Buying a pulsar 200 ... a good idea ??

[Delta9]

Crashed my maruti 800 so bad that it had to be scrapped, needed some vehicle for conveyance

had a budget of 80 - 90k thought i'll take a car, but always wanted a bike 23 years old.

the only options i see are pulsar, karizma, bullet.

actually wanted to buy a bullet (had plans for ladhak trip etc), 4 friends have a bullet and go on that tour frequently, but somehow when i went to the showroom did not feel the excitement, dunno felt the slow thumps did not suit me.. i am a lil impatient person.
karizma has body kit etc, does not appeal to me for some reason... wanted to buy a pulsar in college but was not allowed since bikes r supposed to be not that safe , so finally decided on the pulsar 200.

now coming to the point: Pulsar 200 has been around since 1 year 3 months or so ... is it wise to buy it, heard it has electric issues, console, struts, engine mounts vibration etc... still over looking those points... is it wise to go fro the bike ?? will be booking some bike by tomorrow or day after the latest.

is a newer version about to be launched ?? is the bike ok to buy ?? are there more options ?? ( heard r15 is going to be launched but wont buy a bike in the first 2 months (dont want to be a guinea pig ) hence will have to wait till aug atleast)

what should i do ?/

[abhinav.gupta88]

I think it will be better to take a 180 pulsar than this. Its got good performance and would hit you less on the pocket on ownership as well as running

[rider60]

close your eyes and pick karizma, i say this since you talk of ladhak trip etc, its the tried and tested premium tourer in the country, with very sturdy alloys just right for long trips unlike like the pulsars.

[ramie2400]

I would suggest you to go in for a Karizma its any-day better than the P200,a friend of mine in my building is regretting his decesion buying a P200,its giving him alot of problems.

1)Self start blew off
2)Gears stuck
3)low feul average
4)electricals acting funny

his bike has done 800kms in 3months and have been sent to the babaj service center twice.I myself eyeing to pick up a karizma over my P150.I would also suggest you to look at Avenger,i own a Avenger 180 and its a superb bike,very low maintainence and comfy to ride.

Edit:sad to hear about your M800,hope everyone is fine.drive safe

[zenx]

If you can afford to, wait. The Ninja250 and Yam 150 will be out soon to July.

[Jaggu]

Bad idea, lots of complaints about 200. Wait a month or 2 and pick up the Yamie.

Or stick to 180's and RTR's

[ScarySkulls]

The Pulsar200 is a no no. You'd be retard to even be found riding one.
Above line is what my friend tells everyone who asks him about the bike.

Poor soul sold his Karizma to buy the P200 when it was launched.
Problems faced:-
Broken front fork leg (right)
Notchy gearbox, false neutrals.
Mechanically unreliable. Blew up the engine punching an Inch wide hole in the piston.
Stupid after sales service
Bike kept loosing power after heating up.
Uncomfortable seating position.
Front end not very confidence aspiring especially when blasting downhill.

You'd better stick with either the Karizma or the RTR.

Originally Posted by Delta9

heard r15 is going to be launched but wont buy a bike in the first 2 months (dont want to be a guinea pig ) hence will have to wait till aug atleast

Yamaha is NOT equal to Bajaj, TATA, Royal Enfield.
If you can wait for the R.15, I dont see any reason for not buying it. Will be one of the best production bikes in India for sure.

But yes, If touring is your forte, Karizma is your best buddy.

[bullboy]

i own a p180 for 2.4 yrs. it is ok for initial year .but after that maintenance is a pocket drainer and u have to do it regularly at 2.5k else it will become a bone shaker.but it is good city commuter.

[Delta9]

So almost everyone is suggesting a Karizma over the pulsar 200 ? (is this like the palio effect or the karizma is real good ?? i myself am a palio stile owner (dad) and suggest the car to every potential hatchback buyer ... no offence meant)

but one thing has the karizma not been around for too long ?? is in ... is it slated to be replaced ?? (Fuel injection)

my priorities are
1) Safety
2) Comfort
3) Reliability (Dont want to visit the showroom often)
4) I have a big frame and hence needed a lil bulky bike.
5) Mileage of 35 or so is good.
6) lets chuck the ladhak trip for now :P , the bike be used only in the city for daily commuting.
7) good resale value, will buy a car or a better bike in 1 - 2 years.

@Bullboy : maintenance cost is 2.5k per annum >??

the avenger has a lil low stance, i mean is the ride confident in city traffic rides ??

pulsar 180 is available for 64k or so and 200 for 74 here in navi mumbai,
so i'll save 10,000/- already, dont really want a performance bike but a reliable bike (liked the looks of the 200 though).

thanks for the replies
please guide me looking at my priorities.

[ScarySkulls]

It's a Honda engineered product.
Softly tuned motor. Hero Honda after sales support is very good.
Do a small research and tell me what bikes have been used in Endurance events in India (where engine remains at high RPM's for hours and hours)

Also, if you choose to wait, you will see another eye popping long and hard endurance run being covered in most of the magazines next month. All bikes are karizmas in that. Even the participants who own pulsars personally have preferred NOT to take them.

[windsurfer]

Yamaha is supposed to come out with a new bike R15. i think that would be worth a try. However, you would need to wait for a 1-2 months.

[bullboy]

Originally Posted by Delta9

@Bullboy : maintenance cost is 2.5k per annum >??

sorry , i meant maintenance has to be done every 2500 kms to keep it in perfect.

[torqueunlimited]

I've had the P200 for the past 10 months and 8000+ kms and I haven't had any problems with at all. And I'ver even been getting good mileage of about 40 and even more on the highways. And i certainly don't feel like a retard while riding it. The engine is super smooth and torquey!

@Delta9 I'd suggest you to go through the following for research of the P200. It covers discussions over everything, LITERALLY everything from the launch till date.

Pulsar 200 : The Official Thread - xBhp

[thebagchi]

Newer bikes from Bajaj are trouble free.

Broken Fork -- Resolved long time back.

One of my friend owns a P200 - he has done 7500km in 3 Months and bike has never given him any problem.

[five46]

If you're into touring, seriously the ZMA would be your best bet. I've spent lotsa time with my friends P180 UG3. Right from day one something manages to go loose (ironically we call this friend of mine 'Loose Maadha' ).
The R-1-Five is just round the corner, if you can wait till then, may be you can take a wiser decision.
BTW, I'm waiting for the FZ/FZ150...

Edit: I've got a feeler of the P200 and I'd not differentiate anything in it's build quality from the P180.
No offence meant to any P200 owners!