The first motorcyle launch of 2010 is a surprise from Bajaj.. the Pulsar 200 DTS-i is back from the dead in a new avatar.. with 20 cc more, more grunt, more goodies.. at a killer price..!!
I had always considered the Pulsar 200 to be one of the most propotionate and good looking motorcycle to have graced our Indian roads. Apart from its good looks, the Pulsar 200 also offered an excellent "Performance + Price + Decent fuel Efficiency" package.
Many bike enthusiasts across India were disappointed when Bajaj decided to pull the plug off the 200 and give its handsome propotions to its younger brother, the Pulsar 180. The memory further began to fade away when the Pulsar 220 with its new carbureted heart went on to become more affordable and also the "Fastest Indian" bike.
But today, a member, of xBhp.com ( Prabhakar from Hyderabad) reported of sighting a new Pulsar 220 DTS-i variant in a Bajaj showroom which is almost a Pulsar 200 lookalike. The news about this new Pulsar variant was initially reported by BikeIndia magazine a few weeks back as the Pulsar 220-"S" variant. The "S" was supposed to be a "Streetfighter" / naked variant of the Pulsar 220 DTS-i
As can be seen from the photographs, this is indeed a new Pulsar 220 DTS-i variant which reminds one of the Pulsar 200. But this one has also got as extra 20 cc's, thick 37-inch front forks, rear disc brake, clip on handlebars and DC lighting as icing on the cake. By the way, the photos do not show any "S" markings or decals on the bike. So lets called it a bikini faired Pulsar 220 DTS-i instead.
Although not officially confirmed, this new Pulsar 220 variant is supposed to belt out 21 Ps (the Pulsar 200 used to make 18 Ps) of peak power. Also without the fixed half fairing, the weight of this new variant can be expected to come down by 3-5 kgs.. therefore a slightly better power to weight ratio is expected as well. But then sadly this new variant does not get the excellent projector headlight setup of the half faired P220.
The real cherry on the icing would be the price of this model, which at around Rs. 68K Ex-Showroom Delhi(not confirmed officially yet), now seems to bridge the 8-9k gap existing between the Pulsar 180 and the Pulsar 220 half faired variant.
Value for money, thy name is Bajaj..!!
A few guys might complain that the Pulsar lineup is getting too crowded with similar looking models.. (like we haven't heard that before).
But personally I would rate this new Pulsar 220 DTSi very highly as a package. After all there is one more "Fastest Indian" to chose from now.. that too at a very tempting price tag.. and this time one can't complain about the fixed-half fairing.
But question remains, whether this (new Pulsar 220) is a good enough proposition to excite Indian bikers or do guys care more for exclusivity stuff..??
Bikini Faired Pulsar 220 DTSi @ Showroom: (Photo credits: Prabhakar from www.xbhp.com)
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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.
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