[VR/46_Chet]

It's been almost 6 months since she was doing well. I am in a process of getting her back to life once again, and to speed things up I thought of writing about her while at it. I refer to my bike as 'she' and I do greet her mornings and nights and appreciate her while on the road. This thread was long due. So here it goes.


Initial story:

It was 26th July 2009 AFAIK, when the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi was officially launched in India. I had visited the Probiker showroom at least 10 times before the bike launched (it is less than a km from my home in Nagpur) to check if they had any news of any such new bike launch but they had none. Back to launch day - I got the news of the bike launch on some auto website and now I don't remember which one. Jumped off the chair and off I went to the showroom once again, this time with a big grin. At the showroom, the people blatantly denied of the launch, in a similar fashion that they used to do earlier. This time I was irritated and went to talk to the manager. He too denied of any such news about any new bike launch. Sad by now, asked him if he could use internet or call the Pune head office to check. All this drama because I wanted the first bike from the first lot. The people at the showroom were already bored of this one guy who keeps on coming for a bike that's not launched yet and so the manager agreed to call the Pune office. I could see his facial expressions change as someone from Pune told him about the bike launch. Happy once again, I let him finish his phone call and told him that I wanted to book the bike. To my surprise, he denied once again. What he replied was that he's not sure about the booking amount so he'll have to wait until the information is clear. But I was not going to leave the showroom without booking the bike and asked him to call the Pune office once again. After 3 more phone calls and various discussions, I finally booked the bike that I was waiting for.


Delivery:

23rd of September 2009, the first lot of Pulsar 220 DTSi arrived in the showroom and I had reached there before they called me up. With some contacts, I had managed to keep an eye on the trailer before it entered city limits and hence I could reach the showroom before it arrived. I had paid all the amount already and the showroom people seemed clueless on the PDI as they looked at each other. They managed to do it while I was standing there and making sure nothing is missed. Asked them to skip the Saree guard, call me up when other paperwork is done and took off with the bike with minimal papers (not advised, writing it here because I did it). Fast forward to day 2 - First servicing at 500kms. Day 10 - second servicing at 1700kms. Break in method used - as Motoman said, run it hard (not advised again, you may stick to traditional break in methods). Both the servicing(s) were done before their stated intervals and mainly because the bike had some issues with me riding it everywhere on and off. The first brake applied to this 'take her everywhere' schedule was when I was riding with a pillion early morning to a temple in Madhya Pradesh.


First crash (and a big one):

It was 4:45am and there were no streetlights on the two lane highway. A sharp right turn (almost a blind turn), a brick sized stone right in the middle of my lane and sand beside the stone that could not be seen - perfect recipe for disaster. The high beam was improperly set by the mechanic so I was riding on the low with speeds around 70-80kmph. An oncoming car flashed high beams right before the turn so I decided to move further left of the stone. That's when I was into the turn and the sand could be seen, tried some braking but it was too late and I was off the road. The road was elevated and there were farms on both sides. Needless to say, I had entered a farm. This crash lasted for almost 12 seconds and I remember every single bit of it as I was trying to bring the bike to a halt somehow. Although the bike was sliding on the sand, me and my pillion had somehow managed to keep it upright. Just when I tried engine braking the bike went flying over a directional rock and so there was no positive effect. Finally, it hit a pile of stones and sent the two of us flying in the air. Vega helmets helped but hurt. Next week was spent in a hospital with my pillion not recognizing anyone but me. He had suffered negligible injuries but the main injury was because of a Vega helmet. (Note - I do not advise anyone to use the brand and I am strongly against using one. Having said that, I do not wish to get involved in any discussion in regards to the same. It is not because of this but because of a lot of other accidents I have seen with my own eyes and involving the brand). After a week, we got discharged and my friend was normal again. But the bike was missing. And the damage? It was more than half the price of a new bike. It is possible for anyone to think that I was doing more speeds after reading this part of the story, but I wasn't. The accident happened at around 1 year and 34000kms, and that was the third set of stock MRFs (2 fronts and 3 rear) most of which were damaged because of offroading / burnouts. Also, the bike was completely stock, mainly because of unavailability of good aftermarket parts in Nagpur that time. Thank you for reading.



