EICMA 2025 or The Milan Show, happening from November 4th to 9th in Milan, Italy, is again showing us why it is considered the most anticipated event for bike enthusiasts all over the world. The event has just started, and it has already shown us bikes that are creating massive buzz in the market.
Among these bikes, two bikes have caught most of ours’ attention – the Hero Xpulse 210 Dakar Edition and the brand-new BMW F 450 GS. As a bike enthusiast who is always looking for new adventurous bikes, I want to bring up some major updates on these bikes through this blog.
These two bikes are targeting riders who want proper adventure capabilities without emptying their wallet. What’s most interesting is how both manufacturers are making adventure riding bikes easily accessible. Let’s have a look at what they are bringing to the table.
Hero Xpulse Dakar Edition: Built for Off-Roaders
Hero took the regular Xpulse and gave it a complete off-road makeover. Xpulse 210 Dakar is powered by a brand new 210cc liquid-cooled engine that delivers 23 bhp and 20.7 Nm of torque. The six-speed transmission has been equipped with an assist and slipper clutch, which makes the gear change smoother even on hard surfaces.
The front & rear of the bike feature 280mm of rally-spec, fully adjustable suspension travel. The ground clearance of this bike has been increased from 220mm to 270mm by which riders can easily cross through rocks and logs without any fear of physical damage to the engine.
The Xpulse 210 is equipped with 21/18 inch spoke wheels. The weight of the motorcycle is around 168-170 kg. Hero has also added proper underbody protection and a taller seat to the bike. The whole arrangement of this vehicle will let the riders use the bike with more assurance on the rough or slippery roads.
The Xpulse 210 Dakar introduces a colour TFT display with Bluetooth, navigation, and turn-by-turn instructions. All LED lights and a 13-litre fuel tank for longer rides. From safety perspective, it has a dual-channel switchable ABS with three different modes: Road, Off-road, and Rally.
The Xpulse 210 Dakar is specifically designed for adventurous and off-road lovers. The launch in India is expected around the end of 2025. According to some pieces of information, the highest variant might cost close to Rs 1.71 lakh (ex-showroom), i.e., 30,000 more than the Xpulse 210 top model.
BMW F 450 GS: German Engineering got Affordable
BMW was not anticipated to unveil the F 450 GS at EICMA 2025. This touring bike features a totally new 420cc parallel-twin engine, which makes it stand out from the rest of the segment quite significantly. A parallel twin is more fluid than a single and more suitable for a fast road, thus, the bike can be used for a tour in various ways.
The F 450 GS retains the classic GS appearance with the signature X-shaped LED headlamp and aggressive styling. There is an adjustable windscreen for wind protection and a newly designed bolt-on rear subframe for increased stiffness. There’s a TFT dashboard handling all the electronics, though complete details weren’t available at the launch.
BMW made this a low-cost GS model as their entry-level GS for India to replace the G 310 GS. They are planning the launch in 2026, with possible local assembly to keep the prices competitive. Hence, it is a direct competition with Xpulse 210 Dakar, thus, giving the riders a premium alternative with the German engineering brand as a support.
The Xpulse 210 Dakar and BMW F 450 GS are the two models that are radically changing the concept of affordable adventure bikes. Real capabilities are offered to you—proper suspension, good electronics, and genuine off-road ability—without a price that is too high. Such bikes are exactly at the sweet spot for riders like me who want weekend adventures and daily usability.