In 2015, Bajaj Auto launched the first of a new-generation design philosophy in the form of the NS 200, acronym for 'naked sport'. A streetfighter that was later discontinued for not being able to be compliant to the emission norms for some, gearbox issues for others and few say for braking judders. Whatever they were, Bajaj took it off the shelves.
The bike is making a grand comeback in 2017, and we couldn't have been more excited with Bajaj's attempt to get back in the streetfighter segment, giving the competition a run for their money. The new edition will see an engine that is BS IV compliant and carries a bunch of cosmetic changes and a couple of mechanical upgrades.
Bajaj calls it the Pulsar 200 NS 2017 Laser Edged edition, and it is all set to take performance biking to a new state of adrenaline. Bajaj termed it as “an adrenaline pumping beast” and we are here to find out why.
STYLING
I want to stick to being honest here. The bike had always looked like the evil child of the streets, wanting to roam around in stealth mode unless it saw a challenge. And we all loved it for this very reason. The new bike only accentuates this desire and the grin on my face says it all.
The bloke who designed this motorcycle must've loved his lines and angles because this NS 200 flaunts all of it with a panache. The aggressive qualities of the bike are seen on the muscular tank design and through the chiselled tail section. Believe me, it looks drop dead gorgeous.
Up front, the headlamp looks like it's been inspired by the Honda 1000 R naked streetfighter and is back to win hearts all over the nation. The headlight still carries a halogen lamp rather than LEDs. A trademark muscular tank with tank shrouds gives the bike a great presence on the road and lends the bike a little bit of ‘macho'. There is a new body coloured engine skidplate/underbelly panel that accentuates the stylish attire. Going towards the rear, a sharp looking sleek tail section highlights the modern streetfighter look and the underbelly exhaust unit gives the mass centralised concept a new meaning.
The paint scheme has a new avatar with both glossy and matte finishes that combine to give your eyes something more to be pleased about. A neat tank pad and the 200 moniker on the tank shrouds makes the bike look more matured and grown up than ever before. Split seats continue on the new edition and promise to provide great comfort and style.
As per government regulations, the motorcycle is equipped with Automatic Headlight On (AHO) function and gets an optional centre stand which was missing in the previous edition. The instrument panel has a blue lit LCD screen as well as an analogue tacho. The Cluster now includes an RPM limit indicator along with a host of other worldly information for the rider. Don't let the sticker on the instrument panel fool you into believing this motorcycle has ABS. IT DOES NOT
" The bike had always looked like the evil child of the streets, wanting to roam around in stealth mode unless it saw a challenge."
Overall Dimension
Make Model
2017 Bajaj Pulsar NS 200
KTM Duke 200
TVS Apache RTR 200 4V FI
Length
2017mm
2002mm
2050mm
Width
804mm
873mm
790mm
Height
1075mm
1274mm
1105mm
Wheelbase
1363mm
1367mm
1353mm
Seat height
810mm
810mm
800mm
Wet weight
151kg
136kg
149kg
POWERTRAIN
On the mechanical front, this motorcycle gets an all-new 199.5 cc engine which is on par with BS IV emission norms while it still manages to churn out similar power and torque figures at 23bhp and 18.3 Nm respectively. The same engine will also be used in the upcoming 2017 edition of the KTM Duke 200. Unfortunately, the motorcycle misses on Fuel Injection and still runs on a carburettor, unlike the Apache or the FZ25. The plastic turn reserve knob should give away this information.
The 4-valve, triple spark technology of Bajaj is an unprecedented innovation that gives the bike increased power, throttle response and pick-up. The Pulsar NS200's liquid cooling system turns every journey into a seamless road experience without overheating and slimming.
All the power made is made to transfer through a 6-speed gearbox to the rear via chain-link. The brute force and outright performance in the segment are enough to make you twist the throttle happily to your heart's content. Crisp throttle response gives a smooth linear acceleration.
Engine Specification
Make Model
2017 Bajaj Pulsar NS 200
KTM Duke 200
TVS Apache RTR 200 4V FI
Capacity cc
199.5
199.5
197.75
Bore/ Stroke mm
72/49
72/49
72/49
Output
24 Bhp @ 8000 rpm
25 bhp @ 10000 rpm
21 Bhp @ 8500 rpm
Torque
19 Nm @ 6000 rpm
19 Nm @8000 rpm
18 Nm @ 7000 rpm
Type
single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 4 valve
single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, 4 valve
single cylinder, oil-cooled, 4-stroke, 4 valve
Clutch type
Wet- Multiplate
Wet Multiple-disc
Multi-plate wet
Transmission
6-speed
6-speed
6-speed
RIDE AND HANDLING
The pressed steel chassis carries a stiff perimeter frame with a box section swingarm giving the bike sharp handling prowess and allows you to conquer every corner and every bend with confidence.
The bike continues to give a split seat treatment like before and is as comfortable as it was for both rider and the pillion. If I'm not wrong, there is a thicker layer of cushioning than it was previously. Clip-on handlebar and slightly raised footpegs give a nice upright riding position with contours in the tank to tuck in your leg and go hooning all around the street.
The engine is super refined and Bajaj keeps its promise to give us a robust and reliable motor under the hood. The clutch felt lighter and gearshifts were much smoother than the previous model. With a 50:50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity, the NS200 enhances high speed and straight line stability significantly, providing convenience in curved roads.
