2009 edition pulsars

Well well well, 2008 passed without much movement by Bajaj. To make matter worse their current model sales also deepened. Considering the gloomy scenario all over it was expected. But still enthusiasts were craving for a new version of one model which they have always cherished. Pulsar. Auto show came and went. What we got was a pulsar 220 with carbon fiber effect silencer, that too as a concept and that was all. That was all, you ask me? Ummm not anymore if recent news are to be believed. Bajaj has already started rolling stones for 2009 and XCD 135 is the first of them all.
But as I said, for enthusiasts it's not 'the' news. News of the hour actually is that, that they have really gone ahead listened to all us people and have devloped newer versions of much loved pulsar 180 and of course Pulsar 200.
So what is new really? For the starters, and I am not too happy with this- that 180 is said to have those tank extensions straight off 200, robbing much of latter's identity. Thankfully (and probably) they have spared the aluminum exhaust.
Second update which is also not confirmed and is kind of OK-OK concerns pulsar 200. As per one of the versions being shown to public (In Pune), pulsar 200 will have 220's front fairing. And that doesn't make me too happy either. It will also have fatter front forks of 220 plus clip-ons.
However there is another version being displayed, which retains current bikini fairing which is obviously sexy, for it being bikini :). And gets those fat forks,clip-ons and rear disc off 220.
This second version has rather intrigued me and I am really hoping that Bajaj goes ahead and makes it without second thoughts. Of course those who want 220 look alike should be given option. Apart from this, I think Bajaj should provide a better head lamp preferably a HID on 200 also even on normal bikini fairing version. Current head light setup sucks and is the most hated item on current 200.
Apart from cosmetic changes, the engine is also said to have gone under revamp and is now believed to pump out 19BHP which is 1+ on current engine. Unfortunately or fortunately 200 seems to retain carburetor and no FI at least for 2009 edition.
Those who are in Pune can go and check these models. Others, please be patient. It won't be too long before Bajaj goes ahead. It has been dead for too long now and India's one of much beloved brand does not deserve that.
(Above article talks about bikes which are still in concept phase and word should not be taken as final atleast for now. There may be changes in final products if they ever come to production.Pictures and videos are not published intentionally.)

UPDATE : Looks like Bajaj fired first salvo at the rising pressure, (read yamaha R and FZ) in the form of UG4 pulsar 180, and in my opinion isn't something really worth the long wait.What it achieves is what people have been doing since long-Convert their 180s to 200. So Ok, people will get knock off of P200 at almost 6k less than original P200 which I think can be put to good use of buying that aluminum exhaust which the new 180 lacks.
In short, all the pulsars except 220 will now look like P200. Not a good news for P200 customers for sure, including me. There is more bad news. The P200 itself is slated to look like P220. Wait, what? Yes exactly, where goes the original bad ass P200? Fingers crossed, but from what I am listening and seeing, no great hopes.And I am sad. This time I am not even go and bother finding 2009 pulsar pics. They are all over the place. Thanks.

UPDATED UPDATE : Got some pics of 2009 edition pulsar, not a exciting piece of news but I had to oblige. as they say, its literally a mix bag of feelings and parts.

New pulsar 180.Déjà vu.


forks from 220.

clips from 220.

new pulsar 150.damn.

In addition to these lame upgrades, they have also added 3D logos.I am excited!!

Full review on Pulsar 200.

Finally a full review on P200 by yours truly ,after almost 4500kms since I bought the bike
Odd time considering that the bike has been launched almost a year ago and many people have bought it.But to tell the truth, this post was on mind since long,pending in the posts section of my blog and I think it will still help.

Prospective buyers - I am no journo of some magazine.All opinions are my own although I will not try to bluff them.
You might come across something which you won't agree (which is bound)please take it into your stride with aplomb, its my humble request!after all these are opinions of a simple mortal...well there are some facts also like technical specs, which will come as they come in a company manual.

