Bajaj Pulsar NS200 BS-IV test ride

• Published On: 16 February 2017
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The Pulsar street-naked returns and this time, it’s BS-IV ready

Back in 2012, Bajaj came out with a cracker of a bike – the NS200. Cracker, because of many reasons – this street naked had all the performance you needed from a 200cc motorcycle, it looked like it meant business, and it stuck to the Pulsar philosophy, that of offering good performance at an affordable price. In 2015, though, the bike was discontinued to make way for its adventure touring sibling, the AS200, and quite unsurprisingly, buyers weren’t happy. Not one bit.

So strong was the demand for the NS200, that Bajaj has brought back the model into its line-up. Interestingly, it replaces the AS200, the model that originally succeeded it. But does the NS200 pick up from where it left?

About the changes to the NS200, they comprise a sporty new belly pan, a new set of graphics, and three new paint schemes – Graphite Black, Mirage White and Wild Red. However, the big change is that the bike is now BS-IV compliant, which makes it well-prepared when BS-IV compliance becomes mandatory, beginning April 1, 2017. The alterations made to the bike, thankfully, haven’t resulted in a dip in power. Its 199.5cc, liquid-cooled, single cylinder engine still makes 23.5hp and 18.3Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. Also, you’ll also notice that Bajaj has tinkered with the bike’s exhaust note, and it’s been for the better. It sounds bassier, a lot more like the KTM Duke 200, with which the NS200 shares its engine.

The NS200 was quite a punchy and enjoyable bike to ride, and that remains true for the BS-IV bike as well. The engine is quite rev-happy, which makes it fun to ride hard. It’s even got adequate oomph at low revs, and so, riding it in city conditions is quite easy too. So, all in all, the bike performs just the way it looks.

Its gearbox is quite easy to use too. The shifts are quite smooth and crisp, and the gearing is well-judged, so you don’t need to shift ratios often.

Like the older bike, it’s suspended on telescopic front forks and a gas-charged rear monoshock. It rides quite well and feels rather composed, both on straights and around corners. What’s also nice is that the MRF Zapper tyres that its 17-inch wheels come shod with, are quite grippy, and that lends a lot of confidence when going hard around a corner. The bike’s 280mm petal-type front disc and the 230mm disc at the rear also do a good job at cutting the bike’s speed.

As with the Pulsar range, the NS200 sticks to the ‘affordable performance’ mantra. It’s priced at ₹96,453 (ex-showroom, Delhi), which makes it quite reasonably positioned against bikes like the TVS Apache RTR 200 and even the upcoming Yamaha FZ25. So yes, the Pulsar NS 200 is definitely a bike you should consider if a premium naked street is what you plan on treating yourself to.