The Bajaj Pulsar 200 DTSi

March 20th, 2007 → 8:48 pm @ Sukhi

12


It came up surreptitiously under the headlines of Bajaj releasing the 220, but the Pulsar 200 is now here – and available at a Bajaj ProBiking outlet* near you.

So after getting a brief test ride from Khivraj’s Indirangar outlet in Bangalore, here are my first impressions.

It is a big step up from the P180 – and in all the right directions – okay with just the seating, maybe.

Design & styling are in the by-now familiar Pulsar family mode. Although the P200 gets most of the same attributes of the 180DTSi, it sports some additional – and very welcome changes. The foot-pegs are rear-set - and this is heaven-sent to anyone who complained about the foot-pegs on the Pulsars -

I hate the way one has to twist their ankle towards the brake pedal, it should’ve been more straightforward, or at least, the recesses in the tank should’ve been better.

The rear-set pegs combined with just the toe-shifter meant shifting, and riding was a breeze – especially for the knee. The brake lever falls right into the space. Its the first time my legs have snugly fit around the Pulsar’s tank – and it made for delightful riding. The original Pulsar, or at least the DTSi should have had all this. Better late than never?

The seat is split – and that robs some joy from the sweet riding position. There didn’t seem to be enough cushioning or space – I wanted to slightly move back, but couldn’t. There’s a split grab rail as well – looks cool, hope it is useful too. Oh, there’s the lovely looking Tank scratch pad too.

In sum, a sporty, comfortable design.

Onto the engine and mechanicals then – this is essentially a 20cc upgrade in terms of capacity from the P180, but boy! Does it seem like a different beast altogether! There’s the nice growl when you accelerate. Now, you’re talking, baby! There is definitely more power on tap on 200 vis-a-vis the 180, even though it has a weight disadvantage – it accelerates harder.

The accelerations is smooth, comes in a hurry almost all the time – and with the sweet exhaust note for company. The ‘box is slick, and precise. No missed shifts, no false neutrals, nothing. The brakes are very good – both for bite and feel. There isn’t the sudden bite one found in the 180 with the front brake – it is more linear. No vibes up until 8K rpm – that’s all I pushed it to before shifting up.

One difference between the 200 and 180 was that the 200 wasnt screaming its guts out at 8k rpm – although that impression might change when more time’s spent with the machine.

And the whole package is just 3000Rs dearer compared to a 180. IMO, well worth the money!

Update: Spec sheet up here, at Bajaj’s site. Brief overview – 200cc, 18PS, 15 litre fuel tank, oil-cooled engine, 145 kilos, tubeless tyres on both ends ( F 90/90, R 120/80), brakes (F 260mm Disc, R 130 mm drum)

Related post – The 2006 Pulsar 180 DTSi