Bajaj Pulsar NS200 : The unmistakable roar of a performance bike echoes outside colleges right across the country as Bajaj’s updated Pulsar NS200 gets dressed to impress its student body audience with a set of updates targeted at college goers in particular.
This latest version of a city hooligan is further testament to Bajaj’s unwavering dedication to sheer performance and attitude combined in a psychopathic persona that the young love so much to make a statement with.
After several weeks on the new NS200, peppered with heavy commuting and treks down highways and expressways, I’ve gained some insight as to why this motorcycle has always had a special place in the heart of college students: and also how it could provide the performance they need as they grow their skills.
Bajaj Pulsar NS200 Design Overview
The Pulsar NS200 has been through a massive visual overhaul which enhances the hyper-masculine feel of the streetfighter’s naked bodywork.
At the front are reprofiled LED headlamps with unique DRL signatures, giving the car a predatory look.
The tank shrouds are more sculpted for aggressive lines and a more athletic appearance, with muscular design elements added to make the 5-gallon fuel cell look even larger.
“We wanted to make a design that breaks from the clutter in campus parking, which we achieved.
“College-goers desire a ride that, while reflecting their social pride and attractiveness, also has the functional and practical aspect of making even short commutes a comfortable and fun, as well as an ‘attention-getting’ ride,”
This is especially apparent when it comes to the new colorways, which range from a Plasma Blue and neon yellow option, Racing Red with white splashes here and there, and a rather sharp-looking Brooklyn Black model that boasts a glossy black paint job with tasteful gray graphics.
These strategies are trying to appeal to younger riders with their modern design.
The tail end is narrower and flatter, pushed forward and out of the way of your buddy’s roost, thanks to a new subframe whose contours also make it easier to slide through a row of pine trees and help create a modern, aggressive look.
Contrasting top seats with white stitching hint at its sporty side, and with underbelly exhaust the clean lines the NS series is so well-known for are kept up.
Even the little stuff on this bike is oriented toward the nose-down demographic, like the backlit switchgear, which is nice at night, and the machined footpegs and levers, which provide that solid, premium feel.
The motorcycle has a very expensive look of far more money than the price you will pay – something that half the owners of bikes don’t get for under a grand and that is very canny for the image-conscious college biker who has very limited access to loot.
Pulsar NS200: Excitement that’s within reach
At the heart of NS200, an existing, tried and tested 199.5cc liquid-cooled, triple-spark, DTS-i engine generates 24.5 PS at 9,750 RPM and a peak torque of 18.3 Nm at 8,000 RPM.
While the figures remain the same with the update, Bajaj has tweaked the engine mapping for better throttle response and rideability – something that definitely matters for the riders who ride their motorcycles every day for their college daily commutes.
“The emphasis was on making power delivery better rather than to make high peak power,” says Sundar Vaidyanathan, a seasoned motorcycle mechanic who has experience with Pulsar models.
“The new mapping gives the engine a more linear power curve in the middle of the power range where most of our college riders spend most of their day-to-day riding time, yet doesn’t sacrifice that exciting top-end rush that we all crave on the weekend.”
This refinement was immediately apparent during testing in traffic in towns.
Clean and efficient off the bottom without being twitchy, the bike is also more user-friendly in stop-and-go campus-getting-around than what would be expected from a sportbike mill.
And, once a chance to open the taps comes on, the engine doesn’t lose that exhilarating magic at the top-end, the tach needle going beyond 7,000 RPM – offering the fun younger riders would want.
The 6-speed box is as crisp as can be with the most lovely mechanical feel, if a little bit fussy to find neutral at a standstill.
Despite the clutch being on the light side, to help ease through dense urban traffic, the lever has good feel for more spirited riding should you want to attack a corner with a bit more enthusiasm.
Most impressive, though, is the engine’s flexibility. In longer rides, it handled the highway cruise speeds of 90-100 km/h with ease and had some more to pull off that overtake.
This makes it as practical for campus commuting as it is for longer weekend rides — the latter an important bonus for college students, many of whom use a single bike for all their transportation needs.
Bajaj Pulsar NS200 Riding: Full-of-Life PerformanceAn effortless ride on the Bajaj Pulsar NS200 is guaranteed, after the addition of first-rate handling.
The NS200’s perimeter frame and race track developed suspension ensures stable handling for any kind of rider, a skillfull learner or a skilled rider.
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The telescopic type front forks and monoshock rear setup provide a good mixture of sporty control and every day comfort – things you’ll want if you are going to be riding smooth highways one minute or sprinting up broken campus back roads the next.
“The very forgiving nature of the NS200 is what makes it most suitable for college riders,” says riding instructor Priya Sharma.
“The chassis tells you a message as you get close to the limit, which is important for newer riders to not be completely unpredictable. This sets up the ideal opportunity for developing but non-threatening environment.”
