Why More Traffic To Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi

I have concluded some points on Bajaj Pulsar 22o DTSi. I think all you can get the answer of above questions.

Looks

The Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi now comes in an all black look in both the engine and transmission department. Even the clip-on handle bars come in Black.

The Ducati inspired headlights look awesome and the light is even better. It illuminates the roads like no other bike on the Indian roads. The widely spread 55W projector beam lights up the area like it’s daytime, nearly blinding those coming in front of it!

The letterings on the tank are raised and are now in metal, and you also get an 'F' on the front faring to distinguish it from the earlier Fuel Injected version. The rear mirror assembly that is housed on the faring and carried over from the earlier 220 though is rather puny and does not provide adequate rear view vision.

I took the 220 DTSi for a test-ride. Let’s see how it performed.

Performance

Release the clutch and crack open the throttle and the bike lurks forward with a fury. 0-60 comes up in less than 4 seconds and the three figure mark is reached in just about 11 seconds, beating even the Yamaha R15 by a long shot and also quicker than the fuel injected version.

The 220 DTSi’s top speed is over 135kmph (145kmph speedo read) which makes it the fastest production bike in India, apart from the recently launched Ninja 250.

The bike’s speed builds linearly and it achieves the 120kmph with relative ease and then to its top speed without much of a fuss. And yet with this kind of performance, lower speeds are also pretty comfortable with one not needing to shift too often in traffic, unless you wish to overtake the vehicle in front, for which all you need to do is shift down once and she'll blast forward. Engine Knocking is virtually non existent due to Bajaj's patented Exhaus-Tec technology.

The main reason for the bike’s outstanding performance, which beats even the earlier Fi version, is the Ucal UCD 32 venturi carburetor. This carb is the largest carburetor available on any bike in India.

Unlike the older Pulsars, the gearbox is extremely refined. The cogs shift precisely with the slightest of taps and there is no evidence of any false neutrals coming into play. Neutral is engaged quite easily from first or second gear with a slight dab at the gear lever.

Vibrations in the handlebars and footpegs are quite low even at top speed and the riding position is quite comfortable. The bike runs surprisingly smooth around the 4000 rpm but build up the revs and it growls and sounds quite neat.

The Pulsar 220 DTSi returns an overall average of over 40kmpl, which considering the performance it is capable of, is quite impressive.

Handling

Even with the ample amount of power at hand, the Pulsar 220 DTSi handles like a dream. Thanks to the latest soft compound tyre from MRF, the Pulsar feels glued to the road. Be it accelerating in a straight line or hard cornering, the bike never seems to veer offline. It gives you the confidence to push harder and harder.

On the Pune-Lavasa road I was doing over 70kmph on tight corners and not once did the bike feel like it was losing its footing. However, the rear stand does tend to get in the way.

Finally, there is the front and rear disc set-up which brings this beast to halt in no time. The retardation is quite amazing. You can brake late and hard and be sure that the bike will hold its line and slow down in time to make the corner easily. I tried quite hard but was still not able to lock the rear wheels.

Specifications

Engine

The new Pulsar 220 DTSi delivers 21 PS @ 8500 RPM with max torque at 19.1 NM @ 7000 RPM.

Brakes
Front: Disc 260mm
Rear : Disc 230mm

Tyres
Front: 90/90 - 17" (Tubeless)
Rear: 120/80 - 17" (Tubeless)

Suspension
Front: Telescopic, 130mm
Rear: Gas loaded, Spring

Tank Capacity
15 Litres (2.2 Litre usuable reserve)

Range

Around 600kms (range calculated taking approximate fuel efficiency multiplied by tank capacity)

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1350mm
Kerb Weight: 150kg

Conclusion

The performance of the Pulsar 220 DTSi is exhilarating to say the least. Performance and handling-wise, it is a 'ride it to believe it' kind of bike. It’s loaded with features and with the expensive fuel injection having gone out of the window, it now comes with an ex-showroom price of just Rs.70,000/- which at nearly 20-25K lesser than its competition, is pretty tempting!

Still, I would have liked the fuel injection to be there. Considering that the Pulsar 220 DTSi is Bajaj's premier performance bike, the company should consider a mono-shock suspension in the rear - not that the current handling is anything to complain about nor that there has been much compromise on smoothness and refinement without the fuel injection.

