Wow, there are some iconic motorcycles on this shelf. That is the MV Agusta F4,
Tamburini's epic design that even today, is a classic.
Next to that, the S 1000 RR, the most powerful motorcycle at the time,
BMW's first in-line four, litre-class, sports bike and of course the Panigale,
a motorcycle that came, replaced it, and today is one of the coolest, coolest sports bikes money can buy
and of course, the H2, Kawasaki produced this, put a supercharger in it,
and honestly I don't know what this motorcycle is for,
but, this is one of the coolest motorcycles money can buy.
And these are global icons and that's nice,
but when it comes to India, the motorcycle everyone should have eyes for, is the Bajaj Pulsar.
When it came out in 2001, there was nothing else quite like it.
I mean, think about it,
when Baskin Robbins opened in India, we finally discovered that vanilla, strawberry, butterscotch
and chocolate were not in fact, the entire ice-cream universe.
Two years later, Bajaj added extra
spark plugs and created the shape that would become the design that the Pulsar would not
deviate from by much, thereafter, except for the new versions with new names or rules.
Power, up one bhp, in 2006 came the wolf eye Pulsar, as it's affectionately called.
It looked great, handled well and was just so nice to ride.
This is the design most people remember as the Pulsar
and the very next year, Bajaj had the 220 on sale, featuring fuel-injection more power
and all that. It was a superb motorcycle to ride,
although the frame couldn't handle all the performance that the engine had to be sure, but it sold
well then, it sells well today, and it's an evergreen member of the Pulsar family even now.
Three years on, the 200,
my pick for the best Pulsar in this entire generation of Pulsars, would donate its design
to the 180, which was now making 17bhp.
In 2012 came the Pulsar NS 200, based off the KTM 200 Duke. This remains the most powerful
line of Pulsars with the RS 200 joining it later.
Meanwhile, the AS 150 and AS 200 arrived and then disappeared.
But let's be honest, from 2009 onwards, the updates to these Pulsars kind of slowed down
a bit, apart from the addition of the KTM 200 Duke based Pulsars, the NS and the RS and
all of those. That's kind of sad, isn't it, because these are the heart of the Pulsar line,
the 150, the 180 and 220. And from 2009 till now,
what they've basically got, are stripes, designs and limited editions.
Turns out, Bajaj had loads on their plate, from stabilizing KTM development, production and
then sales, then adding Husqvarna to the mix, both in terms of production and then domestic sales,
and before you scoff, remember, that Bajaj also built up its exports sending roughly half
their production outside India for sale, which is admirable no matter how you slice it.
So they've also been working on the CKD KTMs although progress on that project has
been more interrupted than a Doordarshan broadcast from back in the day when the Pulsars were new.
There's also the Triumph-Bajaj project to create a motorcycle that no one has been
able to yet, a classic 350 killer.
Which of these excites you more?
Let us know in the comments.
But the question is, what happens next for the Pulsar?
Well, we have the first, brand new platform for the Pulsar line in the offing even as
you watch this video, if you count the NS 200 as the last, all new, Pulsar platform,
then the last full update Bajaj rolled out, was nine years ago.
The other Pulsars are much, much older, and Bajaj Auto is about to rectify that
and it isn't just a band-aid from the design department, this is the full makeover.
Here's what we do know, Bajaj is about to release a brand-new Pulsar, it's probably going to
be a 250cc motorcycle.
Everyone and that's not Bajaj, everyone is calling it the 250F, chances are it will replace
the 220 in the showroom, so, though I don't think that's going to happen immediately either.
Bajaj will allow customers to dictate that and when the 220 falls to a point where they
don't sell that well, that's when the actual replacement process will be complete.
But what's exciting, is that, this 250 is brand new,
new frame, new engine and a completely new design.
In context terms, the Pulsar brand is not Bajaj's flagship in terms of displacement anymore,
that would be the Dominar and 250cc would be the crossover point,
but why the Dominar uses a KTM based 250cc engine, the pulsar is likely to use an
all new, lower cost platform.
Now thanks for the BS6 requirements,
the motorcycle will definitely be fuel injected, but will it have liquid cooling?
I don't actually think so.
I think it will be air oil-cooled because that's a cheaper way to organize thermal stability
but that also means that Bajaj's ability to push this engine for performance
will be a little bit restricted.
So my guess would be 20 to 25bhp and I'm leaning more towards 20 than 25 and that also means
that between the fact that the technologies are a little bit lower in scale, and the fact
that the BS6 requirements are in play, this motorcycle will probably come into the market
and sit at the bottom of the 250s, it will be among the more affordable model.
This also means non-adjustable suspension most likely, the mule has right-side-up forks
and a rear monoshock, the usual brakes, single discs, front and rear, and we are hoping that
Bajaj doesn't do a single-channel ABS version at all, although chances are, that they will.
Similarly, the swingarm is likely to be a box section, steel unit, aluminium will be a massive surprise
if it happens. The design, it will be new, the spy shots of the test bike look quite bulky,
but I think Bajaj is being cheeky with the camo here,
that 250 is probably wearing a fat suit that hides the lines.
It won't be small, that generally depresses the perceived value of the motorcycle,
but it won't be bulky, I don't think. Now the offspring from this new platform will slowly
fill out Bajaj showrooms, replacing the older models
and this will obviously take a little bit of time.
But this does not automatically mean the end of the line for the current Pulsar range
because remember, India's move to BS6 or equivalent, Euro 5 and that's not true
for many countries on earth
and Bajaj which exports 50% of their product will continue to make the older Pulsars for
those markets that don't require the extra cost and price of the BS6 model.
But, in time, the transition, it will be completed.
That leaves us with the question of what's next.
What about Bajaj's ADV?
What about the CKD and CBU KTMs?
What about the 500cc platform that's supposed to go into production in 2023 at the plant,
Bajaj is building just for that purpose?
What about the Triumph-Bajaj project?
Which of these excites you the most, do leave us a comment.
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