The affordable Adventure Motorcycling segment of India was redefined by the Indian two-wheeler manufacturer Royal Enfield. The Royal Enfield Himalayan was first launched in India in 2016 and it found a lot of takers. People love going long-distance touring and to unknown destinations with their Himalayan. But, the Himalayan was still not very accessible to mass-market and Hero MotoCorp sensed the feasibility of an affordable adventure motorcycle to fill up this huge price bracket. Hero MotoCorp launched the Xpulse 200 in May 2019 and the Indian off-road junkies accepted it whole-heartedly. At present, Hero Xpulse 200 doesn't has any direct rival but soon it gonna face tough competition if Yamaha launches the Yamaha WR 155 R in India. In this article, we will be comparing the 2020 Yamaha WR 155 R vs Hero Xpulse 200.
Looks and Colour Options
The Yamaha WR 155 R is a proper adventure motorcycle and thus its looks won't appeal to the normal mass-market motorcycle buyers. It gets a triangular halogen headlamp, high raised handlebars, mudguards and a flat saddle along with other funky off-road bits like an under-seat exhaust. The WR 155 R is available in global markets in two different colours - Yamaha Blue and Yamaha Black and out of this duo colour shades, its the Yamaha's blue colour shade that will appeal to a lot of buyers.
Hero Xpulse 200 is also an adventure motorcycle but Hero MotoCorp has designed it in such a way that it doesn't look odd on the Indian roads and can be used for normal day to day commutes too. The bike gets an all-LED headlamp, a small visor, knuckle guards, high mounted mudguards, an engine bash plate and an up-swept exhaust. It is available in five colour variants - Panther Black, Matte Grey, Matte Green, White and Sports Red. Talking from a general perspective, it's the Hero Xpulse 200 that will grab more eyeballs out on the streets.
Engine and Transmission
| Specification | Yamaha WR 155 R | Hero Xpulse 200 |
| Engine | 155.09cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected | 199.6cc, single-cylinder, fuel-injected |
| Max. Power | 16.7 PS at 10000 RPM | 18.08 PS at 8500 RPM |
| Max. Torque | 14.3 Nm at 6500 RPM | 16.45 Nm at 6500 RPM |
| Cooling System | liquid-cooled | air-cooled |
| Transmission | 6-speed | 5-speed |
| Emission Norm | NA | BS6 |
Yamaha WR 155 R is powered by the same engine that also powers the Yamaha R15 and MT 15 in India but produces slightly lesser power and torque and also gets a bigger sprocket to generate better low-end torque. It is powered by a 155.09cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected motor that churns out 16.7 PS of power at 10,000 RPM and 14.3 Nm of torque at 6500 RPM, matched to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It makes up for lesser output by being 19 kgs lighter than the Xpulse 200.
Hero Xpulse 200, on the other hand, employs a larger 199.6cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected engine that churns out 18.08 PS of power at 8500 RPM and 16.45 Nm of torque at 6500 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and is BS6-compliant.
Chassis and Suspension
| Specification | Yamaha WR 155 R | Hero Xpulse 200 |
| Chassis | semi-double-cradle frame | Diamond Frame |
| Front Suspension | 41mm Telescopic Shock Absorbers | 37mm Telescopic Shock Absorbers |
| Rear Suspension | Preload-adjustable gas-charged rear mono-shock | 10-step adjustable mono-shock absorber |
Yamaha WR 155 R is based on a semi-double-cradle frame while the Xpulse 200 gets a diamond frame. Both the motorcycles get telescopic front forks and a rear mono-shock with different diameter and suspension-travel.
Tyres and Brakes
| Specification | Yamaha WR 155 R | Hero Xpulse 200 |
| Tyre Size | Front 21-inch Rear 18-inch | Front 21-inch Rear 18-inch |
| Tyre Type | tube-type | tube-type |
| Wheel type | spoke | spoke |
| Front Brake | disc | disc |
| Rear Brake | disc | disc |
| Additional safety aid | NA | ABS |
Both the motorcycles get spoke wheels with tube-type tyres for better off-road performance. Both the motorcycles also get disc brakes at both the ends but the Hero Xpulse 200 gets an additional aid of single-channel ABS which the WR 155 R misses out.
Dimensions and Capacity
| Specification | Yamaha WR 155 R | Hero Xpulse 200 |
| Length | 2145 mm | 2223 mm |
| Width | 840 mm | 850 mm |
| Height | 1200 mm | 1257 mm |
| Seat Height | 888 mm | 823 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1430 mm | 1412 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 245 mm | 220 mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 8.1 L | 13 L |
| Weight | 134 kgs | 153 kgs |
Features
Yamaha WR 155 R gets an all-digital instrument cluster loaded with a lot of information and all the telematics are easily visible to the rider while riding. Hero Xpulse 200 also gets an all-digital cluster loaded with information and additionally it also gets Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and turn by turn navigation feature. Hero MotoCorp has also launched a rally kit version for the Xpulse which makes it even more off-road capable.
Price
| Price | Yamaha WR 155 R | Hero Xpulse 200 |
| Ex-showroom | Rs. 1.3 - 1.4 lakhs (Expected) | Rs. 1.15 lakhs (Expected for BS6) |
Yamaha WR 155 R is currently not available in India but if launched, it will be priced around Rs. 1.30 lakhs, Ex-showroom. Hero Xpulse 200 is currently in its BS4 avatar but Hero MotoCorp will soon launch the BS6-compliant Hero Xpulse 200 in India. The bookings for the BS6 Xpulse 200 has already begun and the motorcycle will be priced around Rs. 1.15 lakhs, Ex-showroom Delhi.
The Japanese biker maker has not officially revealed the India launch timeline of the Yamaha WR 155 R and its India launch seems uncertain as of now as Yamaha wants to focus more on volume churner motorcycles in the country. However, the recent launch of Yamaha WR 155 R in Indonesia does hints that Yamaha might bring it to India in future to rival the affordable Hero Xpulse 200.
So, this was a quick specification-based comparo of the 2020 Yamaha WR 155 R vs Hero Xpulse 200. Which of these two adventure motorcycles excite you the most? Share with us in the comments below.