There are those who feel that the Pulsars now look outdated, but Bajaj has done lot of work on them from the original Pulsars rather than just put on some extra stickers. The latest digital speedo-cluster, LED tail lights, indicators that turn off automatically once the turn is completed and LEDs in the handlebars are available across all models and add a classy touch.

Bajaj has asked all the right questions with their latest Pulsar and the other manufacturers will have to quickly come up with suitable competition if they want to beat Bajaj in this category.

Hyundai Future in India

Hyundai cars need no introduction in India. Hyundai Santro experienced unprecedented success with its zip-drive and state of art driving technology. Hyundai Motors India Limited is now country’s second largest car manufacturer and has an impressive portfolio to boast about. Such a success story does not keep Hyundai laid back and relaxed. In fact, Hyundai has several plans laid out for the next few years in India. Hyundai is bringing its 800cc small car in 2011 which will compete with M800 and other small cars from Fiat, Nissan, Renault and even Maruti’s strongest portfolio of small cars.

Hyundai seriously lacks its presence in the SUV segment and its model Tucson had not been able to make a strong call in the segment. Now Hyundai intends to make up for the falling Tucson’s sales by bringing its most stylish model Santa Fe. It is one of the most successful SUVs of Hyundai across the globe and the company will phase out Tucson with the launch of Santa Fe in early 2010.

It’s already raining SUVs in India and it is one of the fastest growing segments in the country. The decision to review the future of Tucson in the Indian market comes on the heels of high competition from other models in the same segment. Only three units of Tucson have been sold in the past four months. "We might change our SUV model from Tucson to Santa Fe in the Indian market next year. We will try to locally assemble the Santa Fe at our Chennai plant," HMIL MD HS Lheem.

New Vauxhall Corsa Discovered

Cleaner and greener Vauxhall Corsa Ecoflex has been revealed in the international market. It gives mileage of 32.42 kmph with emission of 98 g/km of Co2. The car is one of the most economical and environmentally friendly cars and will be available in the market from January 2010. The current 5-door model of Vauxhall Corsa is marginally less efficient with CO2 emission of 99 g/km.

The new Corsa Ecoflex is a three door model which is exempted from road tax. It is powered by 1.3-litre diesel engine and is also more powerful. It delivers power up from 74bhp to 93bhp. It can reach a top speed of 100kmph in 12.3 seconds. It is placed in the lower tax brackets as its diesel engine is fitted with diesel particulate filter as standard which makes it emission friendly model.

The Corsa Ecoflex's ride height has been lowered by 20mm. The car is available in Life or Club trim. Life trim uses low-friction tyres on 14-inch steel rims. Club models have 15-inch steel rims, with alloys as an option. The company has not revealed the price of the car so far but it will be available once the model hits the roads internationally.

Scrappage Scheme : Introduced Cheaper New Cars in International Market

The Scrappage Scheme from various European governments has made newer cars cheaper than cars older than twelve months. New VW Golf, Hyundai i10 and Fiat 500 can be bought cheaper than their used versions older than twelve months. Car buyers are swapping their older models with newer cheaper models as there is significant shortage of used cars and respective rise in their prices.

According to the recent announcement from the British government, cars eligible for the scheme can be six month younger than before. This means cars registered on or before 29 February 2000 are also eligible under Scrappage Scheme. The scheme will come to an end in February 2010 or when the funding runs out, whichever is sooner. Thus the car buyers are opting to swap their older cars for newer ones as soon as possible.

The government Scrappage Scheme in various European countries has led to tremendous rise in small car exports especially from India. India’s two largest small car manufacturers, Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki have seen their export figures soaring to new heights.

World Record For Electric Cars : Australian Tesla

Australian Tesla has broken long distance world record for electric cars. It set a new record of 501 km in Australia in single charge. Simon Hackett and his friend Emilis Prelgauskas took part in the Global Green Challenge and drove their electric sports car from Alice Springs, Northern Territory, to Coober Pedy, South Australia. The event was a part of an alternative-fuel vehicle rally to make people aware about alternative fuel technology and cars based on them.

Hackett and Prelgauskas tried to drive at a consistent speed of 55 kph for a large portion of the almost 12-hour journey as they intended to squeeze as much distance out of the Tesla's battery as they could.

“The security seal was applied to the charge port door when we started the journey. As this is being done as part of the Global Green Challenge, we have a full set of official verifiers here who will attest to the results and to achieving the outcome. We were followed along the journey by our support crew and a documentary film crew--so we have it on film," said Hackett.