Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

I said no typical pulsar vibes .
NS refinement is miles ahead of 220 running on same engine oil.
But it won't be butter smooth like a unicorn or other multi cyl engines .
For a single cylinder NS vibes are OK .
Ride both bikes back to back you will find the difference.


If you are bored of 220 performance and willing to spend 1.5 for Duke 200 can you stretch your budget a little for the 390.
Because you will easily get bored again by 200 twins .
200NS is better if you want a 200cc and 390 if you want fun .
Duke 200 won't bring a smile after 220 bored you .


Guess you switched from FI to carb 220 and a pulsarian inside me saying you to wait for mighty 400SS at a slight premium over Duke 200

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

Ok budjGt is not a matter to me but the matter is the duke really worth of buying over 200nNS because both has some features regarding the engine compartment for just the of the brital acceleration is it practical spending 45-50k more on duke? how about the cost of the ktm spares when compared to NS??? D390 is out of my choice i would love to own a simple 200 machine which has a adequate amount of power thats it.

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

For Rs 45,000 you get following:-
1. Aluminium swing arm.
2. Better Instrumental console in terms of features.
3. USD Forks.
4. Better tyres in terms of quality.
5. Service quality of centres better than Bajaj.
6. Automatic engine kill if side stand is engaged.
7. Fuel Injection.

In terms of pricing, NS has no competition but Duke 200 is a very capable machine. I love my NS & I am so happy I choose her 2 years back even though many ppl rejected it.

My suggestion, test ride both on same day & then you will understand better.

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Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

If that's the case simply go with 200NS.
Duke & NS match closely in power, it's just short gearing, quick revs, and the exhaust note that make it seem like alot.
Other than costing extra 45-50k over 200NS, it comes with an expensive ownership experience.. the spares parts aren't pocket friendly, the common wear and tear parts actually need to be changed more frequently compared to 200NS. It's not as good of a complete package if you compare it to 200NS.
The point is 200NS can do almost everything the Duke does, and even more, like comfort, pillion comfort, costs less on road and in maintenance (i hope you find a good service center). Current state of 200NS is that it is extremely refined and stable package, bajaj has applied several hotfixes to this bike in past 2 years.
Avoid 390, that's all im gonna say.
You could even go with R15, why ? Offers best trouble free ownership experience. You will feel the lack of raw power when you twist the throttle.. but it's power is adequate in this segment & it's reliability is unmatched. You could get it with ur eyes closed.

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

Thanks for your suggestion my heart says go for 200ns i will buy it with in a month but what about the power delivery,refinement & smoothness when compared to p220??

I hate r15's seating position and the pillion seat is very odd in my opinion & it also doesnt look practical atleast to me. NS looks much better than r15

Re: Pulsar 200 NS Owners Review and Experiences

Those who think Pulsar 200 NS isn't smooth havent ridden an RE classic 500 at 110 kmh. 'nuff said.

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

2 years after it's release, the NS has definitely got small improvements internally. It's a whole lot smoother but hasn't compromised on power at all.
Don't be worried about 200NS' power delivery on city roads against a 220, you only need to rev it up alittle more, upto it's higher powerband and you'd be the fastest thing on the road (unless a Duke shows up :P) Plus the torque distribution is nice and city friendly now.
220 basically has the power more readily available, NS requries you to rev it up, and it's built that way.. engine's very strong. A 220 rider will be flying off at 6-7k rpm and at the same rpm range I'll just be entering the beast mode, and then it's bye bye! Also remember it's more free revving, builds revs quicker & smoothly than 220. Only gets better as you ride more.
I had another thought, why not wait a couple of month.. may be 200SS is on it's way afterall.
[MENTION=25697]maraque[/MENTION] can help u on this further as he also used to ride a 220 & CBR250, and only recently switched to 200NS.

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

Power delivery well 220 can be ridden under 4k rpm with pillion but NS will make you downshift .
Refinement and smoothness is miles ahead of 220 .
Both have similar top end with faired 220 will be nicer to maintain those speeds .
Plus it has a hard suspension set up when compared to spongy 220 .

Still I bet that getting a NS won't be an upgrade at all .
Wait for a few more months for other 300cc+ launches test ride all & then decide .
NS is for the folks from 150cc air cooled category not from the 220 .

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

Frankly speaking, the 200NS isn't such a big jump from the P220. But the improvements are there and are very much noticeable. [MENTION=57486]broken87[/MENTION] has summed up much of the differences. I'll just put in some of my own.

The differences being:

• The 200NS engine is much smoother than the P220 engine. But I think you already know that.
• Much less prone to engine fatigue than the P220. I've had this problem with the P220 after some hard day's riding. Much less so with the 200NS.
• Way better handler than either the CBR250R or the P220. The CBR is stable and is a good handler but is just not as light to flick around. While the P220 just felt woolly in comparison. It was stable, but at faster corner speeds you could feel the chassis flexing.
• Riding within the city is also a breeze compared to the other two due to the much more flickable nature. Plus the engine is tractable enough, just not as strong low down in the rpms as the other two. But I adjusted.
• I initially felt that the suspension was too stiff. But with time it loosens up somewhat and is much better with a pillion, though still a bit stiff for a single rider. I'd suggest not to adjust the stiffness because then it'll make it a bit soft for two-up riding.
• Miss my P220's headlights though. Still one of the best headlights on an Indian bike.
• I also don't like that the 200NS is a lot more susceptible to crosswinds than the other two faired bikes. But I guess this is true for most Indian unfaired bikes.
• The seat is comfortable enough, but does not have as much space as the CBR to move your butt around. I found it a bit more comfortable than the P220.
• Much better brakes than either the CBR or the P220.

