What’s unknown in this bike, it’s the most sought for bike in the country. Everyone would like to own this, not just because it’s priced dirty cheap, but because of the ‘Pulsar’ name.
Well, As I had said before, even a 100cc commuter bike named Pulsar would sell out here. I am getting sick and tired of seeing the Pulsar name all around and more frustratingly supposedly different bikes. I have to nick out my eyes to find a diffrentiator from Pulsars to know whether it’s a 150/180 or others. Thankfully, the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi has a front fairing.
Now on the Pros and Cons of the bike.
I had decided that the bike wont feature on my blog, untill it recieves a BIG launch treatment and I have stuck to it. The bike was given a soft launch before, in Pune in batches of 20-30 bike ‘ON TEST’ basis. What a nice way to play with people’s money. Ok, they are now being given rectified for problems if any.
Starting with the engine. The same Puslar engine, now I have a doubt if I can call it traditional? Ok, the same Pulsar engine bore-ed out to 220 cubic centimeters, churning out 20 bhp of power, and mileage… What ? 40 KMPL…. Utter dissapointment, why could not they (Bajaj) get in more power for less mileage, who bothers for mileage in a 220 cc bike. I dont care a bit for mileage in my 150cc, 220 cc then just let it be purely performance oriented. Okay, you want good sales for the bike, head on and please these mileage consious buyers. But it has the a exhaust note like the civil conduct of the Honda’s. Could have been roaring thing.
Next, Handling: As I have read from various bloggers, forums etc etc, the handling is good, fells planted and strong and steady in straight runs. Fine, thats good. But, the bending is not allowed beyond a certain extent cos, the stands scraps tarmac. Hmm.. Guess you could have better stand design Bajaj, cuz this bike shall be thrown apart like anything.
For the brakes, I like this bike for having rear discs, inspires more confidence at top speeds. Kudos to Bajaj for getiing them on the rear, like on one else.
About the fairing, unless you are a 6 feet tall gigantic structure, you shoudn’t worry about your knees kissing the thr fairing tips. Actually, Its only the fairing that I like in this bike, remove that and the rear brakes, it will look like any other ‘ordinary‘ Pulsar. Sorry, they are getting too common in nature.
And for the rest of the styling, I would like to shoot the aesthetic designers of Bajaj team. Why? Well kid, you design an incredible machine like this, packed with one heap of features, and what do you get in return, No Exclusivity. As my readers would know, I am a die hard exlusivity conscious person, and thus four Pulsar variants, with same tank, same body design isn’t digestable. Okay, retain the name, but atleast work out your grey cells, and get in a new design, it will sell even more than predicted.
The digital speedo, fuel injection system, rear discs, and loads of other feature would make this a great bike, and surely is one of the best bike on sale in India right now, but the low procing would evn add to the commoness of the bike. I would have been happy if it was sold in limited numbers every month, just to maintain exclusivity. Actually I had thought Bajaj would do this so as to maintain the sales of the 200 cc sibling, but guess they have succumbed to the demands. Nevertheless its here, and for all you Pulsar enthusiats, here’s another one.
What would I do if I am given 85-90 grands to buy this bike, will I buy it ? Straight forward answer, NO. Why? thats because I want a mean machine, meaner than this, and something that has a fresh, radical new design. this could have had a monoshock, and more importantly, new look. Cause Pulsars are getting more in common than even Splendours and Platinas.
What stand does the Karizma has infront of this? Karizma, Yes, the very same restickered bike. Honda lovers may appload its refinement, feel comfort, blah blah and more. But the bottom line is that it losses as of today to the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. Need an explaination, guess you have jumped out till here, read the lines before. HH will have o do a lot more than radical new ‘graphics’ design, to get the bike selling.
The Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi showcases India’s fine talent of R&D Team @ Bajaj, that shall make the Japanese companies revise their stategies in India. In India, promising does’nt work, except for politicos. Promising new ‘big’ bike launches, and churning out commuter bikes, won’t work. You have to deliver. Thats what I like in Bajaj, their stand out competition to the Hondas and Yamahas. What more in store is serious new launches of bigger capacity bike launches, that shall leverage the standards in India. I hope the infrastructure can speed up its development, thaat shall be a bigger boon. At the recieving end of this is the customer, one who is always delighted.
Picture Credits: Posted in Forum discussions of Xbhp.com
Disclaimer:
This should have come long ago, but it comes after a comment by a fellow blogmate. This is not a Test Drive Report. This post is a collection of my freaking thoughts on this bike.This post is largely based on the reviews published on various autoblogs (mail me if you want to know which ones). And you have any queries mail ‘em to me.- Maltesh Ashrit
Not a very good review on the bike. There few illogical lines written above too which clearly shows that the writer is not well equipped with the knowledge of Indian market and scenario. Also, talking about of any Bike family, the writer is again unaware.
1. “The same Pulsar engine” : That is an astonishing line!
Then what about DTS-fi technology. Is it only a sticker
work?
2. “who bothers for mileage in a 220 cc bike” : This is India
where power, looks and price are not only important but
mileage too!
