[neil.jericho]

A week ago, my friend sent me the link to the webpage of the Hero XTracks program, which included all the details of the event to be conducted in Cochin on the 5th of February. The Wolftrails track is well known in the local offroading community. Since I have no real experience with offroading, I was keen to give it a go. Also, my past brushes with the Xpulse 200 had been less than impressive.

Would I enjoy motorcycling in offroad conditions? Was it possible that the Xpulse 200 would redeem itself in its natural habitat?

Registration
There is a straightforward online registration process to be followed on the Hero website. I have to appreciate Hero for providing elbow armours and knee guards free of cost, for riders to wear, during the XTracks event. This way, anyone with a helmet, can participate and experience the Xpulse 200, as well as offroading.

[neil.jericho]

The event was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM. My friend suggested that we get there at least 20 to 30 minutes earlier than that, to avoid the crowd. It was a good thing that we did. By the time we got there, we found that we werent the only riders with the same idea!

There were several Hero officials and dealership staff who were tying up any loose ends, before the registrations began. Meanwhile, classic rock songs were being played on the speaker system, to keep us entertained. This is a company driven event and Hero is obviously spending a fair amount of money, to run this program across India.

Around 8:00 AM, we were invited to the registration desk. The riders were asked to fill out a form and submit it at the well manned counters. We were then given a large sequentially numbered sticker, to paste on the back of our shirts / jackets. This would be our rider identifier.

Next, we attended the track briefing, from one of the organizers. Sidewalls, a ditch, a jump, a whoops section and a tabletop, were all part of the track. Looking at the layout of the Wolftrails track, I wondered if I had bitten off, more than what I could chew! The instructor patiently explained how to tackle each of these sections, what gear to be in, what riding posture to adopt and so on. Those who had prior experience with the Xpulse 200 and offroading were asked to give the Rally Kit-ted Xpulse 200, a go. Newcomers were asked to stick to the base Xpulse 200.

Given the expected number of riders, we would only get 2 laps each. The group would have one lead instructor and another instructor at the tail. As with any group ride, we had strict instructions to not overtake them, under any circumstances.

After the briefing, those who didnt have riding gear, borrowed the elbow guards and knee guards from the respective counter.

The organizing team took some time to sort out a portion of the track, that wasnt set to their complete satisfaction. This took up around 10 minutes or so.

Entry to the event


Registration and feedback counter to the right. Food and helmet counters to the left.


A couple of bikes on display for a photo opportunity.


The bikes that we would get to ride.


A Rally Kit bike was also on display. They are really tall!


Guess who was rider # 1!


The track layout.


The colour scheme of the bike does match that of my helmet. Just saying ....

[neil.jericho]

Once the track was ready, we were asked to gear up and pick our bikes. Each group had a maximum of 7 riders.

The handlebar of this base Xpulse 200 felt a little smaller than the stock bike. Other than that, it seemed to be exactly the same as what we get off the showroom floor.

The initial incline was easy to deal with but when I saw my first sidewall, I decided to give it a shot. Being a conservative rider, it wasnt easy to ride across a slanting surface but Im glad that I did it. This gave me the confidence to take on the rest of the track. That was until I saw the deep ditch. Its safe to say that in 20+ years of motorcycling, I have never ridden through anything quite like it! I followed the instructions given in the briefing session and emerged unscathed. The jump (which we were asked to take at normal speeds, if we hadnt done it before), whoops section and table top, were all daunting on the first lap, but I managed them, without any issues. The biggest thrill was the rear sliding around while taking a sharp left turn, after the jump section.

On the second lap, I was a lot less intimidated and carried much higher speeds through the course. I avoided some of the sidewalls, on account of a. self preservation and b. failed attempts to deliberately slide out the rear tire. Note to self - A swallow does not a summer make. That said, the same tight left turn did get the rear sliding on the second lap, as well. That made me realize that I had less to do with the slide, than the mud / sand conditions and the spinning rear tire.