Restart (Pune):

With the bike damaged and lack of spares at the showroom, I had no option but to leave it there until parts arrived. This was also the time when I shifted to Pune. The total duration from parts arrival to assembly to shipment was two months. These were also the longest two months of my life. Every other day I'd wake up and check maps for routes and make plans to go once the bike was here. Finally, I got the bike in Pune and started riding again. I was not really a group riding person (I'm still not, except for very close friends) so most of my next 3 months were spent doing solo trips exploring all routes around Pune, sometimes around Bombay and Ratnagiri.



The Bajaj servicing centre at Balgandharva was really lacking the quality of service and I was looking for a new mechanic. I was never into this might void the warranty thing and it had ended anyway. A friend directed me to his mechanic who used to work at the then famous BG workshop on weekdays and elsewhere on his own on weekends. Booked a day with him when he was off work, discussed a lot about engines in general and he became a dear friend later. Things like putting NGK Iridium plugs and a K&N filter were done then and there as they were very basic things to do. I needed more and was not shy of experimenting so I asked him if he could do head porting . He was honest enough to accept that he knew the process but had not tried on a Pulsar 220. I too wanted to give this man a try and asked him to go ahead with it. A week later, we ported the cylinder head, polished it and replaced the jets with bigger ones. The result was a big grin on my face inside the helmet, and a bigger grin on his face because I let him do it on my bike. Most of his customers were the regular servicing ones who didn't like to fiddle with the engines and he was bent on the other side, wanting to do inside-the-engine stuff. The bike was running way better, the acceleration was quicker and me not being a fan of what's the top speed on this one didn't bother to check that.


Other things done in this span of time was replacing the carb (the float was giving a problem) with a new one that came from a 220S test bike, plonking the K&N on top of it (removed the hose and the air filter box setup, basic DIY) and welding the stock exhaust on its underside in an attempt to make it semi freeflow. Meanwhile, I wanted to get rid of the weight and hence she had no fairing mounted for a couple of months, only the headlight on the mount. All the wiring was exposed and hence was packed and stacked behind the headlight. All this drill was to come up with a different setup for the front. I was already in love with the reduced weight of the bike and wanted to keep it like that, but with a different and a better looking headlight. I couldn't come up with a good idea for two months and hence the fairing was put back on it. The rainy season was coming and putting the wiring harness at risk wasn't really something that I wanted to do.

The first block and piston lasted me a good 1,10,000kms. It may sound too good to be true, honestly, I wasn't expecting it to last this long. One reason being bajaj parts quality and the other being added stress on the engine. But then I had always had mandatory oil changes before their stated intervals. I had tried various oils before deciding to stick to Motul 5100 Semi-synth (she was at around 55,000 kms that time). Got them replaced and was thinking if the inlet and exhaust port on the head could be increased any further (if it wasn't already). Needless to say, got it done next week, also welded off the catalytic converter from the stock exhaust. Bigger grin again.

The fairing vibration had always been irritating all this while and I was fed up of the sound it was making. Finally took the decision to remove it again, this time with a fair idea of what I was going to do later. Firstly, we welded off the fairing mount from the bike (no going back to stock again). Being a fan of retro motorcycles (who isn't?), I had always loved round headlights however, I was not keen on putting aftermarket clear lens / old pulsar / other old bikes' headlights except one. The Yezdi Roadking headlight. Yes, it does sound, look, feel old. It also sounds like it is going to look out of place on a modern day pulsar. But still, I wanted it. And I wanted something that will keep the visibility in check. So we procured a Yezdi Roadking headlight and a car's Fog Light bulb. The fuse was old and gave away, replaced it with a new one and the bulb was working fine. Why a car's Fog Light bulb? Because I still had visibility problems using the 55w dual filament bulb (Avenger) given the unclear pattern on a Yezdi headlight. The light bulb was pretty useless at high beam but its throw and spread were excellent on low beam. This was nearly what I wanted since I didn't use the high beam much. Also I HATE WHITE LIGHTS, so I was clearly against going for one of those.