A bit of history lesson.
As far as Auto buffs go I don't need to say anything.Pulsar being a milestone in auto-history of India.But for those who came in late , pulsar was launched in 2001,21 st November 2001 to be exact.Since then Pulsar has gone through many alterations and as of 2007-2008, it is quite a refined one compared to the first gen Pulsar of '01.Last update on Pulsar was in nov 'o6.


2001 - Raw power and super quick around the corners.Flickablility of this classic pulsar is unmatchable.A perfect wheelie machine.

2003 - Revolutionary DTSi appeared as did the fantastic fairing.Top end increased significantly although a low end suffered slightly.These UG2 pulsars are said to clock 133kmph(180cc).

2005 - Bajaj can't stop and throws in goodies like Alloy wheels,Nitrox shock, Fat tyres.Besides overall stance was lowered by almost 12mm making it even more lean mean.Low and mid end given added dose of power for better rideability in city.

2007 - Major changes regarding design and also engine technology.FI appears on 220 as do oil-cooler on both 200 and 220.Even more goodies thrown in most of which are seen first time on any Indian bike.

DESIGN
The 200 is described by many as the most aggressive and balanced looking of the lot and I couldn't agree more.
According to me Pulsar 200 is meanest, leanest , baddest looking pulsar ever ,220 not withstanding.In fact looks were the main reason that made me opt for 200.(well, 220 had a 1.5month waiting when I went to ProB, and this also contributed towards 200!).
When you first throw a glance at 200, what catches your eye most is the tank with new flanks and the black styling from 180 but taken to new height. Lengthened swing arm coupled with huge 120/80 tire makes her substantially bigger than 150/180.
I must add a word about grab rails that are there.I won't go much into details so as to sum up, lets say those grabs are hopeless and serve no purpose other than looking good.You just can't hold onto them be it while pulling the bike backwards or while putting it on stand.The pillion will also complaint(ahem,depends upon what kind of pillion you are having) as in tight situations there is nothing to clench on except the rider!In fact I know some of you will welcome this :)
Here are some of the design elements that make Pulsar 200..well a pulsar 200!

Pictures are self explanatory I guess.Still if some of you want to delve into full details, you can do so by clicking here.
The pictures may not do full justice, you should see the bike in flesh and feel the difference.

ENGINE :
Pulsar 200 sports 198.8cc engine which is capable of producing 18PS @8000RPM.Notable difference between 150/180 engine and 200's engine is that its oil-cooled,which makes it more smooth,calm and relaxed.In fact it is one of the most refined engine to roll out of Bajaj.
Sadly it doesn't scare the rider as classic 180 used to do,anyway its very personal thought.
Thumb the starter(which is a bit noisy and there's no kick starter!) and engine starts with a deep growl.One thing should be mentioned here for those who think that omitting kick starter is a wrong move - Bike starts in first crank without any trick with accelerator.Be it winter or rains.
Anyways, slot into first gear and shoot off.There isn't much to choose from 180/200 as they almost feel same at low end.200's added weight and huge rear tire contributes to this.
But once you move into mid-range there's no stopping, with engine pulling like anything.Roll-on acceleration in 3-4-5 gears is also very good making her more highway friendly than a city rider.
However don't be under impression that its a slouch in traffic light GP's.Once you get hang of her ratios and torque ,such GPs are cakewalk although wheelies are a bit rare to come by due to extended swing arm.
In city you need to shuffle between 1st and 2nd gear most of the time, due to short 1st and a slightly longer than usual ratio 2nd gear.The engine once past 4-4.5K RPM makes a serious power and only then you get the real thrust.The engine then goes right till 9.5K RPM before losing the steam.All in all its much refined and sorted out engine with all the right characteristics thrown in.Only sore point could be the lower end performance.But the smoothness and mid range grunt more than makes it up.

