Bajaj Pulsar 200NS review, test ride

The four-stroke, 199.5cc, single-cylinder, Pulsar 200NS engine is based on the KTM 200 Duke platform. The NS’s four-valve head is powered by a single overhead camshaft, and its combustion chamber is home to a trio of spark plugs. Although it lacks fuel injection, the NS is the first liquid-cooled Pulsar, and its exhaust system drums out a soft, punchy note.

Maximum power is a meaty 23.2bhp at 9500rpm, and the latest Pulsar is good for 1.86kgm of torque built up at 8000rpm. The compact six-speed gearbox shifts smoothly, with precise feel in a one-down, five-up pattern, and clutch feel is also good.

The 200NS delivers snappy throttle response, and sprints smoothly through a wide powerband. Bottom end power quickly builds into a strong mid-range, with the top-end feeling really potent almost all the way till the rev limiter cuts in just before 11000rpm. Gearing doesn’t feel as short as on the Duke. A highlight to the short-stroke (72mm x 49mm) Pulsar 200NS engine is it’s ever willing to rev, free spirited nature. Performance is brisk for this segment, the NS doing a 0-60kph dash in 4.11 seconds.

We tested the Pulsar 200NS up to a respectable top speed of 127kph flat out in sixth.