Full review on Pulsar 200.

Finally a full review on P200 by yours truly ,after almost 4500kms since I bought the bike
Odd time considering that the bike has been launched almost a year ago and many people have bought it.But to tell the truth, this post was on mind since long,pending in the posts section of my blog and I think it will still help.

Prospective buyers - I am no journo of some magazine.All opinions are my own although I will not try to bluff them.
You might come across something which you won't agree (which is bound)please take it into your stride with aplomb, its my humble request!after all these are opinions of a simple mortal...well there are some facts also like technical specs, which will come as they come in a company manual.

A bit of history lesson.
As far as Auto buffs go I don't need to say anything.Pulsar being a milestone in auto-history of India.But for those who came in late , pulsar was launched in 2001,21 st November 2001 to be exact.Since then Pulsar has gone through many alterations and as of 2007-2008, it is quite a refined one compared to the first gen Pulsar of '01.Last update on Pulsar was in nov 'o6.


2001 - Raw power and super quick around the corners.Flickablility of this classic pulsar is unmatchable.A perfect wheelie machine.

2003 - Revolutionary DTSi appeared as did the fantastic fairing.Top end increased significantly although a low end suffered slightly.These UG2 pulsars are said to clock 133kmph(180cc).

2005 - Bajaj can't stop and throws in goodies like Alloy wheels,Nitrox shock, Fat tyres.Besides overall stance was lowered by almost 12mm making it even more lean mean.Low and mid end given added dose of power for better rideability in city.

2007 - Major changes regarding design and also engine technology.FI appears on 220 as do oil-cooler on both 200 and 220.Even more goodies thrown in most of which are seen first time on any Indian bike.

DESIGN
The 200 is described by many as the most aggressive and balanced looking of the lot and I couldn't agree more.
According to me Pulsar 200 is meanest, leanest , baddest looking pulsar ever ,220 not withstanding.In fact looks were the main reason that made me opt for 200.(well, 220 had a 1.5month waiting when I went to ProB, and this also contributed towards 200!).
When you first throw a glance at 200, what catches your eye most is the tank with new flanks and the black styling from 180 but taken to new height. Lengthened swing arm coupled with huge 120/80 tire makes her substantially bigger than 150/180.
I must add a word about grab rails that are there.I won't go much into details so as to sum up, lets say those grabs are hopeless and serve no purpose other than looking good.You just can't hold onto them be it while pulling the bike backwards or while putting it on stand.The pillion will also complaint(ahem,depends upon what kind of pillion you are having) as in tight situations there is nothing to clench on except the rider!In fact I know some of you will welcome this :)
Here are some of the design elements that make Pulsar 200..well a pulsar 200!

Pictures are self explanatory I guess.Still if some of you want to delve into full details, you can do so by clicking here.
The pictures may not do full justice, you should see the bike in flesh and feel the difference.

ENGINE :
Pulsar 200 sports 198.8cc engine which is capable of producing 18PS @8000RPM.Notable difference between 150/180 engine and 200's engine is that its oil-cooled,which makes it more smooth,calm and relaxed.In fact it is one of the most refined engine to roll out of Bajaj.
Sadly it doesn't scare the rider as classic 180 used to do,anyway its very personal thought.
Thumb the starter(which is a bit noisy and there's no kick starter!) and engine starts with a deep growl.One thing should be mentioned here for those who think that omitting kick starter is a wrong move - Bike starts in first crank without any trick with accelerator.Be it winter or rains.
Anyways, slot into first gear and shoot off.There isn't much to choose from 180/200 as they almost feel same at low end.200's added weight and huge rear tire contributes to this.
But once you move into mid-range there's no stopping, with engine pulling like anything.Roll-on acceleration in 3-4-5 gears is also very good making her more highway friendly than a city rider.
However don't be under impression that its a slouch in traffic light GP's.Once you get hang of her ratios and torque ,such GPs are cakewalk although wheelies are a bit rare to come by due to extended swing arm.
In city you need to shuffle between 1st and 2nd gear most of the time, due to short 1st and a slightly longer than usual ratio 2nd gear.The engine once past 4-4.5K RPM makes a serious power and only then you get the real thrust.The engine then goes right till 9.5K RPM before losing the steam.All in all its much refined and sorted out engine with all the right characteristics thrown in.Only sore point could be the lower end performance.But the smoothness and mid range grunt more than makes it up.

GEARBOX :
Pulsars right from first generation have been mostly marred by its gearboxes.Thankfully Bajaj seems to have sorted out this one onto its latest generation pulsars.P200/220 being a shining example of this.The gears slot in with noticeable click and false neutrals are almost absent.
However Bajaj has still long way to go before it catches up with Honda/Yamaha as far as gearshifts are concerned.Clutch less gearshifts are better be avoided.But unlike older pulsars, shifting quickly through gears is pleasant experience.
My bike had a particularly clunky shift from 1st to 2nd and vice-versa which is now a days reduced to great extent but still present.2 free services haven't solved the problem yet.
Thankfully this is not a universal problem, as my bikes of my friends have flawless shift.

PERFORMANCE :
200/200 are being projected as exclusive and performance bikes, clearly this aspect is going to matter most when buying such bikes.
And as expected P200 doesn't disappoint even a bit.
According to overdrive , P200 is capable of reaching 60kmpl in 4.7 seconds which is next only to P220 and is quick by any margins,well at least in India that is!
However its not the time taken to reach 60, its the relaxed nature of engine which makes you smile.You don't feel the speed unless you look at speedo.
There's been a lot of controversy about top speed and I am not still sure about it.
For prospective buyers , don't worry, its on outer side of 120kmph!
Sadly I can't confirm how much beyond 120,as your's truly has only reached 120kmph once on pune-ahmednagar 4 lanes with almost a centimeter of accelerator travel remaining.
Besides I was riding straight up and not crouching.So if you do all these things while going in for speed run on P200, you might reach a healthy 126kmph.
On orkut I have come across people who claim to have reached 135kmph and do 130kmph regularly.This according to me is far stretched and can't be done on stock P200.
So 123-126k is your best bet.
Once past 90k,things become slow and reaching for top is a tedious job just wish that there are no cross winds.
As for touring with her relax engine,cruising all day at 85-90kmph is a cut out task for her as that is the range when engine is in perfectly smooth band.
One point to note here is that , shifting through gears quickly and smoothly is the key to extract maximum performance from P200,too high revs in each gear or too low revs aren't going to help.
Braking is served by disc brake (Ø 260 mm) up front and regular drum(130 mm) brake at the rear.
The braking grunt provided by these two is adequate.Make sure you don't fully rely on only one of the two(especially rear one) as is the habit of many people.The rear brake feels really weak when compared to other bikes but thanks to bigger disc up front, the bike gets some serious braking power.

RIDE AND HANDLING :
This one is a no brainer.Pulsars all along have been great handlers with superb ride and P200 is no exception.All right bits are present such as gas filled shocks which are adjustable,tubeless tires at both end,super rigid chassis ,sporty riding position etc.
Most noticeable thing once you hop onto P200 is riding position.There's no other bike bar 220 in India which is as sporty as this one.Just sitting on it gives a kind of rush which has to be experienced.Thank you Bajaj for this clever and simple piece of thought.
The main contributor to this are the lowered handlebar(no clip-ons though), rear sets, and the stepped seat.The clip-ons a la 220 would have looked even better, but Bajaj seems to reserve them for 220 so as to maintain exclusivity and the higher cost could be another reason.
The stepped seat is nice touch and first on Indian bike(or was it bullet 500?) although the one on my bike is bit hard and not very comfortable.Same holds for rear seat.Besides the rear seat is so high up that for ladies and oldies its a task to climb on it(ok ok i understand its not for your mom or grandpa to sit) nonetheless the look it lends to bike is very sporty.
As for the ride on bad roads there is nothing much to boast about.Big tubeless tires obviously helping the overall comfort level but the thin and narrow seat somewhat lessening the effect.
Bring the bike on plain highways and there is nothing to crib about,its flawless.On hilly roads with lots of turns and bankings, P200 is real joy to ride due to superb grip provided by tires and inherent strong chassis.
The gas filled shock absorbers doing their duty just as ordered.Rear shocks can be adjusted as per your choice.By default they are set on soft mode.
One major concern that I feel is the turning radius.Bike certainly has big turning radius which brings down pulsars traditional quick flicking ability to certain levels down.In city especially you will notice this when in traffic jam.Squeezing through tight spots is not her cup of tea as shown in the ad.Parking in a tight spot is cumbersome to say the least, with stupid grab rails also adding to the nightmare.
Leave these grudges apart and what you have is one of most composed and able handler in the country.Many respected tourers will swear by it I am sure.

FUEL EFFICIENCY
At last here comes the dearest topic of many bikers.I wonder if it really matters for bikes like 200 but I won't let it slip through.There is one whole post dedicated to it which you can find here.To wind up the story however here are the excerpts.In city one can expect in the range of 35-40 or even more depending upon your riding style and whole lot of other factors.On highways the figure might swell to 48kmpl.According to me these figures are highly respected when you consider the fat tyres ,bigger engine and performance.

FINAL WORDS
The bike costs anythng between 72-75K depending upon where you live.Considering the goodies and performance that comes bundled with package makes it a good VFM proposition.
Its a good looking and handsome machine standing apart from 150/180cc.Those who think 220 is bit overdone and too advance, 200 makes good case for itself.
The bike has its shortcomings also, like the poor rear brake and huge turning radius making a hard job of city commute.Moreover weak low end performance makes you change gear frequently when in traffic , however its a minute niggle.
Bajaj has tried its best to sort out the issues related to digital console but its still no where near to perfect.Although my particular bike did not give any major headaches, the console is reported to be problem ridden.So be careful with it, thankfully they replace it free of cost in most of the cases.But as long as there is wind through your hair and a long stretch ahead, I bet there is no other bike to ride than P200.

Technical specifications as on bajajauto.com -

Engine
Type
4-stroke, DTS-i, Oil cooled

Displacement
198.8 cc

Max Power
18 Ps / 13.25 Kw
Max Torque
1.75 kgm / 17.17 Nm

Suspension
Front
Telescopic forks 135 mm stroke

Rear
Triple rate spring, 5 way adjustable, gas charged NitroX shock absorbers

Brakes
Front
260 mm hydraulically operated disc brake

Rear
Mechanically expanding 130 mm drum type

Tyres
Front
90/90 x 17” Tubeless tyre, shod on aluminium alloy wheels

Rear
120/80 x 17” Tubeless tyre, shod on aluminium alloy wheels

Fuel Tank
Full
15 Lts ( 2 liters of usable reserve)

Electricals
System
12V AC + DC

Headlamp
35/35W clear lens type with 2 pilot lamps

Dimensions
Wheelbase
1345 mm

Weight
145 Kg