GEARBOX :
Pulsars right from first generation have been mostly marred by its gearboxes.Thankfully Bajaj seems to have sorted out this one onto its latest generation pulsars.P200/220 being a shining example of this.The gears slot in with noticeable click and false neutrals are almost absent.
However Bajaj has still long way to go before it catches up with Honda/Yamaha as far as gearshifts are concerned.Clutch less gearshifts are better be avoided.But unlike older pulsars, shifting quickly through gears is pleasant experience.
My bike had a particularly clunky shift from 1st to 2nd and vice-versa which is now a days reduced to great extent but still present.2 free services haven't solved the problem yet.
Thankfully this is not a universal problem, as my bikes of my friends have flawless shift.

PERFORMANCE :
200/200 are being projected as exclusive and performance bikes, clearly this aspect is going to matter most when buying such bikes.
And as expected P200 doesn't disappoint even a bit.
According to overdrive , P200 is capable of reaching 60kmpl in 4.7 seconds which is next only to P220 and is quick by any margins,well at least in India that is!
However its not the time taken to reach 60, its the relaxed nature of engine which makes you smile.You don't feel the speed unless you look at speedo.
There's been a lot of controversy about top speed and I am not still sure about it.
For prospective buyers , don't worry, its on outer side of 120kmph!
Sadly I can't confirm how much beyond 120,as your's truly has only reached 120kmph once on pune-ahmednagar 4 lanes with almost a centimeter of accelerator travel remaining.
Besides I was riding straight up and not crouching.So if you do all these things while going in for speed run on P200, you might reach a healthy 126kmph.
On orkut I have come across people who claim to have reached 135kmph and do 130kmph regularly.This according to me is far stretched and can't be done on stock P200.
So 123-126k is your best bet.
Once past 90k,things become slow and reaching for top is a tedious job just wish that there are no cross winds.
As for touring with her relax engine,cruising all day at 85-90kmph is a cut out task for her as that is the range when engine is in perfectly smooth band.
One point to note here is that , shifting through gears quickly and smoothly is the key to extract maximum performance from P200,too high revs in each gear or too low revs aren't going to help.
Braking is served by disc brake (Ø 260 mm) up front and regular drum(130 mm) brake at the rear.
The braking grunt provided by these two is adequate.Make sure you don't fully rely on only one of the two(especially rear one) as is the habit of many people.The rear brake feels really weak when compared to other bikes but thanks to bigger disc up front, the bike gets some serious braking power.

RIDE AND HANDLING :
This one is a no brainer.Pulsars all along have been great handlers with superb ride and P200 is no exception.All right bits are present such as gas filled shocks which are adjustable,tubeless tires at both end,super rigid chassis ,sporty riding position etc.
Most noticeable thing once you hop onto P200 is riding position.There's no other bike bar 220 in India which is as sporty as this one.Just sitting on it gives a kind of rush which has to be experienced.Thank you Bajaj for this clever and simple piece of thought.
The main contributor to this are the lowered handlebar(no clip-ons though), rear sets, and the stepped seat.The clip-ons a la 220 would have looked even better, but Bajaj seems to reserve them for 220 so as to maintain exclusivity and the higher cost could be another reason.
The stepped seat is nice touch and first on Indian bike(or was it bullet 500?) although the one on my bike is bit hard and not very comfortable.Same holds for rear seat.Besides the rear seat is so high up that for ladies and oldies its a task to climb on it(ok ok i understand its not for your mom or grandpa to sit) nonetheless the look it lends to bike is very sporty.
As for the ride on bad roads there is nothing much to boast about.Big tubeless tires obviously helping the overall comfort level but the thin and narrow seat somewhat lessening the effect.
Bring the bike on plain highways and there is nothing to crib about,its flawless.On hilly roads with lots of turns and bankings, P200 is real joy to ride due to superb grip provided by tires and inherent strong chassis.
The gas filled shock absorbers doing their duty just as ordered.Rear shocks can be adjusted as per your choice.By default they are set on soft mode.
One major concern that I feel is the turning radius.Bike certainly has big turning radius which brings down pulsars traditional quick flicking ability to certain levels down.In city especially you will notice this when in traffic jam.Squeezing through tight spots is not her cup of tea as shown in the ad.Parking in a tight spot is cumbersome to say the least, with stupid grab rails also adding to the nightmare.
Leave these grudges apart and what you have is one of most composed and able handler in the country.Many respected tourers will swear by it I am sure.