The paint - There isn't any issue regarding the stock paint so far. Still, wanted to add an extra color on the bike. I didn't want to overdo stuff, and once again I didn't want any professional to do it for me. So I went the DIY way and got 4 Bosny Fluorescent Yellow cans. Dismantled things that I wanted to paint and a dear friend started the process. Within no time, we ran out of paint and the shade wouldn't hold itself properly. Got some more cans, repainted, still not satisfied. By then, I had started to think that I could have gone with a different color base before spraying the fluorescent yellow directly (upon cleaning of parts). But I had ran out of time and had to leave for a long ride next day, so I had to leave it as it was to dry. This was a year ago, and she still has the same uneven shade on parts. Sad, I know. It is on my to-do list when I get her up to running condition soon.



The handlebar - most pulsar owners face the issue of nut breaking inside the clip-on handlebars and my experience was no different. I was riding on a 20km offroad patch when the nut on the right side clip-on broke inside. I was doing around 40kmph and the right side handlebar just came off in my hands. Managed to stop the bike, tied the handlebar with a piece of cloth and went on. But, did I want to fix it or change it? I swapped it for a KTM handlebar. It was straight and much more comfortable on long rides. The only downside being the stock handlebar weights didn't fit on it, and I plastic handlebar weights are pretty much useless. That said, handlebar weights are on my to-do list too.



The exhaust - had to go freeflow, but I wasn't keen on anything that was offered in the Indian market. Reason being quality issues and no calculations whatsoever. If you're reading this, a name might come to your mind (Joel). I did give it a thought but I didn't want her to be in a similar state of tune. Having ridden a Joel'd 220, I must say he's really good at work. However, I wanted her to be one-off experimental like she had always been and decided against it. Just another time when the love of retro motorcycles came into picture - I went with a megaphone exhaust. Yes, it has a better quality than local exhausts. Yes, it is made for Royal Enfield and not for Bajaj. Talk about retro looks. Also, talk about loudness. The megaphone was too loud on higher rpms but I never did higher rpms in the city and so I could live with it. Deciding on the megaphone exhaust was solely based on the way it would look on the bike and most calculations, changes were kept for later when she would break down (Note - I do not advise anyone to put a RE aftermarket exhaust on other bikes, it might look pleasant but it comes with its traits). So the megaphone was put on and I was happy looking at it, happier revving her on the highways. That thing really changed her nature. Also fuel economy was never in question but if it did cross your mind - I used to get a healthy 45kmpl in city and 50+ on highways. These figures have pretty much been the same for most of the ownership.

The suspension - Just another thing that's wrongly set up for satisfaction. Having ridden bigger bikes (mostly Benellis) for sometime, I started to feel that her height is too less (I'm 5'11" just in case). Every single time I used to jump off a 600GT or 600i, the feeling got amplified. Not that their seat height was very different from a 220 though. Having removed the clip-ons, the extra fork pipe that used to sit inside was utilized and the handling position was raised a bit. But I wanted some more overall and hence swapped the stock Endurance rear shocks for taller (>1.5" approx.) Endurance shocks. The feeling went away, and I was happy once again. Downside - Heavier front, zero offroading, added strain on the chassis. In short, not recommended. I had been sourcing bigger front fork tubes for quite sometime then, but I couldn't get my hands on a decent pair and so I stopped searching eventually. Have some calculations done and now, the solution lies in swapping the front forks for bigger WP USDs. I'll try to get them fixed as and when I have the time. The rear shocks will be swapped accordingly too, if required. Any suggestions on this would be helpful.


The tires - As I mentioned earlier, she had done wearing 2 front and 3 rear stock MRFs and the next set was due after sometime in Pune. My idea with tires has always been to use them until there's no lack of confidence and burn-swap them once they start losing grip. I have never calculated tire life in KMs but I can be sure of not using a rear tire for more than 15k kms on an average. I have managed to keep the front tire stock (size and manufacturer) till now and i swap it in a 2:3 ratio as compared to the rear. I haven't faced any issue with the front end till now however I am currently thinking if a 100/90-17 should do the duties in future. As for the rear, I tried everything available in market (stock size and 1 upsize post head porting) and settled with a PSD 130/80-17. The power delivery after head porting had the stock size rear going sideways on every up-shift past 6k rpm and so I settled with the 1 up-size eventually and have swapped it around 7 times now, until the recent tire change. The rear tire currently on the bike is a stock size Michelin and a horribly wrong decision. I had to change the rear tire just before a long ride and PSDs were out of stock. Had no option but to put the Michelin. Now I am thinking of changing it to stock size MRF Mogrip (great grip) since my bike will be used more on bad patches and lower rpms instead of highway stretches and higher rpms.

