The Hero puts down its power early on and across the mid-range too. When it comes to the Yamaha though, the torque comes down swiftly and suddenly, just like a chisel being struck with a sledgehammer. That makes the YBX a tad more accurate, because the throttle acts like a switch – either on or off. There’s no easy spread of power, like with the Impulse, so you know whether you’re on the boil or merely lukewarm in an instant. A wide spread of torque makes the Impulse good for the role it was intended, but if you’d rather ride it as a dirt-only machine, it’s a little soft.

Where the Impulse blows the YBX clear out of the muck is in the chassis department. The Yamaha, despite looking promising, is no match for the Impulse’s frame, which shows the off-on road intent of its design brief. That being said, the Impulse’s suspension is set up a tad too soft for the dirt, and keeps wallowing when ridden hard over bumps. The Yam’s tweaked springs seem more comfortable, soaking up most of what is thrown at them, and yet they’re taut enough to keep you from pogo-ing about the place. 

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