3. “getting sick and tired of seeing the Pulsar name” : If the
Pulsar series is the best in India, then what a bike buyer
would do? Buy another manufacturer’s bike for just
maintaining exclusivity sacrificing everything. I hope not!
4. “What would I do if I am given 85-90 grands to buy this
bike, will I buy it ? Straight forward answer, NO” : Then
what would you buy? Karizma – when it has been shown
that Pulsar 220 is much better bike in terms of packaging
and performance. I hope not.
5. “Cause Pulsars are getting more in common than even
Splendours and Platinas” : People nowadays consider
bikes as a part of lifestyle too rather than for just a lose
riding in the locality. So they opt for better bikes in terms
of looks and performance.
By: ANIRBAN GHOSH on July 5, 2007
at 2:05 pm
Wow, Thats a nice piece of criticism Dude, Thanks, Now take this….
The Fuel injection technology, is for thing in this engine that diffrentiates, I don’t believe that the engine has been altogether been designed freshly, only the Pulsar engine bored out to 220 ccs. The Fuel injection system comes above the piston cylinder block, along with the intake exhaust system and the twin spark of the Pulsars.
Thats the problem Dude, Why do you bother about mileage in a 220cc. Mileage is to be bothered only in commuter bikes. Don’t you think so that more power has been compromised for mileage, WHY???
Who says that it is the best in India, Only it sells well. That shouldn’t mean that it is the best. the bike manufacturer can provide exclusivity, by having different designs. Do you think that the CB series of Honda, or the R series of Yamaha, has only the engine capacity as the diffrentiatior, NO. The look different, meant for diferent people and have a great price difference. Does the ‘Pulsar’ family has it..?
Where did I say that I shall buy a Zma in compromise , Who’s buying these incomplete bikes, I shall put in more money and get myself a Bullet.
And what did I hear..?
So that what u see in a bike….gr8
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 5, 2007
at 6:26 pm
Well thanks for immediate moderation of my reply.
1. The engine design of the Pulsar you have described is true. But say me if Bajaj develops a new engine the R&D cost will increase considerably which will affect the cost of the bike. Now tell me if the cost of the bike goes beyond 1lakh, will anyone buy this 220cc leaving Karizma R excepting a few? What will be about the competition with Hero Honda.
2. “Why do you bother about mileage in a 220cc” : You failed to get my words. This are not my words, the nation goes with this. I personally believe in power and speed. So neither you nor I can do anything with this. That is all for the economic structure of our country. That is where challenges faced by Indian manufacturers – to maintain balance among everything from price to mileage to looks and what not?
3. Why are going in the international domain of CBR’s and R1’s? At that domain what buyers think of is power, speed and looks. Barely anyone thinks of mileage. Getting a bike with 85,000/- how can you expect so much?
Then if Pulsar 220 is not the best in that segment then which is the best? I hope you are not saying about Karizma! Else what?
4. Now you failed I suppose, to categorize bike classes. No buyer in the heaven and hell will buy Bullet in place of Pulsar 220 or the opposite. The buyers of these two classes will never get satisfied with the other class. Bullet buyers want a macho presence with a thumping voice and heavy outlook whereases Pulsar buyers are completely sporty segment freaks – hot sleek looks, sharp outlooks, latest gadgets and accessories a pickup! So can we ever compare these two segments?
By: ANIRBAN GHOSH on July 5, 2007
at 7:09 pm
Hi,
NOTE:- “All the comments made in this blog by me are my personal view”
Ashrit i’m back again, But this Time i’m completely in your favor. The pulsarians are jumping with the joy, but i think they have forgotten that HH has already done it (launching karizma 223 cc) in 2003, i.e. 4 long years back. It means HH is 4 yr ahead of bajaj and 4 yrs technologically advanced than bajaj.
p-220 offers rear disk!!!! but i think nothing is new because the same thing is done in rear tyre as we have seen most bike’s front tyre. I’ld like to comment on it in hindi (dont mind and plz tell me if u dont understand it…)
” aajkal mote mote tyre aur disk brakes (front & rear both) gali ke nukkadon par chhote mote mechanic ki dukaano par 1200-1500 rupaye tak mein lag jaate hain”
if pulsarians are crying & shouting that they have launched the great “F-I TECHNOLOGY”. They should know it also HH already launched it in glamour.
Now if we come to digital meter…let me tell u karizma by HH featured it first toooo.
About P-220 looks
Half fearing bike……..well karizma wins hare too as it came before in it.
“The AMAIZING TANK” —– i’m bored with it again same wohi bhadda sa tank. p-150 and p-220 has so much difference in engine capacity than yyyyyyyy again same tank, same length of bike also.
well one thing that’s sure for the first time in india is a projector beam headlight
But only for a good headlight i’m not that fool that i’ll spend 84 k’s (on road) for such an old ‘n’ bore bike.
Company is saying one of its most striking is features is that it does not have kick start.
