Bajaj Pulsar AS250 in the Making; To Be Based on KTM 250 Adventure

If a recent report is to be believed, Bajaj Auto is working on a quarter-litre 250cc adventure motorcycle named Pulsar AS250. The product is expected to get the familiar brand name and this time, Bajaj won’t repeat the mistake of simply putting a few plastic components on an existing motorcycle like it did in the case of NS200 and AS200. The Pulsar AS250 is expected to be based on the recently revealed KTM 250 Adventure. The new product will help Bajaj Auto get three different engines under three separate brand names (NS, RS, and AS), each having their own unique purpose to serve. This will also help the buyers as more options within the same price bracket always help to get the perfect match. [caption id="attachment_11059" align="aligncenter" width="636"] Bajaj Pulsar AS200 (Discontinued Model)[/caption] Rajiv Bajaj once cleared the fact that Bajaj Auto wishes to conquer every typical segment and new products with personal brand identity will come out of their research in the coming months. This was said a few months back and it can be safely be assumed that one or two products would have even entered the research pipeline within this period. There have been rumours of Bajaj Auto working on a scrambler version of the Dominar 400 as well. The first try with AS150 and AS200 failed because they were simply the reworked versions of existing products in the lineup. [caption id="attachment_11060" align="aligncenter" width="626"] Bajaj Pulsar AS150 (Discontinued Model)[/caption] The upcoming Bajaj Pulsar AS250 will feature the 248.8cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine based on the KTM 250 Duke. The engine is good for 30 HP at 9000 rpm and 24 Nm at 7500 rpm while uses 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch for smooth gearshifts. It is expected that Bajaj will tune the engine to make it more suitable for the adventure purpose. The Pulsar AS250 will certainly bring high ground clearance, noticeable torque, and tough suspension components than any other Bajaj bike. The company is expected to place the AS250 around the price tag of Pulsar RS200, most probably around INR 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom).