I had a second round of TD of Pulsar NS 200 today after the first TD didn't bring any big smile and I am really disappointed again. I can't wait for TBTS 350, its just too long and i am in urgent requirement of a bike.
This is no offence to anyone who owns Pulsar NS 200, its just my views purely personal.
I really like the looks except the rear which is really ackward and simply dis-proportionate and on same lines with PS 135. I felt the engine to be good but not really very much refined as such but to be true its league ahead of the old pulsars. The sixth gear is just a waste in the city traffic and doesn't have much to do in terms of more power or so, may be its helpful on open highway roads. I had a lot of false neutrals and difficulty in changing gears. Pillion seat comfort is too bad and i had a lot of complaints from the pillion.
More importantly the vibration levels are too high. I experienced the vibes getting transmitted to my spine and the pillion rider had more vibes than the rider. I personally feel this is a serious drawback for those who claim this to be a touring bike.
The seating position was good but believe me, the sudden braking had bad effects on my abdomen. Hope you guys understand.:D:uncontrol. The tank is too high from the seating level which is a serious concern and surprisingly no one has reported the same.
The suspension was quiet ok and definitly not bad i felt it to be a bit hard. The rear disc is simply a hype but the front disc was remarkable and good. Overall equipment is good and quiet natural that Bajaj normally does well on that. With regard to the triple spark plug i don't see any big requirement and just its an additional cost when sparks fail. That all i have to say about it and also tuning will be a great issue.
Overall i didn't feel anything remarkable or jaw dropping aspect about NS 200. But indeed its a value package. But some people were just comparing it with TBTS 350 in terms of power etc which i beg to differ and again its individual perception. With regards to the color, Yellow looks good and better than other ones.
After reading all the threads and after innumerable comparison of bikes, i initially thought of going for a Pulsar 135LS which almost has the looks of the 200NS. But again when i went to the dealership to book a 135LS, all of a sudden i had a mind change which made me thought, if i could stretch my arms a little more with another 30K, then why cant i go for something that can literally beat off a 5 Lakh car as far as power is concerned? This literally made me pay my token for booking this black beauty. Took delivery of this bike 2 days before. Uploading some pics of my 200NS.
Hi BHPians,
It has been quite some time since I have posted anything on this thread.
I was caught up with a lot of work and have not been really active anywhere other than on photoshop.
Sincere apologies for the same.
So here goes another trip log.
Route: Bangalore-Kozhikode via Mysore, Gundulpet, Bandipur, Wayanad
Distance Covered: 856 kms
Fuel Efficiency: 36 kpl (combined)
Total Time : 38 Hours
Total Riding Time: 17 Hours
NOTE: Severe compression loss in the photographs. To see a clearer picture, please click images to open in full screen. 
PROLOGUE:
It was a wee Saturday evening and was one of those days when you just want to spend time wrapped up cozily in a blanket, coffee in one hand and book in the other, rain streaming down the window sills as if the Gods were all sad seeing his beloved creations go down in ruins.
And then there was the usual Bangalore power cuts. I choose to stay a little away from the city for it offers me peace and quiet at no premium. It was 8:00 p.m. when I get a ping on my phone. Too lazy to get up, I reach for the phone which was nowhere to be found. I leave it as it is and go back to my book. And then a ping again. And again.
Wanting to shut the phone up for good, I get up and find my phone hiding under the bed. I have no idea how it got there. I sometimes like to think that mobile phones are living beings with a mind of their own, and they like most people around us like to irritate the living hell out of us.
A friend of mine had dropped a couple of messages asking me what plans I harbored in my mind for the Sunday ahead. Like always, I replied saying that there were no plans and would like to catch up that very night for a quick ride to a CCD about 100 kms away. This sparked a conversation on our watsapp group. There were 3 of us involved in the discussion and reluctance about riding in the rains at night crept in. So we decided to call it a night and go to sleep early.
Unfortunately my friend on the other side was supposed to travel to Calicut, on Sunday to meet his girlfriend who is pursuing her MBA in IIM, Kozhikode, which for most of us is the holy grail of business learning in India. Not the newest IIM, but the IIM badge in itself is what I am talking about. We started talking about when he is supposed to leave and come back, so that we could plan a ride in the coming week.
I imagine, that, you the reader has now probably understood where this is going. And suffice to say, you are right! One thing led to another and we decided to ride out early next morning instead of him taking a bus. We would be meeting up at Silk Board Junction, which is generally the meeting point of all our rides!
There were a few minor glitches like always, prime of which this time around, was a broken clutch cable on his bike and a pending oil change. This was a major deterrent as that would mean we would have to wait till the SVC came to life at around 10:00 a.m. which in turn meant that we could not get an early morning start. This left us hunting for options and he riding pillion wasn't an option for 800+ kms.