) }
First of all i would like to say that they have removed something instead of providing, But i believe its buyers would cry because of this striking feature. Just think When battery goes down even horns does not blows, so how the bike would start? {for this bajaj has an option to provide padels like luna…
Bajaj is showing this bike since last one year & now they have launced it. …such a long delay (purely playing with emotions of bike lovers)
ALL in ALL & ALL in SHORT I would like to say nothing is new and exciting in this bike.
i think karizma is 1000nd times better…
Bajaj only wants to earn money by fooling customers and wants to become no.1 brand in india. But the true fact is that just because of such a strategy (upgrading engines just by 20 cc’s every time) they can neither become no.1 brand nor letting other brands to feel free for launching big machines as i think they are afraid of their strategy.
THIS MAY BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE FACTS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN THE LAUNCH OF ANY SPORTS BIKE (>= 600CC) IN INDIA.
THAT’S ALL FOR NOW ….
COMMENTS ARE WELCOME IF I’M WRONG..
NOTE:- “All the comments made in this blog by me are my personal view”
By: V_I_V_E_k on July 5, 2007
at 8:25 pm
Alright Anirban, Thanks for revisiting my blog…
here are your answers…
Bajaj should have designed a new engine in that case. No problem if they design a new engine, their refinement issues could have been sorted out. The performance of the engine could have been better and more.. And for the conpetition, Bajaj does price it low enough to attract customers, so you don’t worry about it..
Not necessarily that you have to please everyone in India. look at TVS, they now have the 160 Apache, completely focussed on the biker enthusiast, not a bit for the commuter.
And by the way one would not buy a Pulsar 220 for commuting purposes, and not even for practical reasons. Atleast I won’t.
I haven’t said that either of them is best. Both of them have their positives and negatives. The Pulsar’s engine is debatable in refinement to the Zma’s.. And for the international version of Zma develops 23 bhp of power,its because of the petrol quality that we get in India, it has been ‘downtuned’ not because of mileage concerns. Because, to develop that power from a 223cc engine, you would need a higher compression ratio, and low octane petrol shall give knocking problems.
In India you do not have any other option in this category, so I would likemto move out of this category, and buy a Bullet and not bother about mileage. And you forgot to add one thing to the Pulsar buyer’s features – concern for mileage..
Get back with more stuff like this Dude, blogging just got better, with enthusiasts like you..
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 6, 2007
at 12:12 am
Welcome back Vivek,
Good to see you back
Yes, Bajaj has got in India, what Honda has done some time before, BUT not all in one bike to make it a package. Bajaj gave all features in one bike, thats why the speciality. But Honda has in it to answer to Bajaj, but right now they unfortunately are concentrating on volumes.The Zma deserved a better upgrade than just Stickers all around. So I guess HH’s engineers are getting their grey cells working…
Thanks for commenting,
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 6, 2007
at 12:24 am
@1 ANIRBAN GHOSH
As we know, this is personal opinion so if you think you can write better than this on.e, we’ll wait for your bikes review on your blog. C u.
By: orangbaru on July 6, 2007
at 7:38 am
gr8 review. wait a minute. dont get confused. i said this review is gr8 not because pulsar has a strong criticism, but because this is the first blog on bikes i have seen with good and prompt replies.
well pulsar has been criticized right from its DTS-i version. all the facts in the review are true. bikes engine and design is just the same as lower versions. hats of to Maltesh. People like you are a requisite for the company to know the drawbacks of the product.
another thing i am impressed about is that Maltesh has been a real moderator. he has highlighted the dark side of both the bajaj pulsar and hh karizma.
but the only thing i dont agree here is the ‘Exclusivity’ factor. bullet is the most respected bike in india. but the fact of cost reduction and reduction in quality of the bullets recently cannot be denied. also society is a mixture of people. u dont have a single target here. its a very difficult job for a brand to satisfy all the people. i am saying this because i am a management student and i’m quite closer to cases of customer dissatisfaction.
1. there are people who wont consider the fuel efficiency factor while buying the 220cc. but also not to forget that there are people like me who consider this factor the most. be it 100cc or be it 220cc. after all i am gonna use this bike for my daily commuting to college and not like any bullet owner who maintain his bike for special occasions most of the times.
2. if the above reason doesnt seem to be valid, then lets turn on to the ‘USP Marketing theory’. when a consumer buys the bike he not only concentrates on a particular product he is opting for, but also has an eye on other products of the brand. a good reputation in fuel efficiency for bajaj can yield a lot for its other product too. just imagine, you r visiting the bajaj showroom for a 150cc pulsar. as u enter the first bike to grab attention will anytime be the 220cc. u study this bike and then move to the 150cc pulsar. if u find the specs of 220cc good, u are very much charged up to buy a 150cc pulsar though with a little grudge after seing the 220cc.
3. still the above reason not yielding much for u. then heres another one. i think this one cannot be challenged as its a pre established legal one.
“THE A.R.A.I” Would be foolish to mention the full form. all bikers in india should know what it stands for. this association is the sole culprit behind the fact that bajaj could have increased the power with reduction in fuel efficiency. every automobile manufacturer in india has to follow the pre established standards- i would say specifications, formulated by the A.R.A.I. thus 220cc bike matching international specs cant be introduced by indian manufacturers.
marketing facts may be boring, but very useful.
keep giving good reviews.
good luck and happy biking.
By: v2_rod on July 6, 2007
at 1:01 pm
i thnk bajaj make a copy of the no 1 sports bike KARIZMA ,but they dont know tha it is impossible because krz is unbelievable,i thnk name pulsar is very old so my opinion is KARIZMA is more n more better.
