Review of Pulsar 200ns

Well the bike which has had the most amount of hype and controversy behind it and its the latest offering from one of the most selling trademark product lines of India the "PULSAR" series. Bajaj auto has finally decided to make a radical change after selling pulsar for more than a decade. They have teamed up with KTM to manufacture a 200cc naked bike with more power than any other pulsar till date. It is clear that the pulsar 200ns has taken heavy inspiration from the Duke. Similarities apart both bikes are quite different the first ride on the duke would tell you it loves to be revved hard and the engine hardly shows any sign of strain till it hits the rev limiter at 10.5k rpm but the 200ns is a more tamed beast it tries to be silent and though it too revs freely it feels best at lower rpms. Then comes the price difference of 50k which gives it the highest value for money. But has everything else been compromised let us see.


Looks, Ride and Ergonomics

The pulsar 200ns is well designed and has a great build quality too and the front is just fabulous with sharp edges the rear end is spoiled by the old pulsar tail lamps. Overall its one of the good looking bikes with the huge tank up in front. The build quality is great and the plastics are of good quality as well and the blue backlight switches do add a nice touch. The console is adequate with a big easily read tacho and a digital speedo with tripmeter and clock but its still no where near the duke's which gives almost every parameter of the bike! The Pulsar is a tall bike so all riders below 5 feet 8" must check the seating position. It comes with a split seat with good back rest for the rider the pillion seat too is comfortable considering its a sports bike. The bike is smooth and the gear shifts with ease and use of alloy pedals, levers and inserts adds a nice touch to the the bike as well.

Performance and Engine
The duke comes with a 200cc, fuel injected, single cylinder, single spark engine putting out 25 bhp whilst the pulsar comes with a 200cc, carbeureted engine with three spark plugs! It makes do with just 23.5 bhp and the duke is also 10kgs lighter and comes with better aerodynamics so it is a bit puzzling when 200ns owners claiming that their bike is indeed faster but it can be easily traced to the highly optimistic speedo ( some vids show 200ns at over 150kmph!) while the official top speed by bajaj is 136kmph and the bike would max out at approximately the same speed. It is slower than duke in acceleration but low end performance is better in 200ns than duke because of  carbeurated engine and hence it is better in traffic while the duke feels happy only beyond 3k rpm.



Handling, Suspension and Tires
The duke is only second to R15 in terms of handling it feels rock solid in corners and the bike is always under your control with good feedback from the suspension which is hard while the 200ns comes with relatively softer suspension and the handling is not as sharp as the duke. Further the ns is let down by the tires which are very hard and narrow while the soft zappers on duke practically stick onto the road but on the brighter side the ns should have better tire life! The ns too corners well but it takes more time to set in than the duke and having softer suspension set up is always a better thing for longer distances.



Braking

It is my opinion that the brakes are one of the most essential parts of any motorcycle and the most important in any performance bike, the pulsar 200ns comes with a 2 pot calliper and petal discs on the front in the rear with a single pot calliper. The braking on the NS is sharp and i dont feel much difference between in normal braking between the ns and duke but under hard braking the duke copes better in ns the tires are a let down and lock up before duke not something you would want on an bike without ABS!




Mileage
The pulsar no doubt is a winner in this segment while the duke gives 35kmpl at its best you can expect pulsar to deliver >45kmpl . But in normal cirumstances 40-45 kmpl should be the target. The ns delivers optimum fuel economy under sedate driving while on rash driving the fuel economy  is the same as duke.

Verdict
The pulsar 200ns was indeed a pleasant surprise it has the right elements required for a performance bike and the cost cutting is not very evident and it performs good and has the best value for money but somehow you dont get as much joy of riding in the 200ns as the duke is just mesmerising it has a mind of its own and puts a wide grin on your face. So it is my opinion too that ns is the best option in its price range but if you could afford duke is worth the extra 50k.

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Review of Yamaha R15 v2.0

When you utter the word "sportsbike" the first thing that strikes the mind of an India Biker is R15. Such is the popularity of this bike in the market so no doubt the R15 is an extraordinary machine which introduced India to the concept of a sportsbike and has stood the test of time and with the second version launched its got more leaner,meaner and faster. Ohk, there are couple of fundamental reasons for the popularity of R15 its single cylinder 150cc engine puts out 17ps of power which gives it power to weight ratio of 125 bhp/tonne to put it in perspective Honda Accord with a 2.4l V6 engine has a power to weight ratio of just 123 bhp/tonne and with the help of aerodynamics help this beast to a top whack of 135-140kmph which is very commendable for a 150cc engine. Let us see what else makes up this benchmark bike of 150cc.

