Before I start off with my impression of the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 after the brief ride I had on it at Bajaj’s test track in Chakan, I must accept that I suffer from a little paranoia and reluctance when it comes to the Pulsar name. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Bajaj Pulsar. I’ve ridden all the Pulsars to come out till now, and have had some really good moments with them. I also suffered a very severe accident a decade-and-a-half ago while riding theoriginal Pulsar 180 that almost cost me my life. That’s stuck with me ever since.
Anyway, before I hit the track on the RS200, I was given a crisp download of the product. The bike has undergone some major, and some not-so-major revisions compared to the Pulsar 200NS - the product which the RS200 is chiefly based on. However, all that chatter needs to translate into actual performance advantage - with the RS200, it does.
The engine construction broadly remains the same, but the RS200 gets a new head and, more importantly, fuel injection, as against carbureted fuel supply in the 200NS. Power rating has gone up by one horsepower, and the RS200 flaunts 24bhp that peaks out at 9, 750rpm. The throttle response is definitely crisper and more instant on this bike, and that’s sort of needed as well - to offset the bulk of about 15-20 kilograms that’s gained in form of the fully faired plastic body work and other technical components like the ABS unit, etc.
I’ve not been a great fan of the 200NS - its seating was a bit weird and I wasn’t ever comfortable with the handlebar-seat-pegs geometry. The RS200 gets a shortened rake - so the handlebars are closer to the rider and the entire seating position is biased more towards comfort; it’s more upright than outright sporty. For a bike that’s positioned as a sports product, that kind of works - which is very strange! I guess the design was never meant to offer aggressive riding posture to begin with. The seat itself has good padding - that’s a great thing.