By: salil on July 6, 2007
at 4:07 pm
Thanks for commenting and the appreciation v2_rod,
Well, India is a mixed market, and many people here buy things, just it looks good, or it is good, immaterial of whether it suits them or is it what they really need. Many customers out here are unaware of their needs despite the bikes being categorised properly, and thus you find buyers of 150cc + bikes bothering for mileage..
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 6, 2007
at 8:46 pm
@orangbaru
Blogs are meant for discussions! If you cannot in it with logical sayings then do not. Unnecessary do not create chaos.
By: ANIRBAN GHOSH on July 6, 2007
at 9:50 pm
@ Anirban:
Blogs are meant to put forward personal opinions, and discussions based on the Author’s opinions. Please do not drag into fights. Else the comments shall not be approved any further.
Please engross yourself into healthy discussions, and stick to the topic..
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 7, 2007
at 12:28 am
I have a few points of my own to make
Maltesh you said
1. “I am getting sick and tired of seeing the Pulsar name all around”:
Well that’s exactly why you see people riding a CBZ Xtreme or the Apache. Because they don’t want to be another guy on a Pulsar (not necessary always, but in most cases. for eg. you). Still the Pulsar dominates the 150 segment..?? Why..?? Because for majority of the people the name “Pulsar” evokes positive responses. How can Bajaj not leverage it to their advantage..??
2.”Pros and Cons of the bike (P220)”:
Even without a proper test ride how can you comment on its Pros and Comments..??
3. “I am a die hard exlusivity conscious person”:
Well Maltesh, why ride an Apache then..?? I suggest you the RD350 or the Bullet 500 LB
4. Bajaj has been the most proactive among the Two Wheeler Manufacturers in India.
Hero Honda wants but can’t keep up with the pace of Bajaj because it doesn’t have an R&D of its own.
The Japanese doesn’t have a clue as to what the Indian bikers want and
TVS has been just following Bajaj till now.
By: Payeng on July 7, 2007
at 12:26 pm
@Maltesh Ashrit
First see who have started this. Blogging is not so easy. It needs great sense of decision and understandability. I know you may not accept this but I never go back in supporting the reality. That is my principle.
@salil
What a sense of logic!!!!
By: ANIRBAN GHOSH on July 7, 2007
at 10:43 pm
Hi Payeng, Thanks for comenting, Here are replies to the queries that you have raised.
Thats what I mean payend by saying that even a 100cc commuter bike will sell in India with a Pulsar name. Why let only the name do the talking, rename the bike to another name, and show your engineering excellence. Rather than using a name to drive sales.
I have never in the post said that I rode it, rather I have clearly mentioned it that this is my take based on reviews read on the net, even based on reports on your blog.
I wish I could afford that Dude,
Apart from that, I think of practicality, so I needed a bike for my college commuting, city driving, night-outs, etc etc. So a Bullet or a RD350 for that ain’t practical, especially when I am not living on my money… Got my point.. Guess once I can earn I can bother for my exclusivity.
Agreed to the first. For the second, HH has been affected by Honda’s entry, so you don’t expect them to get in more bikes, if their R&D ain’t functional. Now, what’s up with bggies like Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki, still bothering for market share…
And for TVS they have their racing arm, to develop bikes meant for races to churn out the best performance.
TVS indigeneously develops bikes suited for Race tracks, and not roads. The race bike are then modified for road conditions, and launched in to the market.. Unfortunately, Bajaj has been concentrating on getting more mileage out of a performance/sports bike by compromising on performance and thats unfortunate..
Thanks again..
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 7, 2007
at 11:17 pm
To an extent i agree with Maltesh in his comments that Bajaj just fools its customers by their so called refinements and then introduces its products.just think, so far has anybody’s pulsar or discoverer or even platina lived upto its projected mileage/fuel efficiency.bajaj introduced the caliber 115 ,they said it would give 80 kmpl under std riding conds;so i guess under our real conds say shouldnt it atleast give 55-60 ??.but no it’s an abysmal 45.(I am an existing angry bajaj customer)i have heard lots of such reports on the discoverer & platina too.
so i feel what bajaj is reaaaaallllly good at is MARKETING & ADVERTISING.they just rock in this.they are using the “BULUNd bharat ki bulund tasver,hamara bajaj”slogan to cheat us.
no doubt they have done an extremely good job of make the bike look good and packed with features but i would rather give due credits to the REAL bike engineers from TVS who have done some genuine R & D to come up with the new gen APACHES and VICTOR.they represent the TRUE INDIANESS IN ENGINEERING. hero honda engrs have for quite some time(even now??) rely too much on their partners HONDA.come out of this guys.think and grow dont be dependant ,show what INDIAN engrs can do.any day if i have to choose between bikes of equal perf say from US//JAPAN and India ;i would def buy te indian bike.though we are new to most upcmng larger bike segemnt,we have the BRIANS to develop and rock in any segment.look at the taurus F3 from TVS,RTR 160,Pulsar DTSFi(playing it safe).
all said and argued about,finally evrything boils down to the “male’s” choice and the vote as always goes to the most beautiful and sexy (the mistake that evrybody does even in some other critical life decisions) which again as always doesnt turn out be the good one and then the “male” is just left with FALSE pride.
Bajaj be genuine and you will win more hearts.
signing off
“a very dusgruntled bajaj user”
By: Ajith on July 7, 2007
at 11:19 pm
Hello Ajith
Mileage is based on test conditions, and a lot depends, on the way the bike is handled, if you ride a commuter bike in a harsh way, thats gonna affect the mileage.
I never said that Bajaj cheats, but they could have done things in a better way. You know a new engine for a new bike like the P220, and possibly a new name… And I have appreciated their efforts for the technological upgrates their are bringing into the country.
Dude, Pulsar is an ALL INDIAN BIKE, and what this Indian non Indian thing that you are talking? be international in your thoughts, and live international. You won’t improvise if you do not go International. By the way some of the TVS desings (body work) is done by a US Designer Nick Gravely. See http://www.MOTORCYCLEDESIGN.COM and look out fot his name. he has designed Star City, Chicane and more bikes for TVS during his 3 year term with TVS. Not How do you call Apache a cen percent Indian bike…
And yea Guess you need to talk to the Customer Care dept of Bajaj, guess they can solve you problem, through their mechanics.
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 7, 2007
at 11:40 pm
Maltesh you said:
1. “Apart from that, I think of practicality, so I needed a bike for my college commuting, city driving, night-outs, etc etc. So a Bullet or a RD350 for that ain’t practical, especially when I am not living on my money… Got my point..”
My Reply: Got it.. actually I suffer from the same exclusivity problem too..!!
I also had the same “money ” problem like you since I wasn’t earning…
So guess what I did a few years back..
I got a second hand Yamaha RX100 at a dirt cheap price.. got the entire Cylinder/Piston/Conneting Rod/Reed Valve etc. changed and got the complete bike rehauled..!! Now I am one of the few guys who ride the Yamaha RX “Pocket Rocket” 100..!!
2. “TVS indigeneously develops bikes suited for Race tracks, and not roads. The race bike are then modified for road conditions, and launched in to the market..”
My Reply: TVS does have a racing team… but on what basis are you making that statement..?? Or just because they have a Racing Team, they “MIGHT” be doing it.
3. “Unfortunately, Bajaj has been concentrating on getting more mileage out of a performance/sports bike by compromising on performance and thats unfortunate..”
My Reply: You must have actually meant that for the TVS-Suzuki Fiero/ Fiero F2 or the Honda Unicorn.
Definitely not the Pulsar (which was responsible for waking up the performance Motorcycle Indian Market) for heavens sake ..!!
By: Payeng on July 11, 2007
at 1:48 pm
hello
get a lil facts right .
it aint the same overbored engine.
its got a diffrernt stroke length if u know !!!!!!!!!!
62.4mm .
n the rest have 56.4mm ..
santoosh
By: santoosh on July 11, 2007
at 7:44 pm
I agree with payeng
bajaj is the one responsible for reviving up the performance oriented bikes with its pulsar.
just recall how TVS tried to sell its fiero with skinny tyres, 4 speed gearboxes and short wheelbases which according to tvs officials were what the Indian public wanted.
and now tvs is just following bajaj by increasing power, sporty looks, sporty riding position, rear tyres wqual to what pulsar has, digital speedometers, led tail lightsetc. everything tvs is doing right now is following the path that bajaj has shown.
no one cares for the performance hungry biker in India thanm bajaj. if you say that apache RTR is the most powerful 150-160 cc bike in India, just see where bajaj is heading 150,180,200,220,fuel injection
tvs is right in the same place in 2007 with its RTR 160 where bajaj was in 2001 with its 15 bhp pulsar 180!!!!
maltesh you are obviously biased in your views since you own a tvs apache 150 yourself.
By: Anirban on July 13, 2007
at 2:42 pm
I agree to the fact that TVS is currently doing the same as what Bajaj has done, and nothing is new in their RTR 160 expept for the petal discs.
Calling me biased, then I wouldn’t have praised Bajaj and Honda for what they have achieved, would have blogged only on TVS
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 15, 2007
at 10:51 am
Hey guys.., i am confused from your blogs…
now tell me one direct answer.., should i go for rtr 160 or pulsar 150
or puls 220(what is the cost).???
or should i go for unicorn.., which has got the most refined engine of the lot…
By: SAMEER on July 15, 2007
at 5:08 pm
Well Sameer, you seem a lot confused.
Decide for yourself first which segment of bike you want to buy 156/160 segment or the 220cc segment.
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 15, 2007
at 6:17 pm
I completely agree with the review but some more things should be added, that one should not forget that due to pulsar so many parent’s has lost their childrens what about them.. It all because of pulsar redeclus disk brakes & chasis design..& now bike come with rear disc brakes i must pray to god that to save life of valuable persons in india because in india & specially in indian roads people came fron anywhere they don’t have any traffic sence & not only this some time animals also come on roads & in this situation rear disc brakes will surely going to make accidents.
By: sameer singh on July 16, 2007
at 2:22 pm
i want in 156/160 segment.
By: SAMEER on July 19, 2007
at 12:57 pm
disc brakes causing accidents??? wow and i thought i had heard of everything. blaming a bike is not going to change the fact that the rider has insuffcient grey matter in his head.
By: Geoff on July 22, 2007
at 2:20 am
Right Said Geoff
By: Maltesh Ashrit on July 23, 2007
at 12:46 am
Hello every one, am a quality bike lover and any quality product lover wont find all these bajaj bikes worth to be purchased, yes am saying this, because Bajaj is one company that completely depends on marketing gimmics through ages n nothin else.
Take for example TWING spark plug or DTSI technology, well even if u take out spark plug, the bike easyly gets on so wats the use of 2 spark plugs and other that, can some body explain me how can spark plugs increase mileage?? well even a single imported NGK spark plug thats factory fitted in SUZUKI ZEUS sparks more fire than these bajaj spark plugs therefore theres no use of twin spark plug & is there any real advantage in FI in an customer base that india has?? well dosn’t seems so cos even today u get see enconomical 100cc n 125cc bein sold as hot cakes instead of 200+ nikes n even fi in 125cc is not a sucess.
am going to continue my agument in my next post
By: vishal sharma on July 30, 2007
at 5:18 pm
Dear All,
Facing competition n beating all oponents is not new for suzuki, but in india, almost every second bike enthusiast is saying suzuki hasn’t done well n bajaj n H.H are much supirior n blah blah blah. Well to clearify this am posting this message. Suzuki is not giving any competition to any compnay right now, instead its just making suru that it gives full satisfaction to its customers in respect of quality n mileage n etc. that it’s doing tremendously well n at the same time its monthly sale is also increasing by almost 700 – 1000 units, where all others r seeing a decline in sale. now comes the gear shifts for SUZIKI, well frinds SUZUKI is going to launch a 150 cc bike this february 08. & let me tell u this going to be a damm cool 500cc lookalike bike, with all those superbike features specially developed for india. and in between this time period, its launching a scooter n a new zeus with new outlook.
Well after that, within 1yr, SUZUKI is planning a sports 125cc bike, priced very competitively with supersport features( hope to show u pics soon) and after that its a 200 cc bike, along with the likes of Hayabusa & all.
By: vishal sharma on July 30, 2007
at 5:25 pm
hi maltesh
my name is bhavneet and i am planning to buy the bajaj pulsar dts fi.i am studying in 10 standard.should i buy it?if not,then why and else which bike should i go for?
reply soon.
bhavneet
By: Bhavneet Singh on July 31, 2007
at 11:52 am
dear friends i’m planning to buy a performance bike and i have locked on pulsar 200 and 220. now i m in dilema which one to choose.i like to burn the road and mileage is not an issue to me.
kindly help me on choosing between the two.
By: rohit kumar on August 3, 2007
at 5:17 pm
Bhavneet and Sameer pls give a try on RTR 160. Beleive me its the best. Though u won’t fing good stickiring like Honda Unicorn or HH Glamour or even CBZ x , its the bike u will want if u want power and performance. Engine was totally modified and does’nt have the drawbacks as in Apache 150cc. To be honest I have everything what I wanted. If u are concious about milage and Penny then too u will find it great. I don’t want to compare but its true Pulsar is too common.
By: Sanju on August 12, 2007
at 1:52 pm
Dear All
A simple comment on Bajaj..
Bajaj Pulsar z the only Indian bike exported to Singapore??
Any Suggestion ..Why??
I live in Singapore.Juz looking around to buy a bike over here.I am 90% looking forward for Bajaj dts -fi .
By: sinoj jacob manuel on October 23, 2007
at 7:42 am
Hye Guys great comments, I am planning to buy the Pulsar 220, I currently own the 7 year old model of Bajaj the Caliber, believe me till date the engine has not been opened even once and the only problems i have faced is a spark plug/ oil and chain change, which are all regular wear n tear problems. Bajaj has my vote for their bikes. Reliability on engines are one of their plus points.
Also i think we should comment once u use the bike for a certain period.
Will post my comments on the performance of the 220 as soon as i get delivery.
By: Rohan on December 24, 2007
at 11:27 am
Hey Maltesh,i was thinking for p220 very soon ,before that i was having kzma & before that a deisel bullet bcz i am a collg guy i also want a good milege is pulsar better than kzma if not then i dont want to do the same mistake like kzma.
By: Parijat on December 28, 2007
at 2:09 am
125 cc, 10.5 bhp, ~60 kmpl, reminds me of the Bajaj Wind-125, The Discover DTSi pumped out 11.5-12 bhp, gave ~60kmpl, was 125cc came around the same price …………. Gentlemen …!!!! Isnt the new 125cc trend a step taken behind (into the rustic past)….!!! ?????
By: Umesh Krishna on January 2, 2008
at 6:48 pm
Bought a pulsar..220fi around 1 month back.
Have only driven 345 kms.
One refuel of 8.5 liters after initial full tank.
My first bike ever=220 fi. So yes I have a bias already
. (hey its not just about the money, its about being more efficient, releasing less c02. u know doing your own bit for the planet). Its less than a 150/cbz but definitely a lot better than the karizma.
