User Review: How Alan Gets Corrupted With His Pulsar 200NS

Alan 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.. You can submit your review to us as well. Here are all the details.

My fellow Bikers, my name is Alan and I’m from Trivandrum. I’m studying for Architecture right now. I’ve loved all things related to automobiles ever since I was a child and this is the review of my first expensive toy, The Pulsar 200 NS. And this is my first review, let alone my first article that I’ve even put any interest in.

Pulsar-200NS-Pic-Review (3)

So bear with me about any mistakes, issues you see and feel free to comment about them. After all, it’s about improving yourself.

The Initial Stages

I was more or less new to riding when I was going to buy my first bike, having very little experience and only knowing about bikes by reading about it. My parents had booked the Discover 125ST because I didn’t have a license at the time and they wanted me to ride a mileage giving commuter (Yeah right, that’s going to happen). But anyway I was bored of Activa and just wanted a bike, so I gave in and went to see the bike and that time I saw the 200NS at the showroom.

I gave one look at the Discover and over, but the NS had all my attention. I spent a long time admiring it and testing everything. And I badly wanted it. But that means more waiting time. So I waited for a few months (a little begging and promising parents were there in between) and got my license and then got the NS.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I got my bike soon and at first of course it was hard to ride, the weight and power meant there was some getting used to, especially from me who was riding the Activa for so long. But I got used to it and it wasn’t long before my monster had begun to stretch his legs. There’s a saying that power corrupts and I fully agree with it.

By the time first service was due, I was itching to go fast. But I wanted to run in properly this being my first bike and all. But after the first service I was tired of babying it and it is a 200cc 23 bhp bike, and not meant for going below 50kmph, so it was time to see those digits go and woah it was liberating. I’m sure my bike felt the same too. The bike is deceptively fast. It climbs speeds very fast and before you know you it, you are doing triple digits. The acceleration is very linear, and that is why you don’t feel the bike’s acceleration. But start from a signal and you can see it leaving the rest of the vehicles behind easily, also leaving a wide grin on your face.

Anyway by now everyone knows the specs of the bike, so no point of me telling it again. But some points from me.

Pulsar-200NS-Pic-Review (2)

Braking

What good is a bike with all that acceleration and speed if you can’t stop it? This bike comes with Bybre (Indian branch of the Italian Brembo) brakes which are very powerful. The front disc diameter is 280 mm and the rear disc diameter is 230 mm. They are petal discs with floating callipers. The braking is very good, the rear brake doesn’t give much feedback but if you get used to it and use it properly with the awesome front brake, you’ll reduce those speeds easily.

Comfort

The bike is comfortable and fun for the person riding. The one in back might be a little scared. But seating is still good. Pillion seat is a little high so getting on and off might be a little hill climbing for shorter people. I’ve not done any long trips but I’ve gone on a few short trips of around 100 km or so and you can ride these distances without getting tired much.

Pulsar-200NS-Pic-Review (4)

Engine

The bike has a gem of an engine, vibe free and smooth. It revs fast and the rev limiter kicks in at 10,500 rpm. Gear shifts are spot on. Till date I’ve had no issues with it. The cooling is good and I’ve not even heard my radiator work till now (I hope it’s not broken). You can easily ride at speeds above 100 without crouching or redlining, but be prepared for cross winds.

Handling

The bike is heavy and feels heavy when you move the bike with the engine off, but start riding and you get used to it. Also this weight comes in handy at high speeds. The bike is smooth and vibe free. The suspension is good and potholes are manageable. It is set to a stiff setting to increase handling around corners but you can adjust it to your liking. The cornering on this bike is marvellous!

It’s so easy to corner with this bike thanks to its perimeter/twin spar frame. Some people might find the weight a problem, but you get used to it and once you do, it’s time to corner. You can also flick it easily and thus lives up to its name of being a street fighter.

Pulsar-200NS-Pic-Review (5)

Kitna Deti Hai?

This small monster gives pretty decent mileage figures for all that power. Ride decently and expect mileage figures of upto 42 kmpl. Rip it hard and ride it like it’s meant to be and you can expect figures above 35 kmpl. Gotta love such figures at this range.

Pricing and brochure stats

The NS is priced at 94,000 (approx. when I bought it) on road has a 199.5 cc that delivers a maximum power of 23.52 PS at 9500 rpm and a maximum torque of 18.3 Nm at 8000 rpm. 0 to 60 comes in at 3.6 seconds and 0 to 100 in 9.8 seconds. The vehicle has a top speed of 136 kmph (company claimed).

Pulsar-200NS-Pic-Review (6)

Tires

There are a lot of comments about the stock tires not being grippy enough and locking easily, but I’ve never felt it much of a problem. If you do anyway, there are many options in the market to change into so it’s not a big deal.

A few cons

Here is a list of a few cons of Pulsar 200NS.

  • The bike’s sound is very low,(can be a good thing or bad thing depending on situation) but an aftermarket or filter can easily change that.
  • Service centres are a big headache
  • It looks better without the rear hugger (pretty much useless), but if you remove that too, all hell breaks loose, mud will be flung on you and everything behind you

Pulsar-200NS-Pic-Review (7)

Final Thoughts

Right now, its only competition is the Duke 200 and both have its pros and cons and it’s up to you to decide which of these you want. As they say, “At the end of the day you really can’t go wrong with either of them”. And they’ll both put wide grins on your face when you ride.

Thanks,
Alan George

Check All Reviews From Contest No 13
Check out all Bike Ownership Reviews at BikeAdvice