2009 Bajaj Pulsar 220 Discussion Thread - First Ride Impression at Post No. 514

[ken cool]

Wow! Now this place has become a Bajaj bashing launchpad since the launch of the bike, instigated by some HH fanboys! Besides that, nothing really worthwhile is happening here...

Missing the speculation thread! Damn!!!

[pranay]

Khivraj Bangalore told booking to start next week, does anyone have a place to rent near the showroom?

Unofficial Booking has started yesterday itself. Delivery in 15-20 working days was what I was told.

+1

I guess somebody didnt tell these lines to the Japanese bike manufacturers out here, especially Yamaha!!

The reviewer of zigwheels is Adil Jal Darukhanwala.The same guy who goes gung-ho even with the slightest mention of the name, BAJAJ.And boy, did he say better handling than R15?

I will reserve all of my comments till i test ride the bike myself or after going through other magazines reviews.But nonetheless, BAJAJ has pulled out a stonker in the Indian Market and it will be interesting to see what the competition has to answer.But i dont' see any competition remotely near this bike for the next 6 months-1 year(barring the Ninja, of course!!)

And why do we have people crib about a bike which costs 70k-exshowroom and still is the fastest.My point is what's the use of the fancy technology acronyms(barring the Fi system) which actually dont provide you the required performance vis-a-vis the moolah you are spending for it.

I was deciding on the RTR180 for my brother and suddenly this new P220 has left me wondering!!

I think he said better handling in the context of older brother. It's just that in his previous sentence he was comparing the acceleration with the R15 and R15 came into his statement with handling.

But as you said, the test drive of the new 220 in our hands will show us how much better it is. I have been reading magazine reviews right from the days of the classic CBZ launch and I tell you everytime a new bike is launched, there will be commotion. And after every year or so, 3 tenths of a second drop from the 0-60 timings of the same bike even if in production. This is true for almost every magazine that is there. So nothing is definite.

Taking this bike in extreme cold conditions and high altitude will show how much an Fi system differs from a carb. No doubt carbs are much easier to service and easier to tune, though the highly optimistic mileage figure mentioned in Zigwheels will have to be tested again, in real world rider conditions.

Fi in the 220 was never meant for the bike to go faster. A carb would always have done a better job. But throttle response, crisper acceleration are some of the benefits also of the Fi. The new 220 seems to be an out and out screamer with torque figures in a higher rpm, greater agility via stiffer springs and what not. Most people here are saying it will be a good tourer. There is a lot more to touring than top speed. Most 220 owners liked the 'twist the wrist and go' attitude of their bikes. This one will need downshifts as mentioned with roll on figures dropping.

No doubt that this bike is a very good move, but there is a reason and thought process behind Bajaj providing Fi simultaneously. As MG said, there will be some people here whose considerations for a good bike go beyond pace.

[velociraptor13]

first and foremost and the most important thing that bajaj's agenda might be is to make the 220 more reliable as the 220 suffered from minor niggles.That was the main reason that kept me away from the 220.
Waiting for the ownership experiences.If good then will definitely consider the 220 as my next bike

[insanebiker]

But as you said, the test drive of the new 220 in our hands will show us how much better it is. I have been reading magazine reviews right from the days of the classic CBZ launch and I tell you everytime a new bike is launched, there will be commotion. And after every year or so, 3 tenths of a second drop from the 0-60 timings of the same bike even if in production. This is true for almost every magazine that is there. So nothing is definite.

Very very true. Could not agree more.

[chilled_fire]

^^^ Guys ,wats the point in brand wars , trust me You all are lucky ... here in SGP even an P200 or R15 costs around 7K SGD which is roughly around 2.3L INR without insuarance and other taxes.... and other headache is the license which is divided into diff categoiries so higher the CC more difficult it is to own one .

Bottom line : You all should feel really lucky of having so many options at such a great price !

Damn ! i miss my P220

[R15freak]

Exellent job, overall, by Bajaj. Only time will tell, if in the real world terms, the Fi would be missed (which has a very LOW chance of happening)! This is bringing performance to the 'masses', noticing how well some 75k -odd priced bikes very selling , with a poorer engine.
Despite being a R15 owner, and not a big Bajaj fan, I take this as a step FORWARD from Bajaj in the Indian scenario. Those who say it makes life easy for the posers, SO BE IT! Afterall, they form a good chunk of the market. And any manufacturer would play to the markets, and the masses.
I can see a lot of bikes (and manufacturers in turn) losing a lot of market share. On a rough average, around 25,000 bikes of the 'premium segment' are sold every month. I dont see why Bajaj can't take up a good 40% of the market share. They haven't just launched a new bike - they have done a lot more. The benchmark has been raised, the curiosity has been worth it, they have also created a good space for another bike, priced around the R15 that they can safely launch in some time without creating internal competition or ambiguity.
Great job - Bajaj!

