Apache RTR 180 ABS or Pulsar 200 NS

Hi Guys,

I am planning to buy a bike in early 2013, I have zero'd in these 2 bikes and would like to know more about these bikes.
I am 5'8" around 90 KGs, would commute about 30-40 km/day and weekends might be around 150-200 kms. Comfort(Incl Pillion) is a preference as travelling in Bangalore roads takes a toll on ones back, so need a bike that deals with these easily.

My choices are :
1) Apache RTR 180 ABS
2) Pulsar 200 NS

Now, I have ridden both these bikes for a short while and below are my findings :

RTR ---- Pro's : has awesome brakes, ABS feature is amazing. its comfortable considering my height.
Con's : din't like the riding position, engine during TD sounded rough, considering that I am not lean ..feel the bike to be smaller than it is.

200 NS ----- Pro's : has good brakes, riding position is comfortable, engine sounds smooth
Con's : balancing the bike on both feet is not easy(tip toe'n), not sure of pillion comfort.

These are my findings, I would like to hear the opinions from guys who have used these bikes and know more about the usability and maintenance of them to make the choice.

Are there any other options that I can consider ?

Thanks in advance for all your suggestions/opinions.

Similar Threads Approved and Merged

Well, I had to take a similar decision too and I chose the RTR over the 200NS. My choice at the time was purely for two reasons :
1.ABS
2.The RTR felt like home.

The 200NS is definitely the meaner machine of the two. It packs the best tech and also has the power to go with that. The brakes are good - tires not so much. Personally I dont like the ergonomics of the vehicle. I'm not much of a straight sitter. Having said that, the NS will make for a way more comfortable ride than the RTR. I'm 5'9" myself and couldn't plant my feet on the ground completely. For me, the best feature of the bike is that terrific top end.

The RTR on the other hand is a very different vehicle. Brakes are to die for. Tires are not meant for anything but clean blacktops. Monster acceleration and PWR. Light. Flickable. Can be a pain in traffic. The sitting position is aggressive enough to give you a very nice sporty feel. But its not so aggressive that it'll make problems. Seats are very comfortable. Its an outstanding performer. Throttle response is the crispest I've felt on any bike. Of the two bikes, this one seats pillions better. Its a great bike.

You guys should go through this thread for a long term review of the 200NS. Its very good. And in detail. Informative. I'm sorry I couldn't locate one for the RTR and I myself have had the vehicle for only 3 months. But I've had a great experience with the RTR.

If ABS then RTR ABS model, Else NS200 !!

Re: Buying - RTR180 vs 200NS, Help!

Thanks a lot Madhav and Somen. The review by MG is amazingly informative.
I'll discuss the ABS topic with dad and then be back.

Sent from my UMI X1 using Tapatalk 2

Re: Buying - RTR180 vs 200NS, Help!

Well. What somen says is right. The only thing that keeps the RTR in competition to the 200ns is abs. Without abs, I too would suggest the 200ns over the RTR. :thumbup:

Sent from my WT19i

Was riding my friends p150 yesterday, had a horrible time stuck in traffic in bangalore's traffic and added to that had a rear wheel had a puncture. so.. through the ride P150 was not flickable and had a though time, hence the thought of Bangalore traffic also adds to this confusion about choosing RTR or P200NS.
Which of these is better in traffic and relaxed ride quality?

Re: Buying - RTR180 vs 200NS, Help!

I dont know what you mean by relaxed ride quality. If you're asking which is comfortable, i've already answered your question. The 200ns, with its commuter-ish street-ish ergonomics is way better. The RTR has a slight incline to race ergonomics. So you'll be bent forward a little more than on the ns.

But that's highly subjective. I rode my RTR in traffic- heavy bangalore traffic- and i found it comfortable(It may be my blind love for the bike, so don't go by me). It's very very flickable. I find it as flickable as my twister.

The 200ns, I never had the pleasure( or horror )of riding in traffic. But I've read it's comfortable. You'll have to ask.in the owner thread.

Sent from my WT19i

...why horror bro ??
well..about city comfort,you can very much rely on the NS.It gives this straight upright posture to the rider while riding and really wide handle bars .That is very much comfortable for long riding and all.But when you start riding the NS, the upright posture is not going to make you feel like sitting upon a Discover,passion or any other commuter. The rear set foot pegs are really sporty guys..so you get the best of both worlds.!! I dont know to explain about ergos and all..But indeed the NS is Very much flickable in city traffic..you may go to youtube and watch the review made by "POWER TO THE RIDER" on 200NS....the ergos of the bike are explained well there.
NS has very much mass concentration than the p220 and best in class power to the weight ratio. So cornering is much fun and the traffic zipp zapping gets so easy. Though you get 23 bhp power in NS,the wind blast is so heavy at above 120 kmph.
Hope this helps...

Go for NS200 over RTR any day!! NS is more advanced in Power,handling, styling !! also IMHO RTR looks bad from front!!

Highly subjective and not required here. Please stick to advice and keep off opinions. Opinions wake fan-boys(mine is dormant, thankfully).

Styling and looks does comprise a feature to look for in a bike. Have seen many comments on the old R15 reviews that people did not choose an R15 because of its poor rear looks. There is no harm in giving your opinion on looks.

@ yash - My suggestion for you would be to go for R15 or CBR 150 in place of both the bikes you listed. Firstly, you already have a RTR. Secondly, R15 or 150R gives you the fairing which is quite a handy feature to have on a bike. As you already rode a unfaired RTR, its high time you get a feel of full fairing. It makes a lot of difference, which an NS cant provide. My fazer feels so cool when overtaking heavy vehicles even though its semi faired. You dont realise the importance of fairing unless you go back to a unfaired bike from a faired/semi faired one.

Re: Buying - RTR180 vs 200NS, Help!

"I think it looks bad" and "it looks bad" have a big difference. When it comes to looks it's very rare that there will be a unified view. It is subjective - not unimportant, but subjective. Let TS decide on subjective arguments. Not us.

Sent from my WT19i

Thats what I want to tell you.. Let the TS decide. You shouldnt decide on styamzma's opinion.