Bajaj Pulsar 220S

Quick Review by Maxabout Team

Bajaj Pulsar needs no introduction in India. It’s a performance oriented Indian bike which has created buzz in the market. The recent offering from Bajaj is the street version of the eldest member of the Pulsar family - Pulsar 220S. Let’s try to know more about this latest fastest Indian.

Design and Style

This new variant is especially for those who were hard-core fan of original Pulsar 200 as this bike looks like a copy of Pulsar 200. This is because Bajaj has removed the front fairing of 220 and now it comes with the face of Pulsar180. Apart from this, everything on this bike is identical to the regular 220F. The wolf type headlight and fairing looks quite familiar on this bike. The rear view mirrors now get placed on the clips on handle bar. Its front fender is partly black in color and gets extended along its telescopic forks. The six spoke alloy wheels, engine and rear grab rail are painted in black color. This variant gets tank scoops similar to younger siblings which look aerodynamic. Its fuel tank has a 3D logo of golden color on it.

Rest of the body parts including split grab rails, split seat, rear disc brake and silencer are carried over from the Pulsar 220F. It has stylish LED tail light and clear lens indicators at the back. The bike features an extended fender at the back which also sports a reflective light on it. The big fatty zapper tyre of 220F makes its way to this bike.

Instrument Console

Pulsar 220S shares its combined analogue-digital instrument console with its elder sibling. The bike has a circular dial for its analogue tachometer which has an illuminating needle. The big LCD of this bike displays its digital speedometer, 2-trip meter, odometer and fuel gauge. The LCD uses orange color for illumination.

Engine and Gearbox

The bike uses an air-cooled, 4-stroke 220cc engine. The single cylinder of this DTS-i engine churns out a maximum power output of 20.8 bhp at 8500 rpm. The torque production of this engine is of 19.12 nm which arrives at 7000 rpm. This engine is mated with a five-speed manual gearbox. It has one gear down and four gears up-shift pattern.

Acceleration and Performance

This is truly the fastest Indian bike available in our market. This 220cc engine knows nothing else than strong performance. The bike does 0-100km/hr in less than 11 seconds. Bajaj have kept the gear ratios well-proportioned and that’s evident in its performance. The throttle response of this bike is unmatchable in its segment. It takes only few seconds to impress you with its power.

The bike has an extremely powerful mid-range which enables it to get momentum at any speed in any gear. Its ExhausTEC gives you strong low and mid-range while its 21bhp allows you to rev it hard. The bike is a treat on highways as it can easily go pass the speed of 145km/hr. There are only negligible vibrations in this engine after 120km/hr. The impressive thing about this engine is that it never feels strained in any gear. The gear transitions also need minimal effort and works smoothly. We won’t say this engine is as refined as Honda’s 220cc engine but it’s faster than most of the bikes. It takes no time in city traffic and saves you a lot of time. Moreover, overtaking becomes really easy with this bike as it has taller gear ratios which give you enough time to open the throttle.

Mileage

This variant gives a fuel efficiency of around 30 kmpl in city conditions. These figures increase up to 40 kmpl on long stretches.

Comfort while Driving

The modern features like engine kill switch, self-cancellation indicators and LED reflectors for other buttons enhances your comfort while driving this bike in city traffic where you frequently use these buttons. Apart from these, the clips on handle bar also offer a firm palm grip and give an aerodynamic angle to your elbows. The rear set foot pegs allow you to get a sporty riding posture while your knees find it comfortable around its fatty fuel tank. Everything seems quite comfortable on this bike apart from its split seat. You can’t sit on this bike for long as it feels quite stiff and doesn't feel well padded.

Storage Space and Safety Features

Certainly, there is no storage space in this bike. It does offer some vital safety features like front leg guard, rear saree guard and its powerful headlight.

Suspension and Braking System

The bike has beefy 37mm front telescopic forks and 5-way adjustable Nitrox gas filled rear shock absorbers. Pulsar 220S has disc brakes on its both wheels. It has a front disc brake of 260mm and rear disc brake of 230mm.

Ride and Handling

Bajaj Pulsar 220S is quite light and responsive in terms of handling. The bike is very nimble in city traffic and feels quite confident around corners. Its wheelbase of 1350mm brings stability to this bike and its perfectly matched suspension system also helps this bike to stay grounded at high speeds. The fatty tyres give you a good grip of road and it always feel under control thanks to its powerful braking system. It has a ground clearance of 165mm which surely improves its aerodynamics but finds it hard to cross most of the speed breakers on our Indian roads.

Shades

Bajaj Pulsar 220 S is available in three shades: Cocktail wine red, Plasma blue and Midnight Black. Bajaj India has introduced new speed line shades for Pulsar range comprising of Pulsar 150, Pulsar 180 and Pulsar 220. The new shades are blue with combination of black, red with combination of black and all-black shade. The new shades have given a fresh lease to life to the Pulsar models and have further enhanced the overall looks of the bikes.

Verdict

Bajaj has priced Pulsar220 S at INR 77K (ex-showroom, Delhi (approx., may vary)). This bike is 4K cheaper than its semi fairing variant. The only problem is that without fairing this bike can easily be mistaken as the cheaper Pulsar 180. If you are fine with this then trust us; at this price there is no bike in our Indian bike market which is as powerful and awesome as this bike. We feel it’s a complete value for money bike which never disappoints you on any terrain.

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