Tag: hero xtreme

TVS Apache RTR 160 Vs. Hero Xtreme

This is our third article in the bike comparison series we started late last month. We are yet again pitting two popular 150cc bikes against one another – the TVS Apache against Hero Xtreme.

Apache Xtreme Comparison

The Apache is TVS’ marquee bike in the power bikes segment. The 160cc bike was launched in 2007 and is as popular among bike enthusiasts as the the Hero Xtreme which you may also know as the Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme of the yore! Here is a tabled comparison of the core specifications of the two bikes.

Specification Apache RTR 160 Hero Xtreme
Displacement 159.7cc 149.2cc
Max. Power 11.19 kW 10.6 kW
Max. Torque 13.1 Nm 12.80 Nm
Ground Clearance 180mm 145mm
Fuel Tank 16 liters 12.1 liters
Usable researve 1.7 liters 1.5 liters

The Apache RTR 160 is available at a price of Rs. 71,340 ex-showroom Delhi while the Hero Xtreme is available at a commensurate price of Rs. 65,975.

Mileage Comparison

A quote I often put up on this blog is that with great power comes a lower mileage. Considering that the RTR 160 has a higher power and a larger engine cylinder displacement compared to the Xtreme 150, the mileage you can expect with the RTR could be lower than what the Hero Xtreme could offer. That is in fact true by a mile according to the company claims. TVS says the Apache RTR 160 can draw around 54.1 kmpl under standard test conditions while the Xtreme, according to Hero, can draw 65.1 kmpl. That’s a huge difference in the official claims from both the companies. Let’s see if the real world tests also derive similar results.

Let us start with BikeAdvice. In our earlier report on the Apache, this was one report that was hugely positive on the bike as far as mileage was concerned. In their article, the website claimed to have seen 56 kmpl fuel efficiency on the Apache RTR 160 in the long term. In comparison, the website had a slightly worse mileage report for the Xtreme. In an aggregated report of reviews from over 70 customers, we had noted last time that BikeAdvice readers saw a mileage of between 45-51 kmpl on the Hero Xtreme. That’s pretty low compared to Apache.

To have a more real world feel of customer feedback, let us next jump on to the MouthShut forums. There are over 200 reviews for the Apache 160 on this site as compared to 187 reviews for the Hero Xtreme. Both these bikes have received an overall rating of 4/5 from the reviewers as far as fuel consumption was concerned. When it comes to the real numbers though, the race is a dead heat. The average mileage reported on city roads for both the bikes range between 40-50 kmpl which does not give any great insights into which of the two bikes is better.

What’s amusing is that we do not seem to get a better clarity on the winner even when we check the classifieds postings on Olx from people who own the bike. The average mileage reported for both bikes again range between 40-50 kmpl.

Source Apache RTR 160 Hero Xtreme
Official 54.1 kmpl 65.1 kmpl
BikeAdvice 56 45-51
MouthShut 40-50 40-50
Olx 40-50 40-50

So what’s the verdict? Although Hero Xtreme has an obviously better mileage officially claimed, things seem to be different as far as the reviews from blogs and real customers are concerned. The mileages as seen by customers on real world are more or less the same on both bikes. That being the case, I would prefer to go with the Apache RTR over the Hero Xtreme. Why? Because Apache gives you a better power, torque along with much better looks at only a slightly higher price. Getting the same mileage as the Apache on the Hero Xtreme only means the mileage offered by the lower powered bike is not ideal. Apache is the winner in this race.

Hero Xtreme

This is the bike that you can currently find being advertised on TV by Hero Motocorp. The Hero Xtreme is not a new bike. It was first launched as Hero Honda CBZ which was later revamped and relaunched as Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme. After the split up between Hero Motocorp and Honda India, the bike has now been launched as Hero Xtreme.
Hero Xtreme

Like the CBZ Xtreme, the new Hero Xtreme is a 149.2cc bike that is powered by a single cylinder 4 stroke engine that can deliver a max power of 14.4 PS and torque of 12.80 Nm. This places the Xtreme somewhere in the middle in terms of power delivered by 150cc bikes. Here is a table of all the bikes in the segment we have reviewed so far and the average max power claimed by these bikes.

Bike Max Power
Suzuki GS150R 14 PS
Apache RTR 160 15.2 PS
Honda CBR 150R 17.81 PS
Yamaha SZ-x 12.1 PS
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler 14.2 PS
Yamaha FZ16 14 PS
Hero Achiever 13.5 PS
Yamaha YZF R15 17 PS
Hero Hunk 14.4 PS

The Hero Xtreme is priced at around Rs. 65,975 ex-showroom Delhi.

Officially Claimed Mileage

According to Gaadi.com, the official claim on the fuel consumption is around 65.1 kmpl. This is better than the claim from most motorbikes in this segment. Here is what the various 150cc bikes delivered under standard test conditions:

Bike Official Claim
Suzuki GS150R  55.7 kmpl
TVS Apache RTR 160  54 kmpl
Yamaha SZ-x  62.4 kmpl
Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler  60 kmpl
Yamaha FZ16  50.81 kmpl
Yamaha YZF R15  46.93 kmpl
Hero Achiever 68 kmpl
Hero Hunk 65.1 kmpl

Customer Reviews

Let’s start with BikeDekho. The website doesn’t seem to have had a hands-on test drive. But according to them, you can expect a mileage of close to 50 kmpl on city roads. I’m not sure if this is an official number or anything, but even WheelMela appears to concur. Even they note that the standard city mileage with the Xtreme is likely to be 50 kmpl. Again, MaxAbout too notes the fuel economy in city to be 50 kmpl that can go up to 60 kmpl on highways.

To get a realistic figure, let’s jump into user discussions. First off, on Yahoo Answers, there are a lot of people discussing the mileage on their Xtreme and the consensus seems to be between 45-48 kmpl. However, this is if you keep your bike well serviced. If the bike has had its run, then the mileage could drop down to 40 kmpl at which point it is time for yet another servicing.

On the BikeAdvice reviews section, there are over 70 reviews for the bike since the time it was CBZ Xtreme. The numbers floated by the various customers reviewing their bike falls in the range 45-51 kmpl. There are of course a few people who claim top mileage of as high as 55-58 kmpl but they are few and far between.

Checking out MouthShut, there are close to 187 reviews for the Xtreme since the earlier Hero Honda days. The average customer has rated the bike 4/5 on bike consumption which is a pretty good thing for a 150cc bike because not too many people are happy with the fuel consumption on this range. The average fuel consumption reported by the reviewers here is around 40-50 kmpl on city and around 63 kmpl on highways although there is more than one occasion where people have complained of low mileage of not more than 35-40 kmpl. But looking at the average numbers, I would take a guess that these are not the norm and it could also be because of other issues with the specific bike in question.

Things are not very different on Olx where various customers have put their bikes up for sale. The average fuel efficiency one can observe on the Hero Xtreme is between 40-50 kmpl.

So there you go. It is very difficult to see a reliably good mileage delivered on a bike in the 150+cc range. But in this case, the Hero Xtreme delivers. There could be other things that you may want to look at before putting in the money. But as far as the fuel consumption goes, the Hero Xtreme should give you extreme satisfaction. Go for it.

Here’s the summary, as always:

Source City Mileage (kmpl) Highways (kmpl)
Official – 65.1
BikeDekho 50 —
WheelMela 50 —
MaxAbout 50 60
Yahoo Answers 45-48 —
BikeAdvice 45-51 —
MouthShut 40-50 63
Olx 40-50 —