FUEL EFFICIENCY
At last here comes the dearest topic of many bikers.I wonder if it really matters for bikes like 200 but I won't let it slip through.There is one whole post dedicated to it which you can find here.To wind up the story however here are the excerpts.In city one can expect in the range of 35-40 or even more depending upon your riding style and whole lot of other factors.On highways the figure might swell to 48kmpl.According to me these figures are highly respected when you consider the fat tyres ,bigger engine and performance.

FINAL WORDS
The bike costs anythng between 72-75K depending upon where you live.Considering the goodies and performance that comes bundled with package makes it a good VFM proposition.
Its a good looking and handsome machine standing apart from 150/180cc.Those who think 220 is bit overdone and too advance, 200 makes good case for itself.
The bike has its shortcomings also, like the poor rear brake and huge turning radius making a hard job of city commute.Moreover weak low end performance makes you change gear frequently when in traffic , however its a minute niggle.
Bajaj has tried its best to sort out the issues related to digital console but its still no where near to perfect.Although my particular bike did not give any major headaches, the console is reported to be problem ridden.So be careful with it, thankfully they replace it free of cost in most of the cases.But as long as there is wind through your hair and a long stretch ahead, I bet there is no other bike to ride than P200.

Technical specifications as on bajajauto.com -

Engine
Type
4-stroke, DTS-i, Oil cooled

Displacement
198.8 cc

Max Power
18 Ps / 13.25 Kw
Max Torque
1.75 kgm / 17.17 Nm

Suspension
Front
Telescopic forks 135 mm stroke

Rear
Triple rate spring, 5 way adjustable, gas charged NitroX shock absorbers

Brakes
Front
260 mm hydraulically operated disc brake

Rear
Mechanically expanding 130 mm drum type

Tyres
Front
90/90 x 17” Tubeless tyre, shod on aluminium alloy wheels

Rear
120/80 x 17” Tubeless tyre, shod on aluminium alloy wheels

Fuel Tank
Full
15 Lts ( 2 liters of usable reserve)

Electricals
System
12V AC + DC

Headlamp
35/35W clear lens type with 2 pilot lamps

Dimensions
Wheelbase
1345 mm

Weight
145 Kg

Meddling with carburettor

Last few days of mine were lost into digging information about Fuel Injection and Carburettor and thankfully with help of some of my friends and netsphere I was able to get a good dose of knowledge.
P200 being a carburetted one I concentrated on carb mostly.As you might be knowing, carb plays a vital role in welfare of your bike's health.A detuned carb can greatly reduce the performance and efficiency.While a neatly adjusted carb can do wonders.
The fact also helps that carbs are much easy to tune/alter than FI.It doesn't need all that electronic gadgetry which FI needs. Once you get to know the basic hardware of carb its easy to do a makeshift operation on it in case anything goes wrong.
In my case the fuel efficiency had gone awry and engine was jerky in 1st and 2nd gear.When I enquired with some, it turned out that carb was set for too rich mixture(which meant it was forcing more than necessary fuel into engine).
Locating the volume control screw is easy.In fact its the only screw on LHS of carb other than the one for setting idle.Besides its bronze color so no mistaking!