Engine and Performance

The R15 uses a liquid cooled single cylinder SOHC (Single Over Head Cam Shaft) it should come with a DOHC (Dounble Over Head Cam Shaft) to facilitate better exhaust needs of the high revving engine that said the SOHC unit in R15 has higher lift cams to facilitate the exhaust (If you dont understand the technical jargon above the R15's engine is still good enough). As stated above it has a tremendous power to weight ratio and a good torque of 15nm at a tad higher 7500 rpm but this gives it a big advantage over its competiton the cbr 150r which develops lesser torque of 13 nm at even higher 8500 rpm having peak torque at lower rpm helps in driveability of the bike and acceleration while the torque at higher end facilitates cruising at higher speeds. The Yamaha engine is rev friendly and quickly revs up and doesnt feel strained at higher revs and the R15 has a better mid range while the cbr comes with a strong top end this too is advantageous for yamaha as you dont need to work it hard to get performance from the engine.

Handling and Chassis
The R15 has set the benchmark in handling for 150cc segments and is a brilliant track machine it comes with a triangular delta frame which provides good rigidity and the feedback can be just termed as awesome. It is chuckable and feels at home while cornering at any speed and even an amateur rider can achieve incredible angles of lean with confidence although the cbr 150r has a real good diamond type chassis it just cannot keep up with the r15 at corners. The R15 comes with sticky mrf's which suit the bikes profile.



Ride, Ergonomics and Build Quality

The yamaha R15 no doubt rides harshly but thats something you expect if you want good handling it has a hard front suspension with somewhat softer rear monoshock but its rideable. Its a lean-forward bike and for tall riders it does feel small at times but the rider should be comfortable once you get used to the posture but the pillion seat is high up in the air with no grab rails so it will be nightmarish for anyone behind but i guess that is one of the reason you buy R15 you can reserve the seat for a special person and you can count on R15 to deliver one hell of a ride everytime! The build quality can be termed as good the plastic bits feel good and i absolutely love the carbon fiber sticker on the limited edition R15 and its sharp curves are exciting. The design is similar to its elder siblings like the R6 but its refreshing and suits the bike well.

Mileage
After R15 being better than cbr 150r in all departments finally the cbr 150r catches up with impressive mileage of upto 50 kmpl while the r15 ditches out only 40 kmpl average at its best. Although mileage should not be the deciding factor for a buying a performance bike lets keep in our mind we are in India where more mileage is always welcome.

Verdict
The R15 is still the reigning king of 150cc motorcycles and if you have seen comparisons it is compared with CBR 250r and Duke 200 such is the stature which this bike enjoys and i can only say it deserves it. It is definitely a track machine but a bike well tested on the Indian roads and conditions and yamaha is doing everything to keep its flagship bike of India on the top. You should buy the R15 if you want a good ride with performance and insane handling which it delivers the only reason you should spend more for the CBR 150r is for the high mileage and for the touring capabilities in which r15 is rated lower. At 1.19 lakhs (ex-showroon) i feel its worth the price more than the CBR150r.

Note: I have had countless R15 owners coming to me for advice on performance modifications its my sincere opinion that its better to keep it stock than add a FFE and Cold air intake and retune the ECU all of which will cost around 80k and a drop in mileage when you can get a more powerful stock bike with better mileage for just 30k more. Unless you are taking your bike to race i feel its useless to modify it and risk the warrenty.
Credits- Aditya S Rao and Monik Reddy for the R15 pics.

Royal Enfield Old vs New

Royal Enfield is one of the cult brands of the motorcycling world and by far the company most revered by bikers atleast as far as India is concerned. It was and is a legendary brand and also now an Indian company owned by Eicher group. The company which was in loses has turned around over the last few years with the launch of new model like Classic with Unit Construction Engine and Twinspark Technology.

But after riding various versions of Enfields dating back to 1972 when the RE created a sensation by launching a diesel version of bullet which is now one of the vintage collector's bike i feel the magic is somehow lost in the modern Enfield's. Yes, the RE's nowadays are giving better mileage, more refined and most of all reliable and easily serviceable with even more power. But the joy of riding a old RE Diesel at just 70 kmph cannot be found when riding a classic at 120 kmph. In the past owning a RE was one hell of a job, the bikes had many issues primary of which was oil leakage from the cast iron casing, also the clutch wires broke frequently and one had to have good knowledge of the bike and always carry spares when hitting the road.
You needed lot of experience and force just to kick start the old bikes and till recently there was no self start and even till date the RE's come with kicker which is a welcome sign as you would not be left stranded in case your battery died. The thump was much more metallic thanks to the cast iron engine and open silencer even thought people are modifying the silencer's it cannot be compared to the old bikes which simply roar down the street. The older bikes were also the kind of bikes which lasted you a life time if maintained properly but although they were not well engineered even for that time but they were all fun to ride and defined personality of the person. The modern bikes however are becoming more of a youth fantasy rather than a bikers desire they are now lighter, faster and nimble and not at all hard to ride which is good but not appealing to a hardcore biker.
I like the Thunderbird from the RE's stable a lot and have ridden almost all versions of it and i feel there is nothing that can beat the first version which required muscle to just get it going and was still powerful enough to hit 120 kmph with a cast iron engine. The bike had its set of problems like false neutrals from the gearbox, complicated clutch wire changing which is a problem when it breaks quite frequently, and the insufficient kicker but still the vibration and the thump will put a smile on your face. The newer thunderbird still captured some of the awesomeness by having one of the longest wheelbases and even longer exhaust but suprisingly the newer thunderbird is even shorter and lighter. The changes are with the modern trend of fuel efficiency and emission norms but that is not why anyone would buy an RE and by making the bikes more rideable they are targeting a wider group of people but losing out on the core bikers. RE still holds a lot of biking trips and they have strong brand marketing.
But if i had to buy an RE i would go for the older one because i feel the pain and cost of maintaining is worth the joy of riding one!

Bajaj Avenger 220 DTSi vs Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350

I had never been a big fan of pulsar and always preferred apache over it and when i got a chance to ride my friends avenger i was skeptical about it. The first thing you notice after you place the key in the odd place under the seat is the loud fuel injected engine roaring to life. Surprisingly, the engine on avenger is very refined and the gear shifts are butter smooth and the bike feels torquey and powerful throughout its rev range. It puts out around 19bhp @ 8400 rpm and 17.5 nm of torque @ 7000 rpm this is 2 less both on power and torque from the P220 mill.

The bike is suited more for riders below 6 feet as for tall riders the seating posture gets a bit awkward with the legs protruding above the tank. The pillion seat is the most comfortable i have found on a bike yet.The avenger is specifically designed to be a cruiser and hence has longer wheelbase, wide seats and a relaxed riding posture which is great on highways but in city conditions makes it slightly hard to navigate in traffic. The best part is it sticks to its cruiser attitude and provides a wide range of cruising speed all the way from 70-110kmph (indicated) it feels very comfortable when pushed it reaches a top speed of 130kmph (indicated) but most of all the bike feels stable as a rock at these speeds mostly because of its long wheel base and low center of gravity. The most asked question in India "Kitne deti hai?" the bike provides a mileage of around 32-33kmpl depending on the riding conditions. The build quality is average and i feel it could have been much better.

All is good with avenger but if all you want is a cruiser then its my opinion that you will be better off with a royal enfield thunderbird 350 which gives you more of a  "feel like god" feeling than avenger can ever aspire too.Yes, it is 10k more expensive but i feel its worth much more than that. The thump of an enfield is sweet music to any biker's ears. In terms of performance also the bike produces tons of torque and i even prefer the high seating arrangement. It can also cruise at similar speeds and even gives better mileage than that of an avenger. The bike is more equipped and you also get a tachometer which is missing in the avenger. But not everyone is die hard fan of enfields and the bike weighs a ton so if you are an inexperienced rider looking for a first bike the enfield might be to huge a call considering it has got a foot more wheel base than the avenger so avenger is a better choice. The enfields have a big issue on reliability compared to avenger and with a 6 month waiting time which is a big turn off for any enthusiast.

But owning an enfield changes a persons lifestyle altogether and such is the effect of the bike which is missing on the avenger but in the Indian market where there is a dearth of cruisers at the bottom end these are the only options and both are arguable in their own right but if it was my choice to choose between these two the enfield it would be it has a legend to it and the bike gives you an attitude and road presence. All this for just 10k more i feel its totally worth it. The waiting period is long but hopefully it should be reduced soon as they are coming up with a new factory at oragadam, chennai. You dont just buy an enfield you buy a life style!!!

Credits- Sandeep Pentakota for his Avenger and inputs for the review!

The legend of Honda Activa

In the recent few years the Indian two wheeler market has seen a wide variety of scooters from almost all the brands like Honda, Suzuki, Mahindra, TVS, Hero and now Yamaha has also joined in by launching a 125cc scooter Ray. The question arises which is the best scooter and the most recognisable scooter in the Indian market is no doubt Honda Activa which is more than a decade old but has it still got enough to compete in the market? Well the Honda activa recieved an update on April 2009 by increasing of dispacement by 8cc and 1 bhp power combined with better mileage.
At the first look one would notice that activa doesnt come with any fancy equipment such as mobile charger, digital speedo, telescopic suspension, alloy wheels but its my opinion that none of this features are essential for a scooter. Activa has got the best engine in class its 110cc power plant puts out 8 BHP while most others put out only 7 BHP the only better performing scooter is suzuki access which in turn compromises on fuel efficiency. The engine is the most refined and it produces hardly any vibes and pulls cleanly till its indicated red line at 80kmph.
After owning an activa for four years and putting it through almost all kinds of terrain and usage it has never given a problem although the Honda service is pathetic most of the times there has never been a major problem with vehicle and i hardly find such reliability in any other scooter. After riding other scooters like duro, wego and access i still feel that activa is the better pick as incase of duro both pickup, topspeed and mileage are diappointing when compared to activa and in wego its pickup and mileage are the prime issues. My second choice would be access as it is nearly as good as activa the only issue being it feels bulky and refinement is low but its covered well by higher top speed and better acceleration.
So in my opinion the activa is the better scooter overall and continues to be the best and most complete package with good fuel efficiency and the highest resale value and if you are looking for a rugged commuter there is nothing better than activa as i have personally put it through its paces and am totally satisfied with it.