Hero’s Xpulse 421 spy test: Upcoming RE Himalayan 450 rival!

Hero MotoCorp’s upcoming flagship adventure motorcycle has been spotted testing again, this time in Ladakh. The heavily camouflaged prototype, which is widely believed to be called the Xpulse 421, appears to be in an advanced stage of development as the company continues to evaluate it in high-altitude conditions ahead of its global debut. Once launched, the motorcycle is expected to compete with rivals like the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450.Despite the camouflage, the latest spy images reveal some design clues. At the front, the motorcycle adopts a rally-style stance with a tall windscreen and vertically stacked LED headlights housed within a sharply styled fairing. While the front appears muscular and strong, the rear profile is relatively slim.The Xpulse 421 is expected to feature a long-travel inverted front fork paired with a rear mono-shock absorber. Hero is likely to offer adjustable suspension with compression and rebound adjustment at the front and preload adjustment at the rear. The test mule also appears to be equipped with 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels wrapped in dual-purpose tires. Braking duties are expected to be handled by disc brakes at both ends and dual-channel ABS.Powering the new adventure bike is a new 421cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. While Hero MotoCorp has yet to reveal official specifications, the motor is expected to produce around 40 hp and may come with a six-speed gearbox. The test motorcycle also showcased a fully digital TFT instrument cluster. While Hero MotoCorp is yet to officially announce a launch timeline, multiple sightings of the motorcycle in real-world testing suggest that development is progressing at a steady pace. We expect a global release later this year.