By the end of the 2nd lap, my mind was buzzing, I was sweating profusely and my arms felt like they had been through a solid gym workout. This was tremendously exciting! No wonder offroading is becoming increasingly popular in India. In hindsight, Im glad that the organizers didnt give us 3 laps each. I would have been completely drained by the end of another lap, thanks to the exertion and high humidity levels.

My friend tried to record the 2 laps on his helmet mounted camera but the recording stopped, a few seconds in. Hence, I dont have any video footage to share.

As soon as we finished our session, the next set of riders boarded the bikes.

Me on the far right.


My friend on the right. Look at the grin on the face of the other gentleman!

[neil.jericho]

After our session, we were asked to return the borrowed riding gear.

At the feedback counter, we had to scan a QR code and enter our feedback on the event and the motorcycle. After this was done, we were given individual certificates of completion, a sticker and a badge.

At the next counter, we were offered water bottles and a breakfast box, which was quite loaded with items. There also was a counter serving tea / coffee and cutlets. However, they ran out of plastic cups pretty quickly, so that was the end of that.

The next table had some Hero helmets on display. I guess that they were for sale.

We waited for another friend to signup and complete his session. His number was in the early 70's. By the time we were ready to leave, the registration count was around 220. Despite the swelling numbers, there was no crowding around any particular area of the property. Everyone was here to enjoy a nice Sunday morning, doing what they love to do best.

Since there were a lot of riders, the organizers requested the riders who had completed their session, to not signup for a second attempt. That way, everyone could get a fair chance, without much delay.

Breakfast box. A bag of chips was under these items.


A Hero helmet.


One of the bikes came in for a tube change.


The crowded parking lot ...


.. with all sorts of motorcycles

[neil.jericho]

I didnt really know what to expect when I signed up for the Hero Xtracks event. In the end, Im glad that I attended it, despite having no real experience, and zero expertise, with riding a motorcycle in offroad conditions.

All this while, I was never really a fan of the Xpulse 200. I had found the initial 2V version to be rather bland. It didnt help that the first gen Xpulse 200 had several quality issues and many owners werent really happy with it. A lot of my friends have found the updated 4V version to be a lot better in terms of refinement and rideability, with some of them even going on to buy the bike, while others initially booked and later, cancelled it.

Now that I have ridden the Xpulse 200 4V in trying conditions, I have a new found respect for its capabilities. I have asked one of the local dealers to arrange for a test ride, lets see how it goes.

As I mentioned before, this is a company run event. Without this significant investment from the company, the riding community, in all of its offshoots around the country, cannot grow to the heights that it is capable of. After seeing Hero's commitment to improving their Xpulse 200 and introducing new riders (both, to offroading and new riders in general) to this side of the motorcycling world, I have to say that other companies can learn a thing, or ten, from them. Well done, Hero, well done!

Finally, a word of appreciation for the team from Hero. They worked like a well oiled machine and kept the riders on track, with minimal downtime. Yes, there were some rider falls but everything was handled very smoothly. There were enough number of people manning the counters and running the show. All of this takes time, coordination, patience, practice and management. Without the hard working Hero team, none of the participants would have enjoyed the event, as much as they did.

Speaking of participants, everyone had a big smile after their 2 laps of the track. There was an unmistakably positive ambience to the whole event and some riders even came with their families.

Overall, this was a massively fun event and I do encourage riders to attend such events, whenever it comes around to their cities. I am certain that you will enjoy the experience, as much as I did.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Axe77]

Wow! Thanks for that prompt post Neil. Fantastic outline of the event. Had no idea about this until I saw this thread. The X Pulse is indeed a really promising bike - if only it had a bit more grunt to keep the rider engaged on the highway too.

I signed up for the 12th Feb Mumbai one since I’m anyway in Thane vicinity for a running event very early that morning. Will carry my riding gear - if I can make it there early enough before its too crowded will give the track a go.

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The colour scheme of the bike does match that of my helmet. Just saying ....

The helmet surely matches But racing gloves for the Xpulse? What's the simplest pair of gloves you have?

Seeing the amount of young riders interested in these events is a very positive sign!

Happy riding,
surjaonwheelz