be doing much work at slow speeds. However the plastic gaurd on the muffler is doing its job very well. Doesn't ever get hot, just warm.
4.Suspension. One word - awesome. Good roads, bad roads or no roads the bike inspires the same amount of confidence and driveability, thanks to excellent suspension and steering geometry. One thing that left me wondering is, I can't find any gas reservoir on rear mono shock though Hero moto claims it is nitrox filled!
5. The front fender does cast its shadow in the path of high beam but only till a feet or two ahead. In low beam it is non existent.
6. There has been some noise from front fork/steering assembly whenever tyre goes over a sharp bump or into a pot hole. I noticed it after the first 100 Kms. Service guys shrugged it off as common thing with all the bikes. I am not yet able to find the exact cause, but I strongly believe it is not normal.Have read that this noise appeared on other Impulses also.
7.Tyres- They are no dirt specialists but held up very nicely on tarmac and unpaved roads. Skids in the case of loose gravel/sand on tar.

Things this bike did to me:

1. I learned to change the oil myself. Pretty simple, but never did before. Bought socket wrench kit too.
2. I learned to adjust chain tension and axle alignment. I learned to clean and lube the chain too.
3. I learned to do wheel truing my self. I had to search a lot for the right spanner size for that.
4. I learned a bit about cutting and doing vinyl stickering.
5. I learned to stop the bike using only the front brake, many thanks to Aditya.
6. I designed and got a bike lift fabricated.( more on this later )
7. First time in my life, I rode nonstop 200Km on a bike.
8. First time in my life, I saw a 3 digit speedo figure on a bike.( I was a very conservative rider earlier. I am spoiled now )

Things yet to learn:
1. To repair punctured tube while its on the bike.
2. To install a new tube after taking tyre off the bike.
3. To clean the centrifuge oil filter.

Have been using Shell Advanced 4T Ultra FS, since 1500 Km on Odo.

A quick update:

The front fork noise still persists. It doesn't always sound its existence. Only when front tyre goes into potholes or when it hits a steep spead breaker I get to hear the noise. Even jumping over at 50 kmph on big speed breakers that are shaped well doesn't sound this noise. Judging by where it sounds, I am sure it is somewhere around the lower triple clamp. Maybe the triple clamp is a little loose or the head lamp cowl/assembly is hitting against the lower triple clamp. Will spend some time this weekend to get it sorted out.

And gear box is behaving on its own sometimes. On occasions when I have to stop suddenly while in 4th or 5th, i will not be able to downshift to 1st or neutral unless I raise the engine rpm enough. Technically it doesn't seem to be any wrong, but to do this exercise during panic braking in middle of traffic is something I wish I don't need to do.

Otherwise it's a rock n roll ride everytime. I have to ride over a smooth but big bump on the way to office everyday. I thoroughly enjoy taking it at speeds in excess of 50 kmph. It is one nice experience and a naughty grin after I see other road users in my rear view as they are still slowly negotiating it.

Glad to know your bike is doing well deetee! There was a noise from the front forks on my RTR160 too. I put 10ml of fork oil into each fork. After that there was no sound. Worth a try!

@deetee - Awesome review and brilliant bike.

Looks like you learnt a lot of DIY with a bike where you don't need. I can only imagine what all you would have learnt with an RE.

I am wondering how much the engine has been worked on given that they use the same 150 cc in so many different models of theirs. Not much is my guess, just a different state of tune.

How tall do you have to be before you can sit comfortably on this bike (guesstimate). I guess you are sitting comfortably, but then you are 5"10' and have long legs by the looks of those photos.

How do you manage to get 50+ kmpl. I have an Achiever which has the same engine and my average is about 40. It comes down to about 30 on the highway, and have once managed 50 when I rode the bike carefully for a full tank just to see what I could manage. Painful experience as I just cannot handle riding at 3,000 rpm and getting it into top gear and literally crawling along. I epitomise Tom Cruise in Top Gun when he says, "I feel the need, the need for speed". My bad

Would it be possible to get wider tyres fitted on the bike. Is there space for it. Wider tyres are very useful if taking the bike seriously off road.

Yep, no harm in trying. I will need to see 'how to' videos for that on Youtube. Don't know how its on RTR but its not going to be that easy on this bike because of cramped steering stem. I have to remove the handle to access the fork screws.
But still I think some seal or something is leaking at lower triple clamp of the steering. Could be faulty manufacturing issue. Look at these marked areas:



Thanks . Am kind of forced to do them myself because of incapable mechanics of Hero workshops and attitude of hero motors itself.
The bike has been out for more than 3 months and still there is no supply of bike specific parts or part nos to all workshops. The mechanics don't how to handle a monoshock setup nor even to lube a O-ring chain. The design being first time to Hero, the mechanics treated it just like another of its 150 cc siblings. In the first service, they overfilled engine oil, overtightened the oil sump screw, overtightened the chain, axle is out of alignment .,. I can keep listing their mistakes. Apart from that, I plan to do some serious riding on this machine and so thought knowing some DIY can be helpful.

I am not sure if they worked on the motor but they did mess up the gear box leaving a hole between 1st and 2nd gears.

While sitting on it, I can plant both my feet flat and firm with ease, the knee will be still bent slightly. So, I think even a 5'8" tall person can touch down without being acrobatic.

Well, my experience of getting 50+ kmpl is no different than how you got it. I too had to do it carefully and consciously. But the actual average with my normal riding, I guess, is some 45 kmpl. On highways, worst I saw is 37 kmpl (@ frequent 80kmph sprints).

Current rear tyre spec is 110/80. I think it can take upto 120 wide tyre beyond which the chain guard on left-side will start rubbing against.

congrats man, thats one amazing bike you got there. Rode one impulse yesterday and i liked the fact that hero had launched a thoroughbred off roader without cutting any corners. Really enjoyed the bike.

I am surprised that you are having trouble at HH service center, try some other service center.

Thanks Rahul, yes the bike is amazing but not enough. Because of what it is capable, one is left wanting for more engine power. Other than the gearbox everything else is spot on. Nothing too wrong with the gearbox but it is tuned for torque and sometimes it is out of its mind. I had tried many of the local HH service centers for the service of Pleasure. Back then I thought they don't service the automatics well but they do good job with bikes. But after having experienced their folly even with Impulse, I can't believe they are any good nor will they improve if I keep pushing them. Another problem is me! After reading many informational threads and post here, naturally my attention to details and crave for perfection increased . May be thats why HH service which is very good to any other common man appears mediocre to me.

I don't know much about what people call handle-footpeg-seating geometry but I can say those proportions are quite well designed in Impulse. Riding offroad at 60kmph while gliding over bumps doesn't unsettle this thing a bit.
On my way to office today, traffic was crawling at some particular 400 mt stretch and I could zoom past all that along the margin of the road. (lots of bumps, dirt and so no other biker is taking that line). I don't say I gained a lot of time in doing that circus but it was fun.