Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi: Owner's Review

I caught new Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi owner, Arpan online and had a bit of a chat with him. As it turns out the lucky dude has just got his hands on his new pride and joy. I badgered him into writing a review at 80 km. Which is very significant, because he was typing while he could have been out riding... congrats, my friend. I've edited the original very mildly, but the thoughts are all his. Remember to congratulate him!

Yeah! I got my Pulsar 220 at 14.45, from Turbhe Pro-biking delivery and service centre. I picked one in silver (Pics at flickr and picasa ) [everyone has so far only seen blue and red bikes, so click away, people]. I booked the bike on June 11, 2007 (my well connected friend helped me and guided me... thank you!)... The bike reached their depot/ delivery centre by night of the 15th. However, delivery was not possible immediately because some minor niggles, like a delay in the arrival of the mirrors and some paperwork problems (this is the first time a P220 is being sold through the Mumbai Probiking outlet). But I must say, the guys at ProBiking Mumbai were very helpful and answered all my queries with honest replies, which I feel is really rare. Thanks to Shabir Motorwala (manager), Rahul and Vinod (the sales guys) and Sharad More (the delivery incharge).

People have asked my why I bought a 220 when I already have a 180 DTSi. I justify my decision with the following points: the 220 has alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, rear disc, fuel injection, far better lights, DC electrics, more comfortable seats, digital speedo... this list could go on... you see what I mean?

I am a sucker for new technology (yes, I know, FI, tubeless etc are all available on bikes abroad), but I can (and will) adopt new technology when it becomes available to me :-) and like Vibhu says, never buy a bike for a purpose, buy a bike which you like. And so the silver P220 was bought.

Delivery Day
The service and PDI time at ProBiking - SK Wheels was awesome. They have been trained well and most importantly, they are enthusiastic and take pride in their work. A very comprehensive pre-delivery talk was given... it was more like a Q&A session, actually, and they entertained all my queries from which fuel to use, to what speeds to use while running-in. The bike was kept ready, the paperwork was complete and I could have just signed the papers and left in five minutes. But the Q&A session was so engrossing that we spent more than an hour discussing the bike, joking around and the chaps at the showroom were than happy to oblige.

Riding position & Ergonomics
Commuting from Turbhe to Kandivali East is a tough task with a lot of bottlenecks and the roads are being concretised, dug up etc. I was a but scared, especially since my legs don't reach the ground when I'm astride the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. However, all my fears vanished into thin air once I hit the road. The riding posture is really good and it is really comfortable. The centre stand didn't scrape at any time, but I was obviously not pushing the bike to the limit. This is a period when you get to know your motorcycle and establish a bond with her.

Engine/Gearbox
The Engine is beautiful. The response is amazing and the throttle is light and crisp (heck, it sounds like I just described a good pizza). The really, the engine response is something you must experience. The gearbox felt improved also. There are absolutely no jerks from the clutch, it is progressive just the way I like it. And no false neutrals so far, either :-) The starter motor is very much unlike the other pulsars also.

Lights
The lights are not comparable to anything else. A 55 W bulb is standard and I think enough has been written on this subject (projector headlamps etc).

Overall

So far, I am over the moon with the bike! I have attached a pic like you asked... althought a rearset position pic would be appropriate too :-) [Note: this review was written on day 1 at 80 km on the digital odometer]

Related posts:

• Mailbag #3: New engine in old frame?
• Bajaj's 250+ Plan musing
• Yamaha: The Road Ahead
• Bajaj Pulsar 200: The Review
• Bajaj Pulsar 200: Press Release
• Autocar India awards
• Rearset's Annual Motorcycle Awards: List Two
• Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi: Dazed and confused
• Motorcyclists: We need or we want?
• Bajaj Pulsar DTS-Fi: More images and specs
• Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi official image
• Auto Expo Photos