Alok has submitted this review in our Ownership Review Contest No 13, ensuring himself an assured prize. The contest also offers a chance to win Riding Jacket, Helmet and more…Here are all the details.
Since 10th I was promised by my Dad that I will be Gifted with a bike of my choice if I score 80+. Fortunately I scored 84 in my boards (2009) then I planned to have pulsar 220 as my bike but due to my age below 16 my parents dint agreed that time, but I cried like a ziddi indian, skipped meals, avoided talking to anyone so that to get my ‘zidd’ fulfilled.
In May 2010 my parents agreed and I went to Bajaj showroom (Ghaziabad) alongwith my dad and then I searched for the 220cc beast but couldn’t locate it anywhere, then I talked to manager and he said that faired p220 is discontinued and new 220 is launched that is “pulsar 220S”.
I had a look at that and I said its old pulsar 200 but then I was told about all details, the part of details that caught my attention was that it is 4kg lighter than the faired version so acquires much better acceleration than its other sibling, I bought the bike for Rs 77,400 only (now you cant buy a 150cc FZ in this amount).
MY FIRST RIDE:
I took the bike out of the showroom and revved it , my GOSH!! it was about to do wheelie any moment and I was about to get thrown away from the bike. I had ridden p200F earlier but this acceleration was something new to me.
The ride in traffic was more zippy and cruising due to its naked Look.
Had first service at 500Km in 29 days and then what I came to know was that my bike came equipped with some IRC brand tyres (what the Hell, why me?). Till then I have heard only of MRF Zapper that they are outstanding, so IRC seriously were a disappointing factor for me. the The rear tyre worn out at 5k kms only (1 year).
Tyre Changes on my Pulsar 220S:
After 5,000 kms I changed the rear tyre to MRF Zapper vyde (120-80-17). The ride was divine then, then the front tyre worn out at 13,000 kms then I switched to MRF ZAPPER FX (the stock FZ-S tyre), then I became the stoppie king (I am using that tyre till now at 22,000Kms), but my life was on a hard track the rear zapper worn out on 14,000 Kms . Till then I got some brain about tyres and then I switched to MRF REVZ (the stock R15 v2 tyre).
My biking life took a hairpin turn there and so does my bike taking hairpin turn corners too, scratching foot rest on roads on each corner or turn.
Got almost all services timely.
Where Bajaj lacks: Bajaj lacks in quality of the product and engine oil is some thing Bajaj needs to work upon, revving a bajaj bike a little changes the engine noise and it starts vibrating and engine oil manages that noise hardly for 800-1000Kms only.
In three years I have become a speed, handling, performance enthusiast. Looks doesn’t matters more to me now.
Time for mod:
Being addicted to more power I Googled whatever I could do in a decent budget and I found K&N high flow air filter. Got it asap. That’s the another turn in my biking. I clock 0-100 in about 11 seconds I guess I haven’t calculated ever. With pillion I did in 12 seconds.
This bike matters more to me than my gf even. I call it by name: Raampyari.
Max Speed clocked before k&n : 151Kmph.
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