My initial considerations for a replacement for the CBR had been the R15, 200NS, and the D200.

I enjoyed the R15's handling the most. Never had a cause for worry with it during the 1.5 years I used my friend's bike. But I needed more poke than the bike could give in terms of power.

The D200 had the power and the handling but it was not pillion friendly. I tried the pillion seat for a few kilometers and I've never sat on the back of a Duke again. I do occasionally have to carry the missus and it just wouldn't do.

The 200NS satisfied my criteria better than the others in terms of handling, cost, and comfort, and so I bought it. Plus it much, much cheaper to service than a CBR250R.

The Honda spare parts cost you an arm and the labour costs a leg. I wouldn't have minded it if the parts quality was par for the prices they charge, but they weren't. In my experience, Yamaha gives you the best quality parts vis-a-vis prices. Bajaj has always been known to have affordable spare parts prices.

The above are my opinions, others' might differ. Plus you might have different needs than mine. All in all, during my 5 months of ownership and 4,000kms of riding, I've never had cause for complaint. It's been working like tick-tock. But I do detest windy days though, and that's the only time I miss the P220 and the CBR250R.

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns


Thanks for your valuable points about the 200ns.
Now the D200 is out of my list because in the many reviews of comparing the 200ns with d200 many said that when it comes to the comfort of the rider and the pillion ns is the best when compared to the dukes comfort.

What about the paint job quality on 200NS??? i hate those cheap paint jobs on previous pulsars after each water wash i can see the paint washing off from the engine fins & alloys is the same case for 200NS??
& lastly what about the gear shifts experience?? any false neutrals of misshifts like p220??

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns


Bro the gear shift is nice but you have to shift above 4600_5000rpm to get it and i have not faced problem regarding false netural
from my experience with pulsar 200ns is that it has 3 mode of power and i aspect that many agree on this.1000-4000rpm this bike is in silent mode.4001-7000rpm it turns into fun mode but when u cross the 7100rpm this ns transform into the beast mode and the sound after 7000rpm is really 2 cylinder bike. I have managed speed in the 4 gears at full throttle.
1gear-51kmph
2gear-71kmph
3gear-91kmph
4gear-121kmph(heavy rider manage 117kmph speed)
Not able to test the remaing gears due to traffic.
It manages to give 48kmpl under 50kmph speed and 42kmpl under 80kmpl.single rider on the highway


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Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

The paint quality, as far as I've seen is good, definitely not the type that would get chipped off during a wash. There arent many painted parts anyway. Half the plastics are covered with stickers. If i have to complain, i think i'll point towards the two stickers on either side of the front mudguard. Due to constant direct splashes on them during rains and occasionaly during wash, they dont hold up so good and tend to chip off. If you spare about 150 bucks or even less, you can get better quality stickers done for the mudguard at any sticker shop.

I'm not aware of the quality of shifts on the P220, but compared to an FZ that i learnt to ride on three years ago, and compared to the R15 that ive ridden often, i can safely say the shift quality is nearly on par, because the shifts are smooth but not yamaha-smooth. NS shifts with a satisfying 'click' and neatly slots into any gear but if you go too soft on the lever you may find a false neutral while shifting from 1st to 2nd (it wouldnt have slot into gear but the N light wont be glowing). The other gears are fine. Bottomline: dont be too soft with the gear lever.

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Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

Thanks for your inputs regarding the gear shifts what about the headlights? i know its weaker than those large projectors of 220 but still can we manage during the night rides at highspeeds???

And also the stock are not upto the mark according to the many reviews clarify me regarding these points.

Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

Although it's a 55/60W bulb, and although its your best bet for city use, you will find it to be a wee bit lacking on the highway. Anything above 100 kmh will get a bit scary. I would suggest you upgrade to the philips crystal vision 55/60W. It's a plug and play type. Or you can even install cree/zeus auxiliary lamps. They are good upgrades for night riding. Stay away from HIDs and projectors.

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Re: Duke 200 or p200ns

From my short-term experience, I can certainly see that the paint job on the engine is of higher quality than on previous pulsars. Certainly seems to be holding up for now, unlike on the CBR where the paint had chipped of from the engine block in a few places, the engine head and crankcase were fine.


I can definitely vouch that gearshifts are also improved from the P220. Still not on par with the R15 though, but close enough. The R15 during my 1.5 years of usage never gave me mis-shift, which the 200NS has done so.

Not that the CBR was any better. The only redeeming point of the Honda being that, on a long highway ride, with Motul 300V flowing through its veins and the engine nicely warmed up, the shifts were utterly smooth. It was literally like hot knife through butter. Of course I don't have any point of reference to the other two bikes since I am still on Motul 5100 on the 200NS and never took the R15 off the Yamalube diet. I'll see how the 200NS fares once I get it on the 300V diet. But the R15 was still pretty good even on the Yamalube though.

Never used any other brand of oil other than Castrol, which I didn't like, so I'm a poor candidate for comparing brands.