The end -

She's done around 1.5L kms in 7 years. I don't know the exact number since the speedometer wasn't there after the headlight mod. The chain sprocket set has been changed around 8 times and the stock rear brake assembly has been swapped for the new and better Bybre (around 4 years back). She's not in running condition since the past 6 months after the timing chain broke. I have had no time to work on that but I am planning to do it before 2017. I have been off two wheels for quite sometime now and I cannot wait to get back to it. Thank you for reading. Any suggestions on any part of the above story would really be helpful.



Things I am looking forward to -

Rear stock size MRF Mogrip
Aftermarket retro tachometer and speedometer (not local and not old pulsar)
Bigger fork pipes / WP USDs
18" Front end (have always wanted one, but will have to think about it considering fork fitment)
Rear View Mirrors (might go for decent cafe ones on Aliexpress. I tried RTR RVMs earlier but they didn't look good at all)
Front number plate mount (to be fabricated)
Better front mudguard (maybe?)
New mechanic / garage (to work with/at, since the person mentioned earlier has become a busy man too)
Repainting the painted parts.

Gear I use -

Benelli Protective Jacket (Italian tricolor, no thermal liner)
LS2 Piston Head (due for replacement, most likely going for AGV)
Cramster TRG2 full gauntlet gloves (due for replacement, most likely going for the same or Dainese if I get a good deal on motoin)
Fox Raptor Knee guards (cheap, only to protect from small stones flying around)
Harley Johns high ankle leather boots (solid build quality)




Thank you for reading!

[Asish_VK]

Hi VR/46_Chet

Some good snaps there

Good to know you recovered well after the accident.
Somehow the modifications, especially to the front mudguard look weird to my eyes . But sure , you will get lot of attention though

[VR/46_Chet]

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Hi VR/46_Chet
Some good snaps there
Good to know you recovered well after the accident.
Somehow the modifications, especially to the front mudguard look weird to my eyes . But sure , you will get lot of attention though

Thanks Asish_VK!

The attention is the only reason why I am thinking of getting a better front mudguard that's not too hard on the eyes, and stock is not the way to go too. The size of that headlight is big and the stock mudguard makes it look all the very more out of place.

[Dushyanth]

7 years with the fastest Indian! Great journey mate!
It's been 3 years and 30000 and counting on the odo of my machine, completely stock though!
The only things replaced till now are the brake pads and air filter from the regular maintenance checks, the clutch plate and the chain sprocket have still a considerable amount of life left in them!
And the engine lasting for a whole 1L kilometers before a overhaul on your machine is not surprising!
And coming to the engine oil part, try using the Motul 7100 10W50 fully synthetic, i switched from the horrible Bajaj engine oil to the Motul 5100 semi synthetic during the third service and after that during the next intervals from 10000 to until now have been using the 7100 and it makes a whole lot difference, trust me! The bike runs much smoother than it would have with the 5100, and of course a bit longer drain interval.
Last but not the least, Kudos to your experimentation skills man!
Wish you many more happy and safe miles!

[Pratzgh1]

Having the same motorcycle bought in the same year as yours, I could totally relate to this thread. Although, I do regret owning a motorcycle from the first lot. There were several recalls and the brakes absolutely suck! My bike is still on stock everything and I intend to keep it stock for another year or so before I explore my upgrade options.

I remember riding my motorcycle on an open stretch during an early morning; and while taking a curvy turn at some triple digit speeds, my LHS handlebar just popped out. I had to ride all the way home using the clutch lever which was resting on my thigh. I was literally laughing all the way.

The Pulsar 220 is seriously flawed when it comes to overall design. Rear view mirrors are useless as you can barely see anything apart from your biceps and even if you move your arm around, the vibrations are enough to make a motorcycle headlight look like an approaching car! I could go on and on. It is sad to see that Indian markets are used to mint money rather than providing some quality products. The 2017 pulsar looks the same as before and carrying a decade old design with a sub-par chassis is absolutely unacceptable.

