Key highlights
- Hero Xpulse 421 spotted once again
- Production prototype likely to be revealed at EICMA 2026
- Powered by a liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine
Hero MotoCorp’s upcoming bigger Xpulse ADV has been spotted once again. The latest sighting comes from the mountains, showing a test mule parked in a parking space. The camouflaged bike looks in the advanced stage of production, and it could be revealed by the end of this year.
Hero Xpulse 421: Everything we know so far
The latest sighting of the Xpulse 421’s test mule clearly shows that Hero is not taking the 421 platform lightly. The test bike has a proper stance that can compete with the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 head-on in terms of road presence and riding posture.
Hero has taken the design inspiration from the rally motorcycles, as it gets a tall front section with a rally-tower-like instrument console positioning and a big windscreen. The upright handlebar positioning and the big fuel tank seem to be designed for optimum comfort, but we will only be able to get more clarity about the riding comfort once the bike makes it to the production line.
The scooped-up rider seat and the tail section with a luggage carrier plate is something that we see on the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Now we do not say that it is similar to the Himalayan, but it certainly looks comfortable and accommodating for long-distance luggage.
Interestingly, the test bike is riding on spoke rims. Again, we have no clarity whether these are tubeless or tube-type. KTM Adventure 390 uses tubeless spoke rims with a conventional design as seen here, while the Himalayan gets cross-spoked rims for the tubeless version. We believe that Hero is likely to offer the conventional-looking tubeless tyres for the Xpulse 421.
Powering the new Xpulse 421 is most likely to be a 421cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor. This new powertrain could be derived from the brand’s Dakar engine pedigree, and it is likely to offer around 40 bhp and 40 Nm. The visible hardware bits include USD front suspension, a rear monoshock (adjustable for preload), 21-inch front and 18-inch rear tyres, and disc brakes.
Additionally, the visible features include the LED lights, a big TFT console that we suspect will offer a variety of information and options like riding modes, traction modes, cruise control, cornering ABS modes, and more. Technology-wise, we believe that the Xpulse 421 could become the most loaded motorcycle in the segment.
Hero is expected to reveal the production prototype of the Xpulse 421 by the end of this year, most probably at EICMA 2026 in November. However, we believe that it will be available for sale only by the end of the first quarter of next year. The expected launch price of the Xpulse 421 could be around Rs 2.5-2.75 lakh.
Also read: Triumph 350cc bikes get expensive once again by up to Rs 10,000