The other option was taking his roommates bike, another 200NS, which was just 600 kms old. The initial reluctance and then approval! Joy of Joys! That meant we could go faster and harder and since both were same bikes we could do higher average speeds. None of us are speed demons and are sedate riders though I cannot contain my inner kid when I see a corner in the ghats!
We decided to leave early morning and start by 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
I mended my jacket which was torn at a few places, packed the cameras, a change for the night and headed to bed. I was a bit restless and apprehensive, since I hadn't done this sort of thing in the past 6 or so months.
Morning came and I called up my friend to check if he was up yet.
As usual, no came the answer.
Tried calling him couple of times, to no avail, so I started getting ready own my own. Received a call from him after about half an hour, only to be informed that he had just woken from sweet slumber and would take another 40 minutes to reach Silk Board. Began the day with a nice choice of expletives and told him I will see him in 30 minutes.
THE TRIP: Day 1
It was 0700 hours, and thankfully, this time he wasn't late. We started off from Silk board and headed towards Mysore Road. We had to tank up at shell, on outer ring road, and would continue our journey. It was pre-decided that we wouldn't go too fast and should make Calicut in about 8 hours.
We tanked up at Shell on Ring Road, near PESIT College, started off slow and steady and gathered speed as the miles went by.
The first stop came at a Cafe Coffee Day outlet about 100 kms from Bangalore, and the customary coffee and sandwich made its way into the deep innards of the bikers' alimentary canal.
We shoved off quickly after a quick smoke and covered good ground in decent time. We were averaging 80-85 throughout and had no intention of going any faster as Mysore Road is well known as an accident prone highway. A good feeling started creeping in and confidence started building as we steadily moved along. The miles kept vanishing and gears felt smoother.
If there ever was an excuse for using synthetic oil, it is long distance touting. The bike feels absolutely smooth and beautifully refined. Each clutch pull, each shift, throttling for the quick highway overtake was a breeze! It was then I noticed that the bike's chain was pretty slack and sorted it out at a roadside mechanic. 20 Bucks was the pocket pinch.
We took a left at the Mysore city bypass from Columbia Asia Hospital and after meandering through some cows and stray dogs we reached a place called "The Market"!
And boy! Was it worthy of the name! The road suddenly vanished and was replaced with baskets filled with all sorts of vegetables and local produce! People everywhere!
Eventually the madness stopped and we joined the Kollegal highway. The roads are a bit off on this stretch. We managed to finish off this stretch in about 40 odd minutes, and reached the highway which connects to Bandipur.
Quick cool off and preparation for the best roads of the trip. 
The road leading to Bandipur is a sight to behold. It isn’t a national highway but the road itself is very well laid out. Hills formed the shadows, grasslands the midtones and the road in front the highlight!
Some of the photographs will tell the story here.
Riders in the storm, take a long holiday and let the children play. 
The road ahead, the beauty around. 
The more we ride, the smaller we start to feel in comparison to what’s on offer 
A long learning curve 
Did good speeds here and the stretch was done and dusted in about 40 minutes time. We did not hit high speeds but maintained a good average which evened out to covering good ground. We entered Bandipur forest limits and it started drizzling. We decided to ride in the rain and hit the twisties inside bandipur.
Word of caution here, forest roads tend to get very slippery and the roads inside bandipur have innumerable speed humps. The forest limits do not have any particular speed limits as such, at least not any that I could see from the boards, but it is best to stick to about 60.
Gyaan Over. The Real Deal.
The roads were a ribbon of black gold, laid out in perfect harmony with the surroundings. The roads dip and rise, turn tighter and tighter, and is a joy to ride on. Even though it’s a dual carriageway, there are no blind curves or imminent threats until and unless a majestic jungle cat fancies you for lunch!
I can go on talking about these roads, but I will stop.
A ribbon of asphalt, so serene. Right out of the rule book. 
Learning and Contemplation 
On with the journey.
Bandipur covered, we headed further down south towards Wayanad.
The ambience changes as one moves from Karnataka to Kerala. Restaurants start serving all kinds of meat as opposed to the vegetarian fare predominant in Karnataka. The roads have more twists and turns and the cars look way over modded for my tastes, no offence, hurting sentiments isn’t my intention here.
The roads in kerala though are a sight to behold. Each and every parts of the road are well laid out, and even though a few buffaloes and the odd motorist comes into your path, it is not what I’d call dangerous.