@Dushyanth - Glad to see that the Motul 7100 worked for you. Our first generation motorcycles are notorious when it comes to experimenting. I remember using a synthetic oil and there were several leak issues. Reverted to Motul 5100 and things went back to normal. Over the years Bajaj has improved the Pulsar 220 with trial and error corrections.

[amitjha086]

I had my first bike bought in the same year, 2009. The month was May. Sold it after some 4 years of use and 53000 kms on the odo. During my riding period, I had had two head-on collisions with another bike and on both occasions, they turned the other way than indicated by their indicators. It's true riding bikes is quite unsafe but its bikers who are to blame most of the times. In my opinion, the worst maneuvers are overtaking from the left and overtaking on bends. Having said this, rest of the fellow on road could help bikers by dimming their high beams during dark.

[VR/46_Chet]

Originally Posted by Dushyanth

And coming to the engine oil part, try using the Motul 7100 10W50 fully synthetic, i switched from the horrible Bajaj engine oil to the Motul 5100 semi synthetic during the third service and after that during the next intervals from 10000 to until now have been using the 7100 and it makes a whole lot difference, trust me! The bike runs much smoother than it would have with the 5100, and of course a bit longer drain interval.

IIRC, Bajaj started selling the DTS-i 10,000 engine oil almost an year after the 220 DTS-i was launched. I was already using Shell Full Synthetic that time so I didn't bother checking how the Bajaj oil was. Past 2010, I tried all engine oils that were available and compatible (W50) before finally settling down for Motul 5100 Semi synthetic. As Pratzgh1 said, 7100 caused several issues and it didn't exactly suit the engine somehow.

Last but not the least, Kudos to your experimentation skills man!
Wish you many more happy and safe miles!

Thanks and wish you the same, mate!

Originally Posted by Pratzgh1

There were several recalls and the brakes absolutely suck! My bike is still on stock everything and I intend to keep it stock for another year or so before I explore my upgrade options.

The rear brakes are one of the worst nightmares one can have with this bike! The newer Bybre assembly is great and you should really consider swapping the old one for it, will help the bike to stop much better till you upgrade.

I remember riding my motorcycle on an open stretch during an early morning; and while taking a curvy turn at some triple digit speeds, my LHS handlebar just popped out. I had to ride all the way home using the clutch lever which was resting on my thigh. I was literally laughing all the way.

Glad to know that nothing serious happened and you were able to ride back. Cheers and ride safe, bud!

The 2017 pulsar looks the same as before and carrying a decade old design with a sub-par chassis is absolutely unacceptable.

Over the years Bajaj has improved the Pulsar 220 with trial and error corrections.

IMO, the bike still holds its charm. As a matter of fact, I would consider buying yet another one before they decide to stop production.
Being 7 year old and experimental, the reliability factor has gone for a toss and soon I'll be looking for something that is more reliable on long distance trips.

Originally Posted by amitjha086

I had my first bike bought in the same year, 2009. The month was May.

Are you sure it was May 2009, buddy? The bike was launched sometime in June/July 2009 with deliveries starting in Tier 1 cities around 15-20 days past that IIRC.

During my riding period, I had had two head-on collisions with another bike and on both occasions, they turned the other way than indicated by their indicators.

Many people using highway stretches simply forget to turn the indicators off after completing a turn. What I do to prevent colliding is stick to the right lane while overtaking and give way only to cars driving faster than I am, and keep safe distance all the time with all the vehicles on the road.

It's true riding bikes is quite unsafe but its bikers who are to blame most of the times. In my opinion, the worst maneuvers are overtaking from the left and overtaking on bends. Having said this, rest of the fellow on road could help bikers by dimming their high beams during dark.

Overtaking from the left is a strict NO except for when encountering slow trucks in the right lane. Overtaking on bends is also not a safe practice. As for the high beams, many people use them without having a proper knowledge of when to use, only to light up the road. One way to react in such situations is doing a Tit For Tat, but that's definitely not recommended if there are any other vehicles in sight or else it may get troublesome for them.