I rode a pulsar 150 twice to learn (friend’s bike).
Also have ridden a cbz extreme 2 times.
Here’s what i like about the 220 with respect to my limited experiences with other bikes.
a) gearbox. feels almost as ’slick’ as a honda.
b) I’m 6′2″ and I used to felt cramped on the pulsar 150. On the commuters I pretty much look like an overgrown kid on a tricycle. This bike seems to suit me a lot more.
c) superbikish fairing.. though not a full fairing. still getting there.
d) good brakes. always feel comfy even if I have to break at short distances. The rear disc doesn’t have nearly enough bite right now but its supposed to be weak to prevent crazy skids i guess. Some people also say it gets a little stronger later. Dunno will see. Even the manual of the bike suggests Breaking with more emphasis on the front breaks (which also means can’t break that well during turns) Overall feel of the breaks for commuting? excellent. For racing? dunno not tried yet and i certainly don’t have enough data to do a comparison.
e) decent mileage 35-45 in city even if u rev it up a bit for fun
f) A 220 has roughly 2x the horsepower of those puny 100-120 cc commuters out there.
You pay roughly twice as much. You also end up with a bike which looks diff from 99% of the bikes out there. Overall makes ok sense to me.
g) front+rear tubeless tyres. Just gives you peace of mind. In case of a puncture you should be able to make it to a point where it can be repaired.
HAve I had a puncture yet? nope. So I am just forwarding the marketing line
P.S: I don’t know or care about the pulsar brand. OR the shape of the engine. I’m more of a technical/practical person. I do care about features and price performance.
A) specs of the bike? for the pricepoint? unbeatable
b) handling/looks? excellent.
c) mileage/fuel efficiency? excellent.
I also care about the looks but as they say beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
if bajaj comes out with a 500 cc superbike I would run to book it
(Not a big fan of paying 100% duty on imports otherwise i’d be driving a yamaha/suzuki or something fun).
Cons:
a) rear view mirrors shake just a tad. Not sure if this is also a problem on other bikes. Not a major bummer. I’m usually busy looking forward anyway
b) Gearbox could be just a littttle bit better but seriously quite good already.
c) Design perspective? Give me a full superbike fairing.
. Then again the price would be over 1 lakh….
Then again make that engine 500-1000 cc
Anyone who wants to second guess bajaj engineers might want to try to go out and design a better bike.
)
For the price? I am not so sure it can be done.
Sure some minor tweaks can be done here and there but no one is stopping people from taking their bikes and customizing them. Its about finding the right lcd (lowest common denominator….. not the other lcd
I couldn’t truly understand why people had a problem with the cbz extreme’s looks. So perhaps my opinion will not fit in with everyone elses.
Change is good. exclusivity is fine. I had to wait 45 days for this bike. Thats crazy enuff. Not nearly that many 220 fis in delhi right now, or atleast I don’t see them yet.
For those who wanna be truly exclusive? Get an import.
Probably 2-3x the cost but you can rest assured no one will be riding the same set of wheels as you.
OR? One can always go in for those cosmetic mods and just mod even a lower end bike if you want superficial exclusivity….
Overall I think the 220 fi is a damn near perfect platform for a starting bike.
gr8 balance of
price/power/performance/features/looks/handling.
Score:
9.9/10
easy.
if not a 10
I think this bike will easily remain booked in advance for the next year.
i.e u will have to wait 1-2 months to get your hands on it.
I’m guessing by next year or so the ability of this bike to turn heads will diminish. So thats around when I’ll consider a new body kit/paint job etc.
Some random comments here and there on shocks getting trashed on the pulsar 200/220s?
No such problem here so far.
Stand too lose? can’t turn? no problem so far. then again I don’t angle more than 30-35 degrees.
As they say , beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. So don’t just read a review. Go check out the bike in its full 360 degree glory. I could talk about how much I like the looks of the bike primarily because my concept of beauty is connected to superbikes and not motocross or 100-150cc commuters….. Still not a true superbike. Then again it isn’t really a superbike (I like to think of superbikes as 500cc+ dunno what the tech def is) so I have no major issues with it.
Next: Get a test drive. Then you should hopefully be one step closer to figuring out why this is probably the best bike ever to be produced/manufactured/designed in India.
People who might not like this bike
a) some people just don’t get the super bike fairing concept. They need that front lamp to turn with the handlebars and other weird stuff. I dunno. Read up on first impressions/imprinting.
b) people who are truly commuters…… i.e fuel efficiency fantics.
c) people who don’t have the cash to burn.
d) people who like harleys/bullets? Slightly different class.
anyone who wants
power/best in class fuel efficiency/handling and ’superbikish’ looks
should look no further.
By: Raja Kumar on January 19, 2008
at 12:04 am
One small note on power delivery.
The throttle in second gear feels just a bit notchy.
I mean I start to open the throttle and the bike wants to fly.
On an open road gr8
but when you’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.
All the jerking around is not so much fun.
Anyway since this bike has fuel injection and hopefully some kind of ecu? or support for an ecu/something else programmable maybe I can get the throttle tweaked just a bit.
I don’t wanna miss the quick burst of power but I want the delivery to be just a tad smoother.
Will look into it in my next servicing.
For the gamers out there.
Its like mouse sensitivity in first person shooters.
Or using the perfect racket/rubber in tt or
the right baddie/tennis racket/string tension.
Gotta tweak the equipment to get it just right and then the even external equipment starts to feel like an extension of the hand/body.
By: Raja Kumar on January 19, 2008
at 12:16 am
the chap who is worried about rear discs of the 220 fi should test drive one.
.
In my use. Those rear discs have about as much bite as regular drum breaks and maybe the bite was even less in the first few weeks. The breaks are finally starting to actually break a bit more now. I am sure the break sensitivity for both front and rear discs can be adjusted…
I think the breaks are damn good.
The other day I was coming back from dwarka and I had to hit both the breaks hard around 50 kmph. I stopped 1 foot short of a swift in front of me and a biker behind me just barely nicked my rear tire
So I wouldn’t worry about the breaks too much.
Ride the damn bike before passing judgement on the quality of the breaks!!!!!
Simple safety tip for breaking.
Do not break while turning!!!!
By: Raja Kumar on January 19, 2008
at 12:29 pm
I tend to break well in advance of turns and then I just glide through the turn. Not fond of doing fancy stuff on turns.
.
Give me a straight line and I like to go from 0-65 like a madman
Well as madly as my bike’s manual will allow. Gotta shift up near 4-5k rpm for the first 1000 kms.
5th gear 4k rpm gives around 60kmph
So I guess at 8.5-9k this bike will hit the claimed 130-135 kmph top speed.
I will post more on the breaking and engine power later when I actually get to hit the max power band near 6500-8000 rpm
All I can say to people considering this bike…
Test drive it!!!!
By: Raja Kumar on January 19, 2008
at 12:42 pm
Firstly i don’t understand whypeople are cribbing so much about the mileage of the 220!!! Compared to the Karizma (the only other bike in this segment) this bike produces a whole 3ps (17.65%) more power than the Zma! Who doesn’t want better performance at a more affordable price? do you just need to have a fuel munching beast? i thought the performance was related to power/torque and handling of the bike but here people refer to performance simply as an inverse of the mileage!!!! This bike has more power (and thus more power to weight ratio) than even the 350cc Bullets which have lower power outputs and higher weights.
Brakes! Disc brakes are meant for safety and not for accidents. Pulsars have more accidents because they are more capable than their riders who tend to abuse their performance.
Same Engine??? Totaly different gearbox, a different bore and stroke and a different exhaust, intake system and a Fuel injection system do not amount to the same engine. Same engine platform – YES. but definitely not the same engine.
Agreed that the Zma came much before than this gr8 machine. But that doesn’t mean that it is better. For that matter, the Ford model T came decades before the luxury sedans and the SUVs of today. So go ahead and look for one and get it. Zma is completely lost on features as compared to the 220. Fuel injection, exhaustec(which is not just a name), tubeless tyres, digital console, rear disc brakes, auto cancelling indicators, LED tail lights, illuminated switches… the list goes on.
I own a 220 for the past 3 weeks and have about 500 kms on it already. have also driven the Zma. the Zma doesn’t really feel like a big performance bike. even the switch gear and handles are of the 100-125cc grade. new sticker jobs and bodywork don’t make it an improved bike.
Broad tyres are not just style statements. They are a necessity at the high power that this engine produces as they offer more traction and are thus more safe.
Agreed that you don’t shell out 85-90grand for “headlights”. but when you get such high quality headlamps which are in a totaly different league as compared to the competition, why complain?
They are quite exclusive.. more than the Zma.. my 220 makes heads turn wherever it goes. Though it is of the same pulsar family, it has several distinct features that makes you sit up and notice.
HH has totaly gone wrong in percieving the Indian “BIKE” customer (not talking about the commuter ‘motorcycles’) and will pay the price in the long run. They tend to sleep on a product if its doing well in the market while Bajaj goes all out and brings out upgrades way before the competition catches up.
Lastly, if you want so much exclusivity, you can’t get it at this price. N if you CAN pay, go in for a custom built V-Rod and no one else would be riding the same thing ANYWHERE else.
By: Nitesh Bidasaria on February 27, 2008
at 3:48 pm
I really doubt the idea that Bajaj has an R&D in India. They would at the most be having some sort of a assembling design centre – one that procures technologies from elsewhere and puts them together to get the final product – but nothing more.
In fact the front fairing of the 220 was designed in Spain and not here in India as we would love to believe
By: Dom on April 9, 2008
at 7:21 pm
maltesh ur doin gud job of givin info abt bikes n cars… welldone…. i request u to get
ze info abt this P220 chrome edition price n launch date…. and i need much info abt
gladiator 150 n fazer 250… which fazer is goin to be launchd in INDIA-BANG’LORE?
Round headlight OR ze one which is like R1 Doom?? pls rep as soon as possible….
Thanq-U!!!!!!!!!!!
By: sanzzy on April 21, 2008
at 11:29 pm
Thanks for the feedbacks guys… it has helped me a lot to know the 220.
By: Jim Ankan on June 25, 2008
at 3:49 pm