The Wayanad Ghat section is a beautiful road, and though it has the occasional pothole and some run off areas, the 14 majestic hairpins are right out of a biker’s playground handbook! Amazing scenery and mindbogglingly beautiful curves, I’d easily compare it to the all-time great riding roads in India. There is not much to say here. Brilliant scenery, the kind that takes your breath away. I will let the photos do the talking.
Entering Wayanad, the scenery becomes lush green. 
Yours Truly… :)
If you believe you can fly, you probably can. The cockpit. 
Its never about looking back, but wondering what’s ahead. That’s what keeps us alive. 
Looking back sometimes helps us learn from our past mistakes. 
When you have learnt, stand tall and don’t repent. 
Love unlike a lot of feelings have no hurtful sentiments. If you love truly, you will be rewarded. 
Take a stand for what’s right. Don’t go with the flow, make your own rules and never break them. 
We reached Kozhikode at precisely 1500 hours and headed straight to IIM. The reunion of the 2 lovebirds was one which was awwwwww and wow! And some! She had no clue that we were coming, leave alone riding there! The initial pleasantry exchange over, we hunted for a hotel and found a decent hotel with twin sharing A/C rooms at 900 per night. We changed and went out to fare some local cuisine. We hogged like mad men!
Please get the food. Please? Please? Pretty Please? 
Came back to the hotel, hit the sack and went off to sleep. We weren’t really drained but riding in the rains had tired out our legs and the walk in the beach had to be given a miss!
THE TRIP: Day 2
We knew very well that we could not get an early morning start, so we did not bother. We happily woke up by 1100 hours and had a nice hot cuppa of garam elaichi tea and freshened up. Goodbyes over between my co-rider and his girlfriend, we hit the roads at precisely 1230 hours and was immediately hungry. Stopped for some biryani at a roadside stop within 30 minutes and restarted the journey by around 1400 hours. We aimed to reach Mysore Road before sundown and this being a gloomy day we knew we just had 3 hours to get there.
Reached Wayanad in 45 minutes, and took to the twisties again. I just hope I can go back there again with a bigger bike and when it’s not raining. Some quick photos, since it was raining and also, more the breaks, less the average speed!
A streak of yellow amidst the blacks, whites, blues and greens. Take your pick! 
We came down from the heavens and laid the asphalt out for you. Now make use of these roads. 
Monochrome. In love forever. Wayanad, you will be missed. 
Cleared off Wayanad in about 30 minutes and headed towards Bandipur.
This time I knew I’d time the run, and started the watch while entering the stretch.
Start the clock! 
No rains this time happily. Kept the motor on the boil most of the time, read above 8000 revs (redlines at 10500 rpm), the bike was singing happily and I roared off to see what the bike was capable off, easing off only when a blind curve approached. There was no heart in the mouth moment except for a small jump on a speed breaker at 60 kmph at the exit of a corner. This was one of the most beautiful runs that I’ve ever had.
Check the next photo to see the timed run.
Stop the clock. Lo and Behold! 
NOTE: This is when a good tyre makes all the difference. My friend did the same stretch at over 21 minutes. Also note, that, I weigh over 35 kgs more than my friend and I had luggage riding pillion with me which weighed in at around 10 kgs. This was one of those small moments in life when your spending is justified. When I got the Pirellis for my bike, a lot of people said it was overkill and wasn’t required. I was adamant and also very very thankful to my cousin Debdutta Guha, without whose convincing power, I wouldn’t have splurged. Overjoyed, pulled over to have a smoke break and also wait for my friend who had fallen back. Took some quick photographs and progressed towards Gundulpet.
The wait for the trailing friend. 
And here he comes... 
"Dude, that was super awesome. I have to ask my roomie to get these tyres changed, ASAP!" 
Took a right towards the Mysore Kollegal Highway, and reached Mysore road at 1725 hours. Since this was a Sunday, Mysore Road was laden with traffic and speeds slowed down. We reached Mandya at 1830 hours and decided to meet up at NICE Road junction as the last and final stop before home. I reached at 20:00 hours and waited for my friend. There was some confusion and he overshot the junction and called me from about 8 kms away. We decided to meet up next day and I took the Mysore Road entrance to NICE Road and reached home at 2100 hours.
Wayanad in color. Miss you terribly. Much love.
I wish to go back to Wayanad just to ride on those roads again. BHPians, lets ride/drive to Wayanad and have a nice overnight trip.
Till the next time all you good people here...
Wear your gear, put on your seatbelt, and ride safe.
Cheerio!
Completely OT. But if you ever happen to visit the forest office and see heartrending pictures of animals killed by speeding vehicles in that stretch, you'll surely end up sticking to the speed limit and enjoying the slow scenic ride with the visor up in the forest. No offence.