Suspension and braking units are carried over from the previous edition model. Telescopic front forks with anti-friction bush and nitrox mono suspension unit at the rear gives the rider a fine balance between comfort and handling. A 280 mm front disc and a 230 mm rear discs, both petal, aid for a nice punch to get the vehicle to a halt. Although available in the export models, the Indian bike gives a miss to ABS, which is not even included as an optional package. We need it Bajaj !.
Chassis Specifications
Make Model
2017 Bajaj Pulsar NS 200
KTM Duke 200
TVS Apache RTR 200 4V FI
Suspesion / Front
Telescopic Front Fork with Anti-friction Bush
Telescopic Upside Down Forks WP Suspension
Telescopic Front Fork
Suspension / Rear
Mono suspension with nitrox
Monoshock, Alloy Swingarm WP Suspension
Mono suspension with nitrox
Brakes / Front
280mm Petal Disc with floating calliper
300 mm Disc brake with four-pot brake calliper
270mm Petal Disc with floating calliper, Dual-channel ABS with RLP control
Brakes / Rear
230 mm Petal Disc with floating calliper
230 mm Disc brake with one-pot brake calliper, floating brake discs
240 mm Petal Disc with floating calliper, Dual-channel ABS with RLP control
Tyres / Front
100/80-17M/C 52P
110/70 R17
90/90 - 17
Tyres / Rear
140/70-17M/C 62P
150/60 R17
130/70R - 17
PRICE
The motorcycle can be pre-booked at select Bajaj showrooms by paying a ₹1000 advance token and the motorcycle itself is priced at ₹ 97473 (ex-showroom, Bangalore). Deliveries will, in fact, be done the very next day of your booking.
The new Pulsar NS 200 will come in three new colour palettes of dual tone Red-Grey, Black-Grey and White-Grey. Sharp angular colour accents highlight the bike's aggressive street-fighter stance. Except for the RED colour, the Black and White are available immediately. Bajaj might launch Yellow Pulsar NS 200 in coming days
COMPETITON
Indians are loving the presence of the streetfighters on the road and love all the options available to us under the quarter-litre bracket. Another Indian manufacturer gave us the respected TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and then there is the Austrian KTM Duke 200. A motorcycle that also shares the factories with the Bajaj.
TVS Apache RTR 200 4V
This motorcycle stood as the flagship model for TVS since the time it was launched. With this, TVS has managed to retain in the new motorcycle is its philosophy of making a machine which offers the best power to price ratio. TVS has adopted an all new design philosophy for the new Apache RTR 200 4V, which has been designed completely on the lines of the Draken concept. The motorcycle looks far more aggressive and outrageous than the erstwhile versions of the Apache and somewhat looks as if it has been inspired from Ducati's now-defunct Streetfighter.
For the Apache RTR 200 4V, TVS built up an all-new engine from scratch. This four stroke, single cylinder, liquid cooled, 197.75cc engine comes in two guises – carburetted and fuel injected. While the carburetted version of the engine develops 20.05 PS of power and 18.1 Nm of torque, the fuel injected version of the same engine gushes out 21 PS of power and 18.1 Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
KTM Duke 200
The Duke 200 brought in many firsts for the segment, like upside-down telescopic forks, aluminium swingarm, trellis frame and many more features, which looked as if you if it's a big motorcycle scaled down to a smaller package with no compromises (except the omission of ABS). The design of the Duke 200 is out of this world and is based on a naked sports bike and the orange colour on the motorcycle compliments the overall aggressive design of the motorcycle.
The Duke 200 is powered by a 199.5 cc Single-cylinder, 4-stroke, spark-ignition engine, liquid-cooled engine which is quite powerful and is capable of producing 25 bhp of maximum power at 10000 rpm and 19 Nm of torque at 8000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The engine is quite smooth and there is absolutely no vibration even at high speeds. The clutch is also easy to use and helps a lot in city riding.
VERDICT
When Bajaj took this bike off the shelves, nobody questioned much. But as the old adage goes, “you don't really know what you've got ‘till it's gone”. Truth is, people started missing it and prayed to the almighty to get one chance to throw a leg over it. Lucky for us, Bajaj caught those prayers and decided to come up with this newfound 200 NS. Things got restored to normalcy.
It's handsome. It's charismatic. It's luscious. It will swoon you every time you hop on it and its streetfighter DNA, upright position and the clutter-free front view will let breeze you around the traffic snarls and the open roads.
This NS will probably replace the Pulsar AS 200 (Adventure Sport), the faired nemesis of the Naked Sport. The brand launched the 2017 NS in Turkey recently and offers both Fuel Injection and ABS as a standard for those countries. Hopefully, the next edition will see them checking the box.
I take this window to thank the folks at Kalyani Bajaj, Bangalore for lending me the 200 NS for this feature. Head there to take a test ride of this streetfighter and decide for yourself if you want to traverse the tarmac on this ripped machine or just look at people doing it and feel cramped.
" It's handsome. It's charismatic. It's luscious."
To get to know more about this motorcycle, contact the dealer at:
No. 7, Achaiah Shetty Layout, Near Mekhri Circle, Hebbal Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560080
Phone: +918041138210
Ask for Mr. Santosh Jadhav, Asst. Gen. Manager, and do not forget to mention us to them. This way we get to keep a good relationship with them and we can bring you more of these reviews. Who knows, you might as well get some perks at the dealer.
Love it
Aggressive bodywork
Handling prowess
New decals and instrument cluster
Leave it
Missing ABS and Fuel Injection
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