Bajaj Pulsar 200NS review

The new Pulsar has been unveiled and AUTO BILD INDIA has ridden it. And to say it is a big improvement over the older Pulsars would be an understatement, for this one, the Pulsar 200NS is leagues ahead

The Pulsar is a legend. It has changed the landscape of motorcycling in the country, particularly one that caters to the enthusiast like no other. Not only did it set the stunt scenario in the country rolling, it also introduced a number of firsts; there was digital instrumentation, backlit switchgear and of course the concept of proper muscular styling. No wonder it still is the motorcycle to beat when it comes to sales in this segment.
Clearly, following up this act had to be an uphill task from the word go. The good news is Bajaj has pulled it off, and how. The new Pulsar, the 200NS, is an outstanding bike. And not just in the way it looks; though, we’d say it’s a head-turner for sure. Today when most bike makers have chosen the fully faired route for their Indian made high-end bikes, Bajaj has gone in for a street fighter outlook. It’s also retained its muscular look; from the headlamp to the tank and its extensions and even the size of its tyres, the Pulsar 200NS is absolute brawn.

Thankfully when you begin riding it, the NS is less like a gym boy and more like a boxer. It’s very light on its feet. Now we did only ride the NS at the Bajaj’s test track, but it’s quite a challenging one for the bikes – there are tight S bends, flat out long radii corners and a straight long enough to max out the bikes; at least we did manage to max out the NS and it indicated a top speed of 141kmph.
As for its cornering abilities, like we said it’s very nimble on its feet. There’s no real effort required to get it to turn in whether it’s a series of quick direction changes or correcting your line mid corner around a fast bend. All it needs is a slight push of the handlebar and it ends up pointing in the direction you want it to go with the least bit of effort. The excess wallowing that plagued the previous Pulsars has been eliminated as well; no surprise it gives the rider a lot more confidence now.
Just to give you a better idea, the NS feels easier to corner with than say a CBR 250R and dare we say it - almost as flick-able as the R15! However, compared to the above mentioned motorcycles, the NS lacks feedback which is mainly down to its tyres. It also lacks the planted feel of the R15 around a bend. Not that there’s anything wrong with the cycle parts of the new Pulsar. It does get a hybrid twin spar frame made of pressed steel, meaty front forks, a monoshock with a box section swingarm at the rear and reasonably fat tyres. But it just lacks that connect than the R15 is able to deliver.
We were quite impressed with the NS’s engine as well. It is heavily based on the KTM Duke 200’s engine with the lower half of the engine being almost identical. It also displaces the exact same capacity, is liquid cooled and also has a hugely oversquare layout to keep its fast revving nature. Here too the engine is coupled to a six-speed gearbox.  However, Bajaj has made changes to the head. So, besides running a single overhead cam against a DOHC setup on the Duke, the NS also gets three spark plugs against just a single one on the KTM.
The end result is lesser power and torque compared to the KTM and with it a slower acceleration time as well. Undoubtedly, apart from the three spark plugs all other changes have been carried out to reduce costs compared to the Duke including use of a carburettor instead of fuel injection on the KTM. Also Bajaj wants the 200NS to have a respectable fuel economy which will go along with its pricing of under a lakh of rupees.
In terms of feel, the engine is an easy revving one and even at the redline, it doesn’t sound too strained or coarse. It has good drive in the mid range too which makes corner exits quite enjoyable. The throttle response again is sharp and there’s no snatchiness to the drivetrain at all. The gearbox though could be better. It’s not as positive or well weighted as the competition and it threw up some false neutrals on our as well.
We are also not very happy with the finish at some places. The switchgear for instance looks a tad tacky and so do the fuel cock and the plastic surrounding the rear seat lock opener. Then there’s the gap between the tail piece and the rear seat itself which clearly hints towards finish issues. In terms of finish we would have like the footpeg hangers to be better finished as well.
As we mentioned right at the start, the Pulsar 200NS is way better than the Pulsars of yore. But, this is not where it ends. It’s also right up there with the best in the segment. It has the looks, the features and even comfortable ergonomics. Yes, it might not be as fast or as well finished as most others in the segment, but in terms of riding fun, dynamic prowess and even performance, it’s a bike you can consider without giving a second thought. Especially, if it’s going to be priced at about Rs 90,000.

Specs

Bajaj Pulsar 200NS

Engine single cyl, liquid cooled
Displacement 199.5cc
Max power 23.5bhp@9500rpm
Max torque 18Nm@8000rpm
Gearbox 6-speed
Wheelbase (mm) 1363
LxWxH (mm) 2017x1195x804
Kerb weight 145kg
Fuel tank 12.0 litres

Courtesy: www.autobild.in