18 Bajaj Pulsar DTSi 200 Owner's Review [First 1800 Kms, by Nilutpal]

My friend Nilu sends the ownership experience of the first 1800 Kms on his Pulsar DTSi 200

Nilu's Intro:

>> Name: Nilutpal Hazarika
>> Education: B.E (Mech. Engg.) from R.E.C (N.I.T) Surathkal

>> Occupation: Engg. in IOCL
>> Passions: Bikes, Guitars

>> Previous Bikes Owned: Pulsar DTSi 150

I got my spanking new red P200 on the 1st of May2007 after a long 18-day wait. After that, it has been a passionate affair with my 200, the road and me.

What I loved foremost about the bike straight on was the impressive levels of torque on tap and the sporty riding position. Maybe the feelings were heightened because I had wandered into 200cc territory directly from 150cc locale. But yes, I needed to shift gears far less than I had done on my p150 dtsi.

Nilu's Pulsar DTSi 200

The mileage I clocked for these 1st 500 kms was an astronomical 56 kmpl!!!

Last checked , my mileage was 47 kmpl, of which 60% was highway and 40% Delhi traffic

First Free Service/ 500 Kms: I nurtured the bike like a baby for the first 500kms, never letting the tacho cross 3700rpm. These 500 kms never presented my bike and me any problems whatsoever, probably because I never let myself loose on the accelerator. The mileage I clocked for these 1st 500 kms was an astronomical 56 kmpl!!! Just to make myself sure, I re-checked it (tank fill to tank fill method again) and then the figure was. …hold on….57kmpl!!! One point: I was using ONLY Xtra-premium 91-octane gas and majority was highway riding. But I was sure SOMETHING was wrong somewhere with my bike...

Time for the first service then. I must mention that the service center was a swell experience. I reached the service center just 10 minutes shy of closing time, but the guys didn’t send me back for the next day…instead they politely took down details and all and said the bike will be ready in 90 minutes. I came back at the due time to find my bike spanking clean, Teflon coated and shining crazy!!! Oh, and one more thing, before delivery of the bike they add fuel and lubricant additives imported from Bardahl, USA, for the fuel system and for the forced lube system. Very very nice!!

Mother nature played spoilsport bang at the time I was about to take the bike out of the service center, and it started raining cats and dogs. I definitely didn’t want to take my shining, Teflon coated, polished, buffed bike out for a spin in the rain. On enquiring whether I could keep the bike at the service center itself overnight, I was shown no hassles and to make things more pleasant, the guys who did the buffing themselves took my bike to be parked at the shop-floor for safety.

Distance covered so far- 1826 Kms: I collected my bike early next morning amid appreciative stares from my fellow bikers at the service station. Ahhh…the simple pleasures in life!!!!

>> The fuel indicator isn’t quite precise

>> A more powerful Headlight beam would be definitely welcome

>> Once or twice I have had to struggle in finding the neutral

>> Rear drums (brakes) lack feel

Problems faced so far: None as far as riding goes. However, I do have apprehensions over the tubeless tyres. There are very few tubeless tyre service centers in and around here (save for car-tyres), but fortunately, these tyres run for a month with a nail embedded in them! My friend with another 200 had discovered ,to his horror, a big fat 4” nail nailed in his rear tyre! He immediately went to a fuel station and got the tyre pressure checked. To his surprise, the tyre had maintained 23psi from the earlier 29psi. After much hunting, he found an appropriate service station, which got his rear tyre fixed and also introduced him to a self-fix kit costing around 400 bucks. The puncture fixing is a kid’s job it seems with the tubeless tyres. I also plan to get one of this and store it along with the tool-kit, just in case I run into some dreaded nails.

The chain looks dry to me. Looks like it could use some lubricant. But no whine whatsoever from the drive-chain. Moral- Pro of an exposed chain : looks macho; cons: dries faster.

The fuel indicator isn’t quite precise. Even when the tank level was 5 liters down, the indicator showed a full tank. But after that, it functions properly. No complaints really. The red master beacon comes on when the tank level comes to around 5 liters. Plenty of time to go for a tank-fill.

What I sorely miss on this bike is a sixth gear

I feel the bike has too much grunt at top end to be wasted

The Good Part: The road grip and footing is superb. There is no hint of nervousness while cornering. I tried some really steep bankings, but I absolutely never felt the need to straighten up. The tyres really inspire confidence, apart from giving the bike a butch look.

The throttle response is as sharp as ever and the engine begs to be revved. It takes a lot of self –restraint not to rev hard!!! The bike pulls clean at 25 kmph even in the fourth cog without any snatching in the engine. I cleanly sweep off in the 3rd gear after speed breakers-no issue at all. This is why I am so impressed with the engine torque.

The exhaust note is nice, mid and bass toned. Much better than the p150 dtsi. But, I could use a fatter tone. (I am very tone-specific, being a guitarist!!!) Maybe some 1db gain in the sub 1 khz range will do a hell lot of good to the exhaust note. But absolutely no complaints while pacing the bike. Pulsars have a definitely throaty note at high rpms.

I just love the LED tail lamp cluster. They do a perfect job and the brake lights are simply superbly bright. No complaints in this regard. However, I could use a more powerful headlamp. The present headlamp gives a blue-tinged beam, which is fine for the road…but yes; a more powerful beam would be definitely welcome.

The clutch is prim and proper and gives a precise feel. But once or twice I have had to struggle in finding the neutral. I suspect my neutral lamp and the actual neutral position isn’t entirely in sync. Must get it done in my next service. However, of late, I have got the hang of it and I don’t find it hard to get the green blimp on the fascia! But yes, the toe shift is playing havoc with my Nike! I get a dark patch on my left shoe every time I go for a spin! But I just love the “click” of the gearshift…chunky sound and feel.

The brakes are more progressive than biting sharp. They do a good job of bringing the bike to a standing halt. But the rear drums lack feel and you tend to press harder until you realize that the rear wheels have locked and are skidding. Perhaps some more tactile feel will help out on the rear brake problems. The front disc looks gorgeous to me.

Its probably too early for other problems to arise, but after my stress-free 3-year stint with the p150 dtsi, I have faith in this bike too.

What I sorely miss on this bike is a sixth gear……sort of an overdrive.I feel the bike has too much grunt at top end to be wasted. With the even power delivery and a near-flat torque curve, a sixth gear will work wonders. Bajaj should look into this seriously. It’ll add another feather in its cap for being the first Indian bike manufacturer offering a six-speed gearbox. I would love to clock 100 kmph at a leisurely 6500 rpm! People will really appreciate an extra 10-15 kmph on their speedo.



Will keep you posted on my affair with my p200 time to time.

Till then, adios amigos and happy biking..!!

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Disclaimer:

This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.