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xBhp Rides and Reviews the recently launched Adventure bikes from Bajaj. The AS200 and AS150. Read on for the full review, including the technical specifications and a comparison with the competition.
The Adventurous Twins
Text & Photos: Sandeep Goswami/ Old FoxWe will be focusing more on the AS 150 in this review since this has an all new engine, different suspension and caters to a different customer segment while the AS 200 is essentially the 200 NS with a fairing, targeted at the performance inclined motorcyclist.stnd will not provide enough pulling power. The problem shows up for a narrow speed band but it is there. But with the low ratios in the first two gears, the bike has good ability to start off on a gradient with a pillion on board. The real fun though lies in the 3rd and the 4th ratios, the two being close together and so keeping the engine in the meat of the power band at usual urban road speeds will not be a problem at all. The fifth is overdrive and good for cruising. Acceleration through the gears is spirited with the bike gathering speed quickly and smoothly. Our ride session was late in the day and so we got bikes that had been thoroughly thrashed out by others before us. Which is the way we prefer it since it is a hot and used bike that shows up its true colours.
The AS 150 also has a reworked suspension, tuned on the softer side; again keeping its utilitarian role in mind. And it works well especially on broken roads. We deliberately chose a torn up section of the road running parallel to the Lavasa reservoir and the 150 almost isolated the rider from the rough unevenness of the road beneath. Very comfortable. Telescopic forks up front and Nitrox mono-shock with canister and spring pre-load adjustment does duty at the rear. Tyres are tubeless mounted on 17 inch dia light-in-weight alloys, 100mm width up front and 110 at the rear. The bike looks under-tyred visually when compared to the likes of the FZ16 and the new Suzuki Gixxer but there is more than enough grip and feedback without the inherent higher rolling resistance and so lower fuel economy that wider tyres result in. Handling is surprisingly light in feel and surefooted in practice. The 150, though weighing in at 143 kilos, feels almost like a commuter bike weighing around a 100 odd kilos. Steering is light, lean-in and out is intuitive and maneuvering the bike is effortless. The soft suspension works well as long as it is not pushed really hard at the edge of its operational envelope. Hard turns, especially when allied with multiple inputs like road undulation, mid-corner braking or steering lead to some disconcerting wriggling that makes the rider back off both on speed and lean. This though is not a performance machine and so rare will be a rider who will step so deep into such riding territory on this bike. For the average Joe, the bikes capabilities offer a wide enough safety net both in performance and control.
Braking was one area that the 150 sorely lacked in. The front disc (240 mm disc) and rear drum (130 mm) combo in itself should be adequate enough though a disc at the rear is an almost universal preference. The front brake lever felt spongy, had excessive travel before substantial braking happened and as a consequence lacked both in feel and feedback. This in all probability is an issue either due to soft brake lines or improper brake pad materiel or both. Bajaj though was very open about this point and are on it to fix the problem asap. This is a critical issue and definitely needs attention at top priority. The 200 in contrast had fantastic brakes. Two fingers and a hint of a squeeze on the lever would beget retardation as demanded. Feedback too was great though such good brakes demand ABS as a necessity. Again the average rider does not have highly developed braking skills and powerful front brakes can lead to an inadvertent lock and slide. The ABS, especially when Bajaj already has the excellent single channel one used on the RS 200, can at least be offered as an option.
The AS 200 rear discThe AS 200 coolant tank
The Adventurous Twins
Text & Photos: Sandeep Goswami/ Old FoxWe will be focusing more on the AS 150 in this review since this has an all new engine, different suspension and caters to a different customer segment while the AS 200 is essentially the 200 NS with a fairing, targeted at the performance inclined motorcyclist.stnd will not provide enough pulling power. The problem shows up for a narrow speed band but it is there. But with the low ratios in the first two gears, the bike has good ability to start off on a gradient with a pillion on board. The real fun though lies in the 3rd and the 4th ratios, the two being close together and so keeping the engine in the meat of the power band at usual urban road speeds will not be a problem at all. The fifth is overdrive and good for cruising. Acceleration through the gears is spirited with the bike gathering speed quickly and smoothly. Our ride session was late in the day and so we got bikes that had been thoroughly thrashed out by others before us. Which is the way we prefer it since it is a hot and used bike that shows up its true colours.
The AS 150 also has a reworked suspension, tuned on the softer side; again keeping its utilitarian role in mind. And it works well especially on broken roads. We deliberately chose a torn up section of the road running parallel to the Lavasa reservoir and the 150 almost isolated the rider from the rough unevenness of the road beneath. Very comfortable. Telescopic forks up front and Nitrox mono-shock with canister and spring pre-load adjustment does duty at the rear. Tyres are tubeless mounted on 17 inch dia light-in-weight alloys, 100mm width up front and 110 at the rear. The bike looks under-tyred visually when compared to the likes of the FZ16 and the new Suzuki Gixxer but there is more than enough grip and feedback without the inherent higher rolling resistance and so lower fuel economy that wider tyres result in. Handling is surprisingly light in feel and surefooted in practice. The 150, though weighing in at 143 kilos, feels almost like a commuter bike weighing around a 100 odd kilos. Steering is light, lean-in and out is intuitive and maneuvering the bike is effortless. The soft suspension works well as long as it is not pushed really hard at the edge of its operational envelope. Hard turns, especially when allied with multiple inputs like road undulation, mid-corner braking or steering lead to some disconcerting wriggling that makes the rider back off both on speed and lean. This though is not a performance machine and so rare will be a rider who will step so deep into such riding territory on this bike. For the average Joe, the bikes capabilities offer a wide enough safety net both in performance and control.
Braking was one area that the 150 sorely lacked in. The front disc (240 mm disc) and rear drum (130 mm) combo in itself should be adequate enough though a disc at the rear is an almost universal preference. The front brake lever felt spongy, had excessive travel before substantial braking happened and as a consequence lacked both in feel and feedback. This in all probability is an issue either due to soft brake lines or improper brake pad materiel or both. Bajaj though was very open about this point and are on it to fix the problem asap. This is a critical issue and definitely needs attention at top priority. The 200 in contrast had fantastic brakes. Two fingers and a hint of a squeeze on the lever would beget retardation as demanded. Feedback too was great though such good brakes demand ABS as a necessity. Again the average rider does not have highly developed braking skills and powerful front brakes can lead to an inadvertent lock and slide. The ABS, especially when Bajaj already has the excellent single channel one used on the RS 200, can at least be offered as an option.
The AS 200 rear discThe AS 200 coolant tank
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