This trait was manifested during spirited twistiness riding on roads outside of the city.
The bike doesn’t get upset by mid-corner corrections, helping newer riders to adjust their lines on the fly.
Both front and rear tires offer sufficient grip across a broad range of riding conditions as well as reasonable longevity and pricing, important miscellaneous factors for cash-strapped students with limited transit options.
It comes with a 300mm front disc with a 2-piston caliper and a 230mm rear disc, providing the stopping power.
The refined version also gets dual-channel ABS as standard across all variants, a boon for novice bikers.
In emergency braking tests, the system interceded abruptly but evenly at the lever, providing confident stopping in a range of conditions.
Special mention should also be made of the riding position. A very nice sporty but not aggressive stance, the moderately rear set footpegs and wide bars balance comfort during lengthier hauls and the controllability required to cut loose through the twisties.
This balanced geometry provides college riders with an all-around capable bike suitable for the diverse mix of riding from morning commutes to weekend adventures.
Bajaj Pulsar NS200 Technology: Features that make a difference
Bajaj has also cleverly used technology for actual benefits for the younger buyers and not mere glorification in the name of costs.
The all-digital instrument cluster is easy to read in all kinds of light and displays lots of info, including gear position indicator, two trip meters, rest to empty, average fuel consumption, and service due indicator.
The LED light is a welcome upgrade, offering more visibility if you’re riding at night – an important consideration for students who might be heading home from evening classes or study sessions.
But there is more than just a headlamp to this approach, with indicators and tail lamp, for a consistent modern image, but not to load the electric system too much.
USB charging has been added next to the instrument cluster, so riders can charge their devices on their way to campus – a small, but useful feature for the ever-connected college crowd.
Its place is so perfectly aligned, not too close or far, that there is no distraction of any kind between you and the ride.
“What I find impressive is the fact that the technology is not strands of gimmick, but practicality,” technology reviewer Arjun Nair points out.
“The features enrich the ownership experience and are not just gimmicks for selling a car.
This method yields superior long-term value, which is particularly important for students investing so much money.”
Bajaj Pulsar NS200 Value For Money: Performance On Budget
The NS200 is priced between ₹1.40-1.45 lakh (ex-showroom) and finds itself in a quickly filling up slot that best suits college-goers and their families.
This position provides your best performing without the price premium of international brands with similar specs.
As regards cost of ownership economics, it is not limited to just the acquisition price, the service costs are justified, with services every 5,000kms and major services priced between ₹1,500-3,000 depending on what work needs to be done.
Fuel economy during testing was passing the 35-40km/l mark in combined riding – very strong for a fun machine and offering affordable running costs for cycling students.
Its parts availability too is thanks to Bajaj’s vast network, and school-goers wouldn’t be inconvenienced by maintenance or repairs; after all, most students do rely heavily on their bike for getting around – to college, to work, and so on.
For image-conscious college riders, the NS200 offers the image and performance of bikes costing far more.
This value-to-impression ratio accounts for much of its popularity on campuses for which making a statement on a budget is an ongoing battle.
Bajaj Pulsar NS200 Campus Culture – The Art of Making Friends through Machines
NS200 The NS200 isn’t just excellent on paper, it’s established an enthusiastic owner following around college campuses everywhere.
For many of these clubs, in addition to Sunday rides, they offer up maintenance nights, and build-off showdowns - all opportunities for community outside of the lecture hall.
“I made a few of my best friends from college through my freedom-line ride first on NS200,” says Vikram Singh, a final-year engineering student.
“What began as talking in the parking lot about our bikes led to weekend rides and then friends.
The motorcycle was no longer a means and transportation; it developed connections that raised the level of my experience in college, he said.
This community play should not be discounted when considering the allure of motorcycles to college riders.
At a time when young people are increasingly digitally isolated, here are shared ties built around common interests which involve very real social interaction alongside academic growth.
Bajaj Pulsar NS200: More Than A Mode Of Transport
The new Bajaj Pulsar NS200 simply wins by knowing what the target demographic wants on the most fundamental level.
It provides the flashy visuals, cool factor and performance potential that today’s kids crave, but still has to be practical to use everyday as well as affordable for the average student.
Not one individual feature, but how this motorcycle delivers everything a rider looking for a fun and reliable package needs as a college commuter who is also empowered for the weekend to leave far behind what they may be faced with during the week, to the memory, keep, or share.
Not a motorcycle simply to get around, for many college-aged riders, it’s an icon of freedom…of self…of what it means to be young, to be adventurous at a time in life where adventures can make a man, and he rides it like he stole it except he knows he’ll have to jog his memory to figure out WHERE he stole it from!
That the NS200 still enjoys this sort of appeal shows that perhaps Bajaj has struck this emotional chord and built a machine that addresses both the need for something practical and the aspiration for something else – a family secret that all the best products in this cutthroat price bracket seem to be in on.
