[RYP]

Hello Bