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At Rs 1.5lakh for the ABS version, should you buy the Bajaj Pulsar RS200?
Bajaj Pulsar RS200 -- the only fully fair Pulsar available in the market. This is a sporty and aggressive looking bike. Bajaj has ensured that this is good in terms of performance and power as well. The handling bit of the RS200 too has been taken care of off. Now, this is what Bajaj states. We find out in our detailed review of how good is the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 in our detailed review.
Price
Model
Price (on-road, Delhi)
Colours
The Bajaj Pulsar RS200 comes in yellow and demon black colour options at the moment. However, it will also be made available in red and white dual tone colour option very soon.
Engine
The RS200 shares its frame and suspension setup with the NS, however, the RS 200 has a new styling and is the first Pulsar with full fairing. The engine too is borrowed from the NS but, a fuel injection unit replaces the carburettor. The RS200 is powered by a 199.5cc liquid cooled, triple spark, four-valve, single cylinder DTSi engine that produces 24.4bhp of power at 9750rpm and a torque of 18.6Nm at 8000 rpm.
This engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and makes it the fastest motorcycle made by Bajaj ever. The front brakes are bigger with a 300 mm disc than the 280 mm found on the NS while rear brakes remain the same, with a 230mm disc.
The major upgrade here is an option of ABS, which is very good news, as there are many higher priced international motorcycles in the market, which do not offer this feature at all.
Looks
The full fairing gives the bike a racy stance, in addition it also gets split seats, two piece handlebar and 'Midship race spec' exhaust, as Bajaj calls it. The twin projector headlamps, with led tail lamps and indicators add to the look. In fact, the RS200 looks straight out of the movie Transformers and in yellow, it acutely resembles 'Bumblebee'. The headlamps have parking lamps placed above them, which resemble eyebrows. Somehow, I found the tail lamp out of place, hard to understand on what basis was it designed.
In simple terms, it's funny. The indicators are a lift off from KTM but quality and finish does not feel the same.
The RS200's styling is one of its biggest USPs. The new headlamp styling with LEDs and the Bumblebee-like front makes the bike appealing and the Pulsar RS200 with its full fairing certainly imparts a new character into the bike and if you ask us, buy only the yellow-coloured bike with ABS. The red looks good, but it is the yellow one that is one to pick.
Instrumentation
Instrumentation includes a big analogue tachometer and a digital speedometer, with regular indicators of fuel, turn and high beam. The handlebar sits tall, has good grips with bar ends, the lever positioning is fine too. The rear view mirrors could have been of better quality. They are actually worse than some entry level motorcycles.
Also, the field of vision is very limited. The 13-litre fuel tank is well shaped and has good padding for thighs.Seats are comfortable, providing sufficient cushioning. Riding posture on the RS200 is quite upright, due to the raised handlebar. This is not sporty but suits everyday riding.
Performance
Now, coming to the performance, though the RS200 has one bhp more than the NS, it isn't evident during acceleration, primarily due to the extra weight. The RS weighs a full 20kgs more than the NS. However, in terms of refinement, the RS is a step forward, though little vibrations are present beyond 7000rpm. As far as acceleration is concerned, the Pulsar RS200 is not in the league of the Duke; that punch is missing. What I enjoyed though was revving the bike to hear the exhaust note. I liked it. It's deep and sporty.
The ride quality is good and the suspension set up is optimal for tarmac as well as bad roads. Handling is not its forte and the bike is not too agile, though straight line stability is good. The bike that we had was a non-ABS version so couldn't check on that feature. However, the brakes provide adequate stopping power.
Verdict
The projector headlamps are powerful and add that extra glam to the RS200's styling. So, will the RS continue the winning streak of the Pulsar? This is the first full fairing bike from Bajaj and will be one of the best Pulsars for sure; even the pricing is very aggressive. After speaking to a few dealers, we learnt the ABS version has received more enquiries and bookings. This is a signal that customers are evolving fast and desire newer technologies.
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