[amitjha086]

Are you sure it was May 2009, buddy? The bike was launched sometime in June/July 2009 with deliveries starting in Tier 1 cities around 15-20 days past that IIRC.

Mine was a different bike. It was from Yamaha and a regular commuter bike, not worthy mentioning. The country where I live in, Nepal, gets products much late. I assume P220 did not arrive here before 2010. Renault entered here only last month.

Many people using highway stretches simply forget to turn the indicators off after completing a turn. What I do to prevent colliding is stick to the right lane while overtaking and give way only to cars driving faster than I am, and keep safe distance all the time with all the vehicles on the road.

Several people use beeper synced with the indicators as well. Quite an idea.

Overtaking from the left is a strict NO except for when encountering slow trucks in the right lane. Overtaking on bends is also not a safe practice. As for the high beams, many people use them without having a proper knowledge of when to use, only to light up the road. One way to react in such situations is doing a Tit For Tat, but that's definitely not recommended if there are any other vehicles in sight or else it may get troublesome for them.

It may sound funny. Occasionally, when the opposite vehicle was close enough to pass after dimming its headlights, I gave them a thumbs up with my right hand. Don't know if they ever able to see the gesture. Yet, a few of them honked thereafter.

[Omkar]

An interesting ride you got there! Also seems like an amazing journey with her.

Being a Yamaha owner, I'm not a big fan of the Pulsar range to be honest. I like them as a whole, but avoided buying one after listening to many complaints in the earlier models. Though this didn't stop me from admiring the looks of the range. They do look sharp! Also, got my hands on a few 150, 180, 220 and the 200 NS, all stocks.

I love the naked bikes, hence the NS is my favourite in the pulsar fleet. The only problem I had with the 220 was the fairing. I was very glad to see your 220 without the fairing! A complete new Avatar.

Originally Posted by VR/46_Chet

I do not advise anyone to use the brand and I am strongly against using one. Having said that, I do not wish to get involved in any discussion in regards to the same. It is not because of this but because of a lot of other accidents I have seen with my own eyes and involving the brand

I use one. Fortunately, never had a crash. Though I would still place my bets on an LS2 helmet over a Vega (would be getting one soon).

Originally Posted by VR/46_Chet

The suspension - Just another thing that's wrongly set up for satisfaction. Having ridden bigger bikes (mostly Benellis) for sometime, I started to feel that her height is too less (I'm 5'11" just in case). Every single time I used to jump off a 600GT or 600i, the feeling got amplified. Not that their seat height was very different from a 220 though. Having removed the clip-ons, the extra fork pipe that used to sit inside was utilized and the handling position was raised a bit. But I wanted some more overall and hence swapped the stock Endurance rear shocks for taller (>1.5" approx.) Endurance shocks. The feeling went away, and I was happy once again. Downside - Heavier front, zero offroading, added strain on the chassis. In short, not recommended. I had been sourcing bigger front fork tubes for quite sometime then, but I couldn't get my hands on a decent pair and so I stopped searching eventually. Have some calculations done and now, the solution lies in swapping the front forks for bigger WP USDs. I'll try to get them fixed as and when I have the time. The rear shocks will be swapped accordingly too, if required. Any suggestions on this would be helpful.

I don't know what is the best rear suspension option for the USD forks on the front, but I'm guessing you can go for Monoshocks. I have seen a couple of 220s on the internet who have added a monshock. Having a monoshock would increase the height, and maybe you won't feel the height being too less. Also, monoshock does allow you a better level of adjustment, and it looks better with the naked design of the bike. Just a thought to consider.

All in all, it was great reading the whole thread. May you have a long and healthy relationship with her.

Keep riding.

[VR/46_Chet]

Originally Posted by Omkar

I love the naked bikes, hence the NS is my favourite in the pulsar fleet. The only problem I had with the 220 was the fairing. I was very glad to see your 220 without the fairing! A complete new Avatar.

The fairing has been a problem for every 220 owner, but still most people bought it because of the fairing and the (quite hard to reach) headlight assembly.

I use one. Fortunately, never had a crash. Though I would still place my bets on an LS2 helmet over a Vega (would be getting one soon).

Just make sure you get it from an authorized dealer. There are a plenty of fake LS2 helmets in the market. The visor clips on those are weak and give away, and later people have a hard time sourcing them as original LS2 visor clips don't match.

