After the initial laps astride the Hero Impulse around the rather technical dirt track, Eeshan Lokhande, a professional Motocross racer, seemed a little disappointed. The lack of dedicated knobby tyres meant the Impulse could not dig out enough dirt for strong out-of-corner exits. But he did mention the happy-revving nature of the motor really exciting him as he buzzed around on the loose soil around the circuit, For a lad used to racing and getting airborne on 450 cc dirt bikes, this was a bit of a comedown. To quote Eeshan, "This is a great beginner's bike to start dirt riding with. But I will not recommend the Impulse to go professional dirt racing with. " Point taken.

He then suggested that we take the Impulse out on one of the countless dirt trails that the Sahyadri range abounds in. While photographer Kunal and I scouted for a good camera spot, Eeshan went for a spin on the intended trail. We first heard its revving motor before the Hero Impulse and Eeshan appeared, going smoothly over the bumps and taking rather small but nifty jumps at an incredible speed over a road just wide enough to ride a mountain bicycle on! Clearly Eeshan was having a lot more fun outside the track and on the trail with the Impulse. He did not bother stopping for a while, leaving Kunal and me wondering if we should have packed our tiffins!

Eventually when Eeshan took a breather, he had a wide grin plastered on his face. That sort of explained why he had gone missing for a while. The Hero Impulse can do that to you. So the formula is simple. Head out into the unknown, find a rideable trail and let go. A little poring over Google Maps and you will find countless trails nearby to have fun with the Impulse. Trail riding is its forte. The rev-happy motor pulls energetically between 6, 000 and 8, 000rpm, sending enough power and torque to the rear wheel to be able to tackle some truly harsh off-roading trail. The dualpurpose Ceat tyres on both ends are excellent for trail riding and are definitely not puncture-prone.

Besides gliding over speed bumps and potholes in the city, the Hero Impulse truly comes into its element on trail riding. If you are a novice who has never ridden on dirt, this is a great machine to start your off-road career with.

Eeshan's advice for those who love taking the road less travelled is, "The Impulse is meant for trails. Incredibly comfy to ride off-road, with a supple suspension set-up for going over bumps and rocks and extremely nimble handling, helped by an energetic motor that never wants you to stop, the Hero Impulse is an ideal machine to explore the outdoors and have fun in the dirt with. "