Bajaj Pulsar 220 - A Stylish Bike

Bos Automotive - The Bajaj bikes are very popular in India because of their bold designs and competitive fuel efficiencies. The Bajaj Pulsar originally introduced in 2001 with 150 and 180 cc models has undergone many revamps. A 220 cc compact sports model has been launched in 2007. The sports model got a facelift and has been released as Bajaj Pulsar 220F in 2011. This bike is the cheapest sports bike available in India at a price of Rupees 82,023 ex-showroom.

The Pulsar 220 comes in beautiful colours of plasma blue, cocktail wine red and midnight black. The console has a digital speedometer, an analogue tacho meter, 2 digital trip meters, a digital fuel gauge and low fuel, low oil and low battery indications. The electricals include a 12V MF battery, 55 watt projector head lamps, LED tail and brake lamps and crystal turn and pass signals. Also there are a start button, a kill switch, a self cancelling indicator and a side stand alarm.

The engine is the best part of the Pulsar 220. The 220 cc, 67 mm bore, 62 mm stroke single cylinder oil cooled engine has 4 valves and twin spark plugs. The fuel system is the carburetor type and the ignition is digital twin spark ignition. The engine develops 21 bhp and 19.2 NM maximum torque and delivers mileages of 68 kmpl which is quite high for a 220 cc bike. The 5 speed manual transmission has wet type clutch and chain drive. The Pulsar 220 takes 3.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph and the top speed is about 134 kmph.

The chassis of the Pulsar 220 is double cradle type and the suspensions are telescopic with anti friction bush at the front and 5 way adjustable nitrox shock absorbers at the rear. The wheels are 17" alloy type with tubeless tyres. The front tyre has 90/90-17 and the back tyre 120/80-17 specifications. The brakes are 260 mm solid disc type at the front and 230 mm solid disc at the rear.

The physical dimensions of the Bajaj Pulsar 220 are 2035 mm length, 750 mm width, 1165 mm height and 795 mm seat height. The bike with a good wheel base of 1350 mm has a ground clearance of 165 mm. This slightly heavy bike weighs 150 kg and has a fuel tank of 15 litres capacity with 3 litres reserve.

The Bajaj Pulsar 220 F has a good design, a well tuned engine, a reasonable mileage and good maneuverability with an effective braking system. Awkward riding position and vibrations at higher speeds are the weak points of the bike. The competition comes from the bikes like the Hero Karizma and the Yamaha R15.