Grab it :). Review on Bajaj Pulsar 220

I bought the new 220 dtsi on20th...i am the 1st in hyderabad to get it and the next bike, my friend took it along with me.i feared that since its a big faired bike it will be difficult to ride in city.i mainly took it for the highways as I tour a lot.i used to own an fz before but its just a good city bike.here are a few points....

• points:

1)awesome lights...best in class for touring

2)very very good handling.i can cut through traffic like a knife through butter.

3)damn good grippy sticky tyres...thanks to the all new soft compound tyres

4)quick 0-60..i did it in 3.9 sec...1sec short of the test ridden figures.

5)top end is supposed to be 144 true speed..even if error is considered it reaches 138 easily

6)all black styling(needs care though)

7)tachometer styling is changed

8)biggest bore in India hence good mileagae n power combo

9)awesome mileage...i am getting 50 average...52 being the highest and lowest is 48

10)seating position is a little changed...difference is noticible in FI and DTSi

11)no vibrations in fairings

• points:

1)poor quality paint of handlebar(expected from bajaj)

2)disgusting service centres

3)no clock in speedo

4)personally, i hate the colour of the engine kill switch..its cheap looking

till date I guess 5 days are over.i have completed 1200kms.the 1st service is between 500 to 750km...i thought its at 1000kms and dutifully gave it so at 1000km on the 3rd day.they changed my engine oil.cleaned the air filter.they will not change the oil filter it seems till 10000kms...other brands change at 1000kms only.we have to be with the mechanics or they will change your carb settings.please don't touch your carb though your not gettin mileage till second service.

regardin handling, i have no words.bike has got enough torque to weasel you out of traffic and grippy tyres to keep you stable on the road.the gearbox is delivered from the same company that delivers to hondas and yamahas...the shifting of gears is so smooth that I fear it will break if I apply preasure on it.the headlights are damn strong and good for night driving or on highways.there is zero vibration in fairing unlike FI...the handlebar is also raised for better comfort.the oil cooler is 33% more bigger than its FI.

theres this autochoke feature.you have to realize that while starting the bike, you have to just push the starter without raising the accelerator.then the autochoke takes control where it automatically controls the mixture untill engine is warm.the correct rpm reading when bike is started in morning is 1.5k...then after 1min the rpm reading should be around 1.7 or 1.8k....if you raise the accelerator before the final rpm reading occurs or just after you started the bike, the engine dies off..if you somehow manage to raise and go on road the engine will die off while at low rpm.this is a big headache, but atleast its for the better life of engine.we have to be patient regarding this

i have went at 30kmph in 5th gear...and top end till date is 120kmph...i will go further once 2nd service is completed as we should'nt go beyond 75kmph till 2000kms...mileage before 1st under conditions that the bike did not go beyond 4rpm, and avg speed of 55 to 60kmph is 52kmpl...and with occasional ripping to 120 and avg speed of 75kmph, its 48 kmpl...

also please note that the brakes both front and rear should not be depressed all the time while braking.this will reduce the friction between the pads and disc.as the pads will get smooth.you have to press and leave the lever in succession quickly.then the pads will be rough and braking will be effective.everyone complains that the rear brake is ineffective in 220, but mine are damn good as I followed this method.press leave press leave....both brakes.if you cant do both, do one at a time.

please do not go for any mods.k n N filters are a waste on this bike except for the sound.as it already has the biggest jet size.keeping a k n N will indulge in creating problems.please do not install security alarms unless absolute necessary.even if intalled, plz do not use the remote start feature, as the bike wen key is inserted and wen the bike is turned on, it does a self check of all its parts.and then we have to start the bike.but the remote start starts the bike during self check which is not advisable.just change your spark plugs to NGK iridium at 2000kms or at second servicing.it helps in reducing the carbon deposits and hence prolongs engine life.it will not increase your top end or pick up.HIDs are an option but go for h7 size only.battery is 9ah 12v.

aside from all the above I love every aspect of the bike.the parts are cheap too.but would have loved if there was more quality.atleast bajaj has rectified all the problems of previous pulsars.i feel that if u are good to the bike, the bike will be good to us.plz maintain the bike properly and have periodic check ups...thats it for now....

here are a few facts:

1. Carbureted: Indias biggest 32mm Ucal UCD 32 venturi carburetor

   
   




2. Power Output: 21.04 PS at the same rpm figuresTorque-19.12 Nm but the carbureted Pulsar does it in 7000 rpm which is 500 rpms more than the fuel injected version. This also ensures the revvy nature of the engine with abundant torque available all through the curve.

   
   




3. New Piston: Keeping the cylinder dimensions same at 67 * 62.4 mm, the piston now comes in a new screen printed graphite based Malycote material which helps in reducing friction between the piston and the cylinder walls and also improves upon the engine’s anti-seizure traits.

   
   




4. Oval Pent Roof Combustion Chamber: The bike also gets an oval shaped roof combustion chamber which enables to maximize the charge density of the flame propagation path which ensures maximum combustion even with leaner air-fuel ratios.

   
   




5. Larger Air Cooler: 33 percent more cooling area which ensures that the bike runs cool even under high temperatures.

   
   




6. All New Ignition System: The bike also incorporates an all new ignition system with engine temperature sensors built into the cylinder head to aid a rider in a perfect ride without any loss of torque or any flat spots.

   
   




7. All New Auto Choke: With this version Bajaj has to ensure that the user doesn’t suffer from cold starting problems with the bike, now a carbureted version. To counter this possible issue, this bike comes loaded with an auto-choke which enables the bike to start in coldest of environments with ease.

   
   




8. All New Clutch Assembly: clutch supplied by FCC Riko.

   
   




9. All New Gearbox Internals:This gearbox, which is one of the biggest problems for Bajaj, has been overhauled with some major component changes.

   
   




10. Soft Compound Tyres: The bike comes loaded with the R15 reminiscent soft compound tubeless tyres which make the bike a dream to handle while on corners and also makes sure the bike is planted under extreme or harsh braking.front 90/90 * 17 rear 120/80 * 17.

    
    




11. Catalytic Converter:to absorb the harmful gases from the exhaust and in turn making sure that the bike meets the soon to be enforced Bharat Stage 4 Pollution Norms.