As from the pic, I don't need to say the obvious, But will say it nevertheless!
Turning right the carb will channel less fuel and more air making it lean while turning it left will channel more fuel and less air(as in my case).
So adjust it accordingly.
However don't go overboard on either side. Maintaining it on a perfect position is best and will give you right amount of performance coupled with efficiency.
(Remember one thing turning it completely towards right or left doesn't mean peak efficiency or performance respectively) For engine's health you must maintain the balance.
There is one cliche though. Before you embark onto this learn to read your spark-plugs.Don't panic!!Its easy and a must know for enthusiast biker.
Remove both the sparks and check their electrodes for color.
If its more on the brownish side your bike is running on leaner mix if its way too much black your bike is running on rich mix. So ideally it should be dark-brown(almost black but not black!).
When you adjust the volume control ride the bike for a few kilometres and then check for color of the spark plugs tune it accordingly until your bike is running on balanced mix.
One more precaution to take- Don't turn the volume control like you do with normal screws.Do it slowly and only by half or a quarter turn at a time.Its much sensitive.

Update On Fuel Efficiency After some tune-up

Time for quick update, I am in hurry(some of you might be wondering)!As usual I went to Pune last week.Yes it is one place I am always ready to go, superb highway from my town to Pune is one of the reasons.Other reasons follow -
Once there I wound up some unfinished businesses of last 3 tumultuous years of MCA.:)
Then I went to new Probiking authorised service station in Pune.(readers if any from pune - Its on sinhgad road behind IBP petrol pump.name-B.K.Automobiles).I had a prearranged appointment with Mr.Vivek Pendharkar of BK auto.
I had already called him and told him about my bike's falling fuel efficiency and front disc brake that was way too much effective.
So upon reaching there , they quickly went onto business and opened the front disc caliper.Due to rains and my recent trip to konkan had deposited a lot of dirt in it and there was not much lubrication also.
So the calipers were polished with sand-paper and front wheel's axle was greased.
Secondly, carburettor was cleaned and checked for fuel mix.It turned out that the mixture was too rich.Thus channeling much more fuel into engine than necessary.This was the primary reason behind fallen efficiency.
Although I don't know how did it happen.
Anyway it was corrected and also Idle RPM was set.

All said and done, time for real road testing.Here's the cracker - Right after the tuning, bike returned 42kmpl in Pune's horrible traffic.Then I embarked on return journey to home.Believe it or not , on highway at a steady 65kmph she returned astonishing 48Kmpl.

When ridden hard like some occasional bursts to 100kmph or above and steady at 80kmph , it was down to 40kmpl, but still me think it is very very commendable.
Whoever said that performance comes at efficiency's cost, I am sorry, eat your words.

Q & A - My bike's fuel efficiency has dropped suddenly what do I do?

Seems like a pretty stupid question , and I am sorry for making you feel like one but the fact that various people all over face this problem and don't know what to do , lessens it's stupidity.
And another fact that yours truly himself asked this question , puts it into very legitimate terms, ahem!
So here we go.
I asked this very question to people who are in business and know much about such things.
Following is summery of what I got -
possible culprits -

1. The brakes.
2. Tyre pressure.
3. Clogged air filter.
4. Adulterated fuel or filling stations cheating you on quantity.
5. Riding style.
6. Spark plugs with incorrect gaps between electrodes.
7. Carburettor.

A very sedate list?Well thats what experts are, starting with basics and getting them right.
Now I go along the list and check for eliminations , Brakes? No the front disc seems to be in love with caliper :) or is it vice versa? anyway time to get it aligned.
*Tyre pressure? checked Ok and same for Fuel, Spark plugs.
*Air filter looked clean and well soaked.Besides If the air filter icon on dash is to be believed then there is no reason to clean it again. But then again I am not leaving any stones unturned and clean it as directed to me.
*Riding style? well now, time for self check.But considering the fact that my bike is only 2600kms old and me for one is not the type who thrashes his bike like anything puts me(or my riding) into safe perspective.
*Moving onto spark plugs.Opened both of them and checked their color.They showed a very dark brown almost black tinge.Indicating that my bike is running on rich fuel mix than necessary.
But the gap in electrode was perfect, so only cleaned them.
And ahh the fuel! yes there are some filling stations that do sale adulterated fuel and also fill in less fuel than your money is worth.So I filled in petrol from 3-4 places and right now settled on ESSAR.

