anyone consider the possibility that the idiots over at CNBC got it wrong to begin with ??

is it not possible that the "new launch from bajaj" is actually the new Pulsar 200. because that does seem somewhat logical and inline with the rest of the details - i.e. around 70K price tag and no FI.

^yes Indeed I personally have a lot of respect to the bajaj team not coz of their products, but they have an R&D team which is constantly working hard to get something new in terms of innovation. Their swirl combustion chambers with valve layout offset is something no body has tried before on small bikes. The point is that they are derived from car engines, but still its a feat. The Dtsi was also a good innovation on their small engines, although it was a copy from the 60s. Nobody had done that before on a small engine.
Frankly no design house or engine maker can make anything without a reference point. If you visit any R&D centre of any maker, they'll have all their competitor's products and also the latest engines from all ove rthe world. Not that they will directly copy, but to study the idea and improvise if needed. In some cases, its a direct transplant as well.
FYI, TVS outsourced only the Flame engine to AVL and all their other products are built inhouse. Bajaj's original design were all mostly based on inputs and ideas from kawasaki. The pulsar was conceptualised in the Toyko R&D centre.
TVS brought down a team from abroad to just optimise the exhaust note for the RTR project.
Simply put, nobody works single handed and no-body reveals what they did. The prominent makers like Honda, yamaha, suzuki have no R&D in india and its very obvoius they are sharing tech from their own R&D centres abroad. But its very minimal that they outsource anybody outside their own resources.
In the Indian case with Bajaj and TVS, they have to depend mostly on consultants abroad. Else, they wont know where they stand in international levels. Afterall these products are even exported, so they have to comply to world standards.

@kowkfst - There is no official drag race that was held anywhere with a timing slip to exactly tell what the R15 and p220 or RTR can do in stock. Coz in an official drag, there is no STOCK engine.
From a source of mine in a media(which i just checked), the R15 posts a 0-100 timing 13.10secs on the V-BOX with a 52 kgs rider.
The same guy on the P220 did a best of 13.42secs on the V-box.
0-60 - R15 stock - 4.21secs
0-60 - P220 stock - 4.35secs
Its very closely matched and the R15 manages to beat it by a fraction, which will vary on street conditions. So street racing is not the way a vehicle is evaluated.

From a source of mine in a media(which i just checked), the R15 posts a 0-100 timing 13.10secs on the V-BOX with a 52 kgs rider.

The same guy on the P220 did a best of 13.42secs on the V-box.
0-60 - R15 stock - 4.21secs
0-60 - P220 stock - 4.35secs

Its very closely matched and the R15 manages to beat it by a fraction, which will vary on street conditions. So street racing is not the way a vehicle is evaluated.

[I]
then there have to be some very serious cuts in features. something has to give. there simply is no free lunch.

plus that renders the p200 without a justifiable premise really, considering that the p180 ug4 has been launched and keeping in mind its price point as well.

Since Joel has quoted some 0-60, 0-100 figures comparing the P220 and R15, let me also post a few more Official Figures with the source quoted.

Guys are at liberty to pull out old issues or check the sites of those publications, to check its veracity (if possible please update the "NA" timings for us..) and point out if there is any discrepancy.


Overdrive:

0-60 kmph: P220- 4.1 secs, R15- 4.9 secs
0-100 kmph: P220- 11.1 secs, R15- 13.2 secs


Autocar India:

0-60 kmph: P220- 4.42 secs, R15- 5.02 secs
0-100 kmph: P220- 13.27 secs, R15- (NA)


Bike India:

0-60 kmph: P220- 4.84 secs, R15- 5.12 secs
0-100 kmph: P220- 13.05 secs, R15- (NA)


Zigwheels:

0-60 kmph: P220- 4.76 secs, R15- 4.5 secs
0-100 kmph: P220- 12.92 secs, R15- (NA)

Well, does not the Stunner FI cost some 14k bucks? FI is not that cheap!

so you mean to say, that after dispensing with the FI unit, the 180,200 and the 220 should all be in the same ballpark range ??? then it either means somebody is getting ripped off, or it means bajaj is giving away the farm.

so which one is it ??

Well, I can tell you about 150/180. I have the parts catalog and not that many parts are different. Even then these parts are priced similarly. So, it is not that the bikes have to be priced that higher. 3k difference is ok. P220 had the huge price diff with P200 only due to the FI as well as projector headlamps. Now, they can be priced similarly.

So, no one is ripped off and no Bajaj is not running a charity - it is providing VFM products.

[i]
then there have to be some very serious cuts in features. something has to give. there simply is no free lunch.

If Bajaj has really taken the FI out of their upcoming new P220, I don't know if it's good or bad, personally I would love for the FI to remain there! I love moving on with the technology. Logically, as many know here, if the emission norms are going to be firmer come 2010, then this FI-less new P220 might again see an upgrade very soon (which some people tend to dislike) to comply with future emission norms! Now having an FI will be easier to come terms with it. Let's see!

Yes you are right. New P220 will have option of - With & Without Tail Light, with & without brakes, with & without handle... Just kidding.

Features... with Bajaj you cant expect decrease in features drastically. just FI has been replaced with Carb. Rest remains same.