[Turbokick]

Quick review - Pulsar 200 NS :


- Best looking Bajaj till date. Looks more compact
in real compared to photos
- Fit and finish decent, not outstanding
- Riding position is spot on. One of the best mix of
sporty yet comfortable stance. Similar to cbz
xtreme/hunk
- Gearbox, clutch : As good as its best Japanese
rivals. Most improved bit of the bike.
- Engine is refined, relatively vibe free. Revs well.
Masks speed like it is with Hondas.
- Acceleration is brisk but nothing outstanding as
the specs relate. 220 instead has got that sense of
urgency and torque pull.
- Engine note at normal revs is more docile. Not to
my liking. Rev it hard, KTM's DNA is visible
- Handling is pretty good. Very agile and well
balanced unlike older pulsars
- Straightline stability is statisfactory. Absence of
fairing
- Brakes are assuring. More progressive than
direct. Rear disc is useful
- Ride quality is comfortable
- Tyres are POOR. Spoils the fun. Skids a lot
- Headlight beam is average. Projectors missing.


Where the Pulsar has improved :
- Gearshift/clutch. Light years ahead.
- Handling. More agile,light footed,stable
- Riding position. Lovely
- NVH levels
What has been retained :
- Styling is neat as is with old pulsars. Theme is
same. No quirky bits
- Best in class features
- Highest horses per cc
- Topclass switchgear
- Functional instrutmentation
What might not impress :
- Tame sounding engine. Lacks character.
- Power delivery is more linear and sedate. Sense
of urgency is missing a bit at lower revs. Peaky
power delivery
- Brakes lack that razor sharp response. More
userfriendly than fun
- Cost cutting bits : single horn,poor quality tyres.

One of the most rounded product around. Nothing
is outstanding yet does most of the things really
well
Best Bajaj errr Indian bike yet

[ashis89]

I did a TD of the 200NS on Saturday before finally deciding on the P180. I got the following points:

- The seating posture is very good. I am 6ft and I liked it a lot. Also the wide handle bars ensuredmy hands were stretched and comfortable.

- The exhaust note was disappointing. When revved hard, the bike sounded like Discover100. The engine was smooth and vibe-free. The test mule had some 50 odd kms on the clock and yet was rev-happy.

- The stability was very good and the bike felt planted during the small spirited ride that I had. Couldn't judge the ride quality as the road was good in my TD area.

- The acceleration was nothing to write home about, it felt tame yet capable. More on this later.

- Brake feel was progressive and had good bite, couldn't test in emergency condition as I did the TD in high traffic.

- Switchgear quality was very good, miles ahead of that of CBR150R that I had TDed earlier.

- The gear shifts were butter smooth and I was able to get neutral in the 1st chance on both occasions.

- Turning Radius was very poor IMO. I almost had a scare while taking a U-turn.

Overall I felt it was worth paying 18K INR extra for the NS over the P180. But the bike has a 15-20 days waiting period and I was not ready to wait. OTR (B'lore)- Rs.1,01,xxx + accessories.


Now, coming to the acceleration and speed capacities of the bike. Before TDing the NS, I had been to TVS showroom and Honda showroom where I laid my hands on the Apache 180 and my friend on the CBR150 R respectively.

The Apache was a real beast-a wild one even, I must say. If not careful/is amateur, one can end up badly after riding it. Its acceleration was very fast and the speed built up real fast(I was alone and there was no pillion). Wring the throttle, there is a .5-1 sec lag after which the thrust is immense. The gear-shifts were smooth. The brakes were very reassuring(it had ABS).

But on the downside, the engine didn't feel smooth at all and the bike felt cramped.
The build quality was flimsy on all the 5 bikes that I checked out. Also the new refreshed variant doesn't appeal to me at all.

In comparison, the 200NS felt tame, a trained Doberman-like. You wring the throttle and the bike smoothly moves ahead but no sudden thrust. It also pulls cleanly from standstill in 2nd gear(I was with a pillion rider). Engine is totally vibe-free and rev happy uptill 7500 RPM, upto which I could test it. Mind you, a tamed beast is also thoroughly capable/has potential, but always seems under control(I prefer the wild nature of Apache).