[DASCO]

who cares for Fi and all anyways

+1,

So much for lip service over the net, but lets see how many guys would really prefer the "Fi" over the carb..
Hero Honda and HMSI have their PGMFi on the 125 cc Glamour and CBF Stunner respectively.. Not to forget the RTR 160 Fi from TVS.

Why don't these 'high on tech' models sell like hot cakes..??
Any thoughts..??

Thats exactly the point...How many of us really care about Fi and all..
We the XBHPians, the so called serious "bikers" around..well atleast 13000 of us are so excited about the age old carb and down tube frames then think of the masses...
I
t again boils down to the price...if it is cheap it sells..

No way am I saying that this is not a good bike.
Infact this move could actually be the one that will save Bajaj..It is really a masterstroke..
Again I say it, what the Munjals are doing to the lower end of the 2 wheeler segment is now being done by Bajaj at the opposite higher end..thats it..

Trust me.. I think there are going to be a lot of Karizmas and P180-200s on sale in the seconds market soon...

[akshaye11]

well back from yesterday bajaj bomb blast !!!!! 70000rs really shocking 2 month back I have purchase p200 after a month p180 same like p200 launch then p220 at this price !!!!! now what will happen to p200 owner???? and what about the new p200?????

[Dogg]

The new 220 seems promising. Let's see what other auto mags got to say about this. Not to forget the Initial ownership experience too. I beleive that soon there would be aline up of new 220's on xBhp

auto mags ??? all their shit is manipulated,u read them and buy then ur in for a toss....

[insanebiker]

well back from yesterday bajaj bomb blast !!!!! 70000rs really shocking 2 month back I have purchase p200 after a month p180 same like p200 launch then p220 at this price !!!!! now what will happen to p200 owner???? and what about the new p200?????

P200 is phased out i guess!

auto mags ??? all their shit is manipulated,u read them and buy then ur in for a toss....

I said i read them , i dont take them for granted. And i know they are biased. Just go through my previous post and u would know

[DarthVeda]

In F1 this season, they introduced KERS, which gave the cars a boost of 90 BHP, in Silverstone guess how many cars were using KERS? just 2 and both of them ferraris. Go figure that one out.

New technology doesn't always mean better performance! every technology has its PROs and CONs.

[hell_glider]

zma with its longer stroke makes life easier , thats all.

I like the new 220 .

@praful -how long did ur clutch plates last ?
the fi also has the FCC plates that HH uses, so whats new with the 220 dts-i' clutch plates that zigwheels has spoken about ??

Santa

dunno if this is OT, but can anyone here confirm whether the above clutch plate changes have been incorporated onto the new P180UG4 as well ??? because i had a longish test ride (of the P180UG4) fully within suburb (not highway) with good pedestrian / BEST / rick traffic, and the whole clutching / shifting experience was superb !!! not one false neutral or hiccup in full 25 mins or so i was riding the bike.

because if the 180 doesn't have these new clutch plates and its still so good, then supposedly, the 220 clutching/shifting should be ultra butter-smooth.

[TnT]

Now i'm really in a quandary..

thought of goin for R15... but 30k price diff man.. damn u bajaj for making such an awesome package in such a great offer..

[hell_glider]

In F1 this season, they introduced KERS, which gave the cars a boost of 90 BHP, in Silverstone guess how many cars were using KERS? just 2 and both of them ferraris. Go figure that one out.

New technology doesn't always mean better performance! every technology has its PROs and CONs.

as an aside, incorporation of that system supposedly adds a lot of weight to the car. and i was under the impression that even mclaren had tha system incorporated.

[pavanchirmade]

Now i'm really in a quandary..

thought of goin for R15... but 30k price diff man.. damn u bajaj for making such an awesome package in such a great offer..

Wait until someone you know gets the new p220 and then find someone who can give you his R15 for a test ride. Rip both 'em and decide which one appeals to you more!!!