Time for carb.One of the most important part.This little thing can turn things upside down if not set properly and also gives a very visible change in performance when tuned perfectly.
From my observation of sparks I had come to know that the carb was channeling very rich air-fuel mix into engine and that meant I had to control the fuel mix either by myself or by some mechanic.
As some of you might be remembering that I am far away from ProB showroom. And local mechs are such risky proposition, all this made me do it all by myself albeit with a helping hand from Sandeep and Mr.Venkat shyam of autoservice, Banglore(or bangluru...is that right?)

The whole thing as one can easily make out is vastly general and anyone can use it as a guideline on any bike or vehicle for that matter.
P.S.
**Prior to this the bike was returning about 34 kmpl.
**And now after all the trouble (which seems to have paid-off though) the bike recently returned 39kmpl.




-: Phantom menace.The fear is in the eye of beholder :-

Time For Some mod - HID lamp on P200

After the launch of P220,What had people talking about it most, was its fairing and the great head lamps it houses.Not only do they look good but are also superb when it comes to illumination.No other bike in India has such powerful beams up front,reason behind it is Projector lamp(albeit for low beam only.High beam is regular halogen).
Now with HID kits making their apperances in car shops, one can have such powerful lights on almost any vehicle that has battery.Unlike Halogen (or incandescent) bulbs, HID(stands for - High Intensity Discharge) bulbs do not have filaments.Instead of heating a filament, HID bulbs emit light by bridging an arc between two electrodes similar to the energy transfer of lightning. This arc stimulates a mixture of Xenon gases and metallic salts, producing a phenomenal bright white beam of light which is approximately 3times brighter than conventional halogen illumination, while lasting 10 times longer.

A lot of people have been wondering including me, whether these lamps can be fitted to P200?because the P200 already shares most of its parts with P220 but not those fabulous lamps.However it does not imply that P200's lights are weak.They are alright, but ride it on hilly roads with lots of ups and downs and you will crave for better lights.Add rain soaked wet roads to equation and the lights feel even more inadequate.On the normal city roads though P200's headlamp is very fine.
May be the next P200 will sport those HIDs!But till then here's way to do it.
As you might have guessed,This is not as easy as just going to Bajaj spares and buying 220's HID and then fitting on P200.It needs some clever mods to its electrics.
But after saying this let me tell you that its not impossible either.
And one fine guy from down south has done it successfully.Namely Sandeep K. Ram of Banglore.
Here is the link to Sandeep's guide on Xbhp.

YouTube video of HID in action on P200.


The diagram for changes made in wiring to fetch the current directly from battery.(Sandeep drew it on his own,great work!)
As for the expenses, these kits cost anything upwards of Rs.3000.The one Sandeep used is of VisionX Bi-Xenon ,which he bought in Banglore.This kit cost him close to 11K.
Contents of kit usually include 2 bulbs, 2 ballasts (amps), one relay coil, fuse, connecting wires etc. According to him many vehicle specific kits are also available and prices vary vastly.
Kits with only one bulb and ballast are also in the market for around 3K.(But these low range kits have only single beam bulbs that is - low beam.For high beam you will have to use another bulb, a halogen.The kit that Sandeep used has bulbs that have both Low and High beams like usual halogen, that's why the additional cost)
But apart from this, other expenses are minor.The wiring needs to be slightly altered, because HID lamp needs DC current(It runs directly off the battery) and not usual AC of P200.This mod however is easy and most mechanics will be able to do it at negligible cost.Availability can be and issue though.Suggested places are up-market car accessory shops.(Yes, these kits are basically for cars).Happy Night riding!
Thanks to Sandeep for wonderful article and the video!Keep it coming.
For the whole guide and pictures of HID kit see his blog here-
http://sandeepkram.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-hid-silencer-and-starter-motor-plus.html