Hero Hunk 160R V4 vs. the competition

Hero Motocorp just recently presented its initial offerings for the Philippine market. The set of motorcycles includes the small displacement scooter Xoom 110, the adventure-ready off-road bike XPulse 200 4V, and the Hunk 160 V4 naked bike.

The latter is fitted with a 163.2 cubic centimeter (cc) engine complemented by a five-speed constant mesh transmission, allowing the motorcycle to generate some 16.6 horsepower (hp) with 14.6 Newton-meters of torque.

Stopping power comes from a pair of petal-style disc brakes installed front and back. It gets a standard telescopic front fork (KYB-branded upside-down suspension for range-topping variant) and a seven-step adjustable monoshock at the rear.

It rides on 17-inch wheels with 100/80 series tires at the front and 130/70 series tires at the rear.

The Hero Hunk 160R V4 is built on a tubular underbone diamond-type frame that seats a fuel tank with a 12-liter capacity.

Notable features include an inverted LCD instrument panel, spit-type seats, all-LED lighting, and a sporty exhaust.

It is sold with a base price of P99,900 and is available in two variants (Standard and Pro) with Blazing Sports Red and Matte Slate Black color options.

Looking to give the Indian-made motorcycle a war welcome are Japanese models that are considered staples in the segment.

Yamaha MT-15

The Yamaha MT-15 is a popular choice for riders looking for a decent middleweight street fighter-style two-wheeler.

Placed in between the rider’s thighs is a 155cc engine paired with a six-speed constant mesh transmission. The said setup dishes out a maximum of 19 horses — which is slightly more powerful than the aforementioned Hero Hunk 160R 4V — with 14.7 Nm of pulling power.

Eye-catching is its gold upside-down telescopic fork and swing arm-type monocross suspension system, both of which house disc brakes for decent deceleration and halting power. Also found here are 17-inch wheels with a 110/70 tire at the front and a 140/70 series rubber at the back.

Notably, it gets a Deltabox frame, an inverted LCD meter panel, and a handful of handsome graphics that make it look like a sleek, yet muscular machine.

The Yamaha MT-15 is available in Cyan Storm and Tech Black with a sticker price of P179,000.

Suzuki Gixxer Fi

Another option available to those in the market for a middleweight motorcycle is the Suzuki Gixxer Fi.

Suzuki endowed the motorcycle with a smaller 154 cc engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Despite having a smaller mill compared to the Hero Hunk 160R V4, it can still put out an impressive 13.4 hp with 13.8 Nm.

Handling deceleration are disc brakes on both ends of the motorcycle. Suspension-wise, it offers a long front telescopic fork and a swing arm-type setup at the rear. For its wheels, Suzuki gave the Gixxer Fi a set of 17-inch wheels with a 100/80 tire at the front and a 140/60 tire at the rear.

Colors range from Metallic Triton Blue, Glass Sparkle Black, and Pearl Blaze Orange. The price tag is P104,900.

Also read:

Here is Hero Motorcorp’s initial lineup for PH

Hero Xoom 110 vs. the competition