I don't know what is the best rear suspension option for the USD forks on the front, but I'm guessing you can go for Monoshocks. I have seen a couple of 220s on the internet who have added a monshock. Having a monoshock would increase the height, and maybe you won't feel the height being too less. Also, monoshock does allow you a better level of adjustment, and it looks better with the naked design of the bike. Just a thought to consider.
All in all, it was great reading the whole thread. May you have a long and healthy relationship with her.
Keep riding.

I have ridden a couple of P220s with mono and it was not a good experience, poor job maybe? Will surely consider it as and when I get the time to push this project further. Cheers.

-----------------------------------------------

Found an old pic of the bike being transported after the previously described crash. Notice the twisted and broken front rim among other things. The side panel is missing because the battery was stolen from the spot of the accident.

[Omkar]

Originally Posted by VR/46_Chet

Just make sure you get it from an authorized dealer. There are a plenty of fake LS2 helmets in the market. The visor clips on those are weak and give away, and later people have a hard time sourcing them as original LS2 visor clips don't match.

Thanks for the advice.

I have ridden a couple of P220s with mono and it was not a good experience, poor job maybe? Will surely consider it as and when I get the time to push this project further. Cheers.

Do post if you have any other options to explore.

Found an old pic of the bike being transported after the previously described crash. Notice the twisted and broken front rim among other things. The side panel is missing because the battery was stolen from the spot of the accident.

Whoa! glad you made it in one piece. I have seen quite a few accidents with respect to Pulsar and other bikes (Job courtesy) in the past and the front rims and forks damages are quite common. Some minor crashes also result in a bent fork and damaged rims.

It's pretty remarkable to see the bike in current form after the crash.

[VR/46_Chet]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Do post if you have any other options to explore.

I'll surely keep this thread updated. Currently, it's a bit of a mess considering all the calculations on how the USDs are going to affect the rake/trail with the current rear suspensions and a new PSD 130/80-17. Add to that, the confusion about getting a 100/90-17 vs. the stock up front or making the whole setup for an eighteen inch front end. The weight distribution will also have to be taken care of, it's a 7 year old and abused bajaj chassis after all. Once everything is done, I would want her to be a 'go anywhere' bike with decent stability around the corners.

Whoa! glad you made it in one piece. I have seen quite a few accidents with respect to Pulsar and other bikes (Job courtesy) in the past and the front rims and forks damages are quite common. Some minor crashes also result in a bent fork and damaged rims.
It's pretty remarkable to see the bike in current form after the crash.

Yes, which reminds me I haven't mentioned about a bent rear rim (courtesy pothole). Although, the bend was a very small one and I opted for a tube that time (around 5 years back). The rear still runs on tube and I haven't had any problem with it till date.

[sam_sant2005]

Originally Posted by VR/46_Chet

Initial story:

It was 26th July 2009 AFAIK, when the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi was officially launched in India.

Your review has brought goosebumps to me being a P220 DTSi owner way back in 2009 (however I have changed 7 bikes after that though and now on cbr250abs). I got delivery of my P220 DTSi on 10th July 2009 and I believe I was the first owner of the new 220 DTSi version in Cochin.

[anjan_c2007]

Quite exhaustive, it chronicles so many facts. In fact, you had told me about some of them while at Nagpur.

Trust you have fully recovered after the unfortunate accident, though it was more than five years ago. Its a pleasant surprise to know that you are still cosy with the bike, that has run so much till now.

Wishing you many more kms of happy rides on your P 220.

[VR/46_Chet]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Quite exhaustive, it chronicles so many facts. In fact, you had told me about some of them while at Nagpur.

Trust you have fully recovered after the unfortunate accident, though it was more than five years ago. Its a pleasant surprise to know that you are still cosy with the bike, that has run so much till now.

Wishing you many more kms of happy rides on your P 220.

Thanks Anjan Sir! I am happy to have fully recovered from the accident. Although I did have my fair share of crashes over the years, nothing on the major side and every single time it has urged me to change something on the bike for a better and more enjoyable ride.

I still miss our Nagpur TBHP mini meets, we all should meet soon.