Budget 2 lakhs: Confused between the Hero XPulse 210 & RE Hunter 350

I took a test ride of the Xpulse 210 last week and the suspension felt amazing.

BHPian RedGlamour recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Dear fellow riders,

I am 31 M, 6 feet tall and weigh 75 kg. I am looking to upgrade from my Hero BS4 Glamour SV to a new motorbike and have a budget of around 2 lakhs (give or take).

My daily ride includes a 25 Km to and fro between home and office (within the city with bad roads). Occasionally I go for 60-70km highway rides with my wife as pillion. My riding style is calm and consistent. I don't like sudden bursts of speed.

I took a test ride of the Xpulse 210 last week and the suspension felt amazing as I wasn't feeling the bad roads and speed breakers at all but ever since the new Hunter 350 was launched I have been confused between the two and this is where I need help and recommendations.

Things that I'm looking for:

• Comfortable ride quality with minimal NVH.
• Decent fuel economy.
• Easy to maintain in the longer run (pocket friendly service cost and parts)
• Budget ~2 lakhs.

I request the veterans in this forum to guide me towards the more sensible option between the two or suggest other machines if required.

Thanks in advance.

Here's what BHPian Boringrider replied:

Between the two, I would suggest Xpulse. Once you get used to ADV suspension over bad roads, you will never want to go back to anything else. It fits your other criteria as well, however cons of Xpulse are tubed tyres and I'm not sure if it has a provision for centre stand. Hunter is tiny and will feel cramped with a pillion, is my guess but you'll be better able to tell. Also, it has stiffer suspension.

Other suggestions in similar price range, in no particular order -
Honda CB300F
Honda NX200 - both these Hondas can turn out to be surprisingly good. There's also another model called CB200X.
Yamaha MT15 - depending on your styling preference & pillion comfort levels
Bajaj Pulsar N250 - not very keen on it personally, but can look at it once
TVS Apache RTR200 - check if it matches your riding style

If you can increase your budget a little bit, you can end up with the RE Classic 350 which is unmatched for your riding style and has high levels of comfort as well.

Suzuki Gixxer / Gixxer SF 250
Bajaj Pulsar NS400

Take test rides and do let us know your thoughts on the suggestions. Happy Hunting!

Here's what BHPian girimajiananth replied:

For a 6 footer who rides on bad roads, Xpulse is ideal for you. The bike can handle bad roads. I feel the hunter has stiffer suspension. Xpulse ticks most of your choices. The new Xpulse 210 has a 6 speed gear box making it decent even for highway runs. Let us know what you bought .

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