In the run up to the 2014 Auto Expo, Hero MotoCorp has taken the wraps off five new products that are in different levels of being production-ready. The models include two motorcycles, two scooters and an interesting diesel-hybrid concept.
 
Hero Xtreme
 
The first of these models to go on sale will be the Hero Xtreme motorcycle, slated for a launch around April. The bike is based on the existing CBZ Xtreme but styling is quite different and far edgier than the original. Among the features of interest are the Xtreme's headlight, indicators, LED tail-lamps, part-digital speedometer with side stand indicator, and new graphics. The Xtreme will continue to use the Honda-sourced four-stroke, 149.2cc, single-cylinder and air-cooled engine as seen on the CBZ Xtreme. Peak power output of 15.2bhp at 8500rpm, with 1.30kgm of torque at 6500rpm will be transferred to the rear wheel through a drive chain with the help of a five-speed gearbox. The Xtreme would be available with a 240mm front disc brake as standard and a 220mm rear disc brake as an option to the 130mm drum brake. The Xtreme would come in five colour options -- black, red, silver, black-red and orange.
 
 
 
Hero Dash
 
Towards the end of the year, Hero MotoCorp will introduce its first hybrid scooter, the Leap. True to its name, the scooter will mark a giant leap for Hero thanks to its technology. Leap will be a serial hybrid that uses a pack of lithium-ion batteries to power its 8kW (approximately 10.7bhp) electric motor along with a Permanent Magnet AC (PMAC) traction motor that churns out approximately 6.11kgm of maximum torque from standstill. What makes the Leap unique in India is that it uses range-extender technology. That means, when the batteries run out of juice, the electric motor will draw charge from a generator linked to the Leap’s 124cc petrol engine. Note, the petrol motor will not be connected directly to the rear wheel but will be used solely to run the on-board generator. The Leap is endowed with alloy wheels , a 110/70 x 13 inch tyre with 240 mm two-piston calliper Brembo disc brake up front and a 120/70 x 11 inch tyre with 130mm drum brake at the rear. Hero has not made any claims for fuel efficiency as yet but, given the tech, you can be assured the Leap will stretch each litre really, really far. However, the Leap is unlikely to be priced at par with its petrol-engined contemporaries, so think of it more as a technological showcase for Hero than a mass-market scooter.
 
Hero Leap