We are fans of the way the Pulsar AS twins look. The fairing really has managed to build on the strengths of the 200NS into something rather attractive. The fairing with its upright chunky windscreen cuts a pretty silhouette and the vertically stacked projector and conventional headlight combo set up(they work great in the night) also add to the pretty picture. While the looks are spot on, the build quality also is another welcome step up for Bajaj but there still are some hiccups. Some of the panels on the rather busy(not as busy as the RS200) bodywork don’t quite line up perfectly with each other and after just a few thousand kilometres on the odo, there is already a little bit of rattle creeping in at really high revs.
The seating position is similar to the 200NS that is to say that it’s a good balance between sporty and comfortable. The handlebars are not quite as high as they could be on an adventure motorcycle but the few days I spent on the saddle, I had no complaints. It features the same perimeter steel frame chunky front forks and rear mono shock but with smaller profile MRF tyres compared to the Eurogrips on the AS 200. Bajaj has changed the stiffness of the frame and suspension combination with slightly softer springs and a less taut frame that adds up to a 20 per cent softer setup to give familiarity to new customers. We’ll speak about how this has affected the handling and ride quality later though.