[Freewheelin_KD]

Had a short test ride of the 200NS yesterday. Some observations which i made:
1. Awesome gearshift quality with slick, definite shifts with a light clutch action. The best on any Pulsar yet and definitely up there with the Japanese bikes. No false neutrals on a brand new barely 16 km run bike.
2. Decent handler (the most i could observe in a short city ride) along with great flick ability which is definitely up there with my Fazer.
3. Good two up driveability in the city with adequate grunt for city riding in top gear too. Pulls cleanly without jerks or knocks.
4. Well weighted progressive front brake. Was not able to use the rear brake much but whatever little i used, it did bite.
5. Ride quality is good, better than the Duke 200 for sure.
6. Awesome looking meter console with a dedicated shift light. The best on an Indian bike till date. Overall quality of the equipment was also decent and a nice textured seat felt good to be seated on.
7. Was not that free revving and vibrations were felt at the rear of the seat and in the handle bars at around 5000-6000 RPM. Probably because it was a brand new bike but this was a sore point and kind of a deal breaker for me.
8. Riding ergonomics was comfortable and you sit fairly straight. The Duke's foot pegs are slightly more rear set I think.
9. Had test ridden the Duke 200 a few weeks back and that rabid maniac of a bike's memory is still fresh hampering me from forming an objective judgement of the 200NS. The Duke is deliciously free revving, absolutely adrenaline pumping when it comes to acceleration but not as flick able as the 200NS which would probably be due to the Duke running thicker radials. The Duke's soundtrack is absolutely mouth watering and makes you want to keep revving it more than anything else. The 200NS sounds tamer in comparison and more Pulsar-ish. The Duke even made the CBR250R I test rode the next day feel tame.

Definitely the best Pulsar till date. My two bits and no offence intended to any respective/prospective owners.

[anjan_c2007]

The new Pulsar 200 NS in pictures. The Pulsar 220 remains the same, while the 200 gets a thorough revamp job!

[carzone]

Originally Posted by revv_maniac

Hey Twin Blades,

im looking to buy this bike in a week's time.

i want to know a long term report about P200NS its NVH, mileage, reliability and durability of parts or anything that might help me decide correct.

Could you share some of your experience with it in the past 6 months .

Thanx

look in the moterbikes section, there is a very well compiled ownership review of the 200 NS. All you need would be there. I am currently browsing from phone and hence won't be able to provide you the link now.

[twinblades]

Originally Posted by revv_maniac

Hey Twin Blades,

im looking to buy this bike in a week's time.

i want to know a long term report about P200NS its NVH, mileage, reliability and durability of parts or anything that might help me decide correct.

Could you share some of your experience with it in the past 6 months .

Thanx

Hey, i bought the bike in Dec 2012. so far I am happy with bike. just cleared 2000km last weekend. Went for a 150KMs trip near bangalore. touched 127kms.

There is light vibration on the handle bar after 4k RPM that doesnt change even to the top of the Rev range. When compared to the Duke it does everything with a very well mannered way. Handling is top notch. the ground clearance is good which was a concern at the start. My tank has a dis-colouration at the point where it meets the seat (prolly contact with jacket has caused it and my kid). Under mixed riding conditions i got 39 kms/l. Careful riding I got around 44 km/l. Currently checking the mileage on hard riding. Brakes are super sharp.

[JayPrashanth]

Link to the news section



Bajaj Auto is all set to launch its flagship motorcycle, the Pulsar 200 NS in Indonesia. Spyshots of the Pulsar 200 NS spotted at Indonesia have arrived onto the interweb through the folks at TMCBlog. One major visual change seen on the Indonesia-spec Pulsar 200 NS is that the motorcycle features a lime green paint job, a color scheme that is a part and parcel of the Kawasaki motorcycle line up globally. The Lime Green paint job on the Indonesia-spec Pulsar 200 NS isn't the only connection of the said motorcycle to Kawasaki, a Japanese automaker with a long standing relationship with Indian automaker Bajaj Auto.



In fact, Kawasaki will handle the distribution, sales and service of the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS in Indonesia, a thriving two wheeler market where Bajaj Auto is yet to have a substantial presence. Also, the Pulsar 200 NS sold in Indonesia is expected to be CKD assembled by Kawasaki, with the CKD kits exported from Chakan. Apart from handling the Pulsar 200 NS in the Indonesian market, Kawasaki has been entrusted with the responsibility of tweaking the Pulsar 200 NS to suit Indonesian sensibilities. The motorcycle is said to have gotten a range of improvements. While we're yet to get wind of the exact improvements made to the Indonesian version of the Pulsar 200 NS, a welcome development arriving straight from a certain Mr Rajiv Bajaj is that these improvements will filter down to the global models of the Pulsar 200 NS as well.



Mr Rajiv Bajaj is the Managing Director of Bajaj Auto and the confirmation about India getting an updated Pulsar 200 NS has come through MoneyControl.

In that light, expect the India-spec Pulsar 200 NS to eventually reflect the changes that will first appear on the Indonesian version of this sporty motorcycle. A while ago, the Indian motoring blogosphere was agog with the rumour of Bajaj Auto coming up with a fuel injected version of the Pulsar 200 NS. Moving on to the realm of speculation, such a possibility is ripe indeed. Given that the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS will be positioned as a value-for-money offering pitted straight at the Yamaha V-Ixion 150(The naked Indonesian street bike cousin of the Yamaha R15), fuel injection will further heighten the appeal of the Pulsar 200 NS as the motorcycle is already a much more powerful package when compared to the V-Ixion 150.



If the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS does indeed get fuel injection in Indonesia, expect this change to be made available in India as well. Such a motorcycle could command a premium of about 8,000 rupees over the carbureted version, a price that many motorcyclists would be all too willing to pay for the hassle free nature and improved throttle response that fuel injection is expected to bring aboard. Also, the wide price differential between the Pulsar 200 NS and the KTM Duke 200 should allow Bajaj Auto to slip in a fuel injected Pulsar 200 NS. Notably, the first and only Bajaj motorcycle that featured fuel injection was the now discontinued first generation Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. Will the Pulsar 200 NS be the second? We'll find out soon.

[Rakshith220]

Originally Posted by shortbread

The exhaust shouldn't be a problem especially if this was never an issue with the older gen Pulsar. The new 200ns has a ground clearance of 167mm compared to the P220's 150mm. Also its positioned far away fron the rear pillion foot pegs.

The underbody exhaust also contributes towards better handling due to the lower and more centralised mass.

Sir sorry to bother you but the ground clearance of the BAJAJ pulsar220F is 165mm not 150mm sir.

[dZired]

Just saw this post by Bajaj Pulsar FB page.
The 200NS will soon be available with a new paintjob.

[bhasker]

Gentlemen,

I have heard from my friend that the Pulsar 200NS and KTM Duke 200 have the same engine and the engine technology. You get the same engine and performance as Duke 200 at a lower price. Are these statements true ? Please educate me about this.

[CARDEEP]

Originally Posted by bhasker

Gentlemen,

I have heard from my friend that the Pulsar 200NS and KTM Duke 200 have the same engine and the engine technology. You get the same engine and performance as Duke 200 at a lower price. Are these statements true ? Please educate me about this.

Hi @bhasker

Apart from sharing the engine block & manufacturing floor, there are a lot of differences in the two bikes:
1. The engine is fuel injected in Duke, whereas in P200, it's not. In fact, it is triple spark 4-valve tech in case of latter.
2. The chassis of both bikes are different, which is much superior in case of Duke. The P200 is still amongst the best, but trails, R15, Duke & CBR250 my a margin in this front.
3. The front suspension of the Duke is different & claimed to be superior by both the companies.

These are only few differences I could recall & list down in a jiffy (well sort of). But, for sure Duke is just for the premium & P200 just undercuts all premium bike offerings by a margin, keeping in line with Bajaj's past tradition.

[Aditya]

Bajaj Auto has revealed two new dual shade combinations for their flagship motorcycle, the Pulsar 200 NS.

Link to News Section

[InControl]

Looks very similar to the ones launched in indonesia, the black-red combo looks good but not the other one. I feel Only Solid Pearl white would look awesome on a 200 NS

[gupta_chd]

I havent seen much of 200 NS on road. Has it been a success as hoped by Bajaj?

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by gupta_chd

I havent seen much of 200 NS on road. Has it been a success as hoped by Bajaj?

I don't think it was expected to be a high volume seller. After all it cost above of 100,000 in most places

I was one of the early buyers of this bike and am very happy with it. I think it is a good balance between a regular day to day use motorcycle and a sporty kind of bike. I drive it like a regular commuter bike most of the time, but when you need it, a blip of the throttle will give you the awesome power and torque. Very useful when you spot a gap in traffic and to put behind some car drivers who assume that "Thats a motor cycle, I am in a car, so I will be faster and should get priority"

One major negative is the turning radius. It is very poor. I have been stuck a lot of times unable to take a sharp U -Turn while the bikes behind me cannot understand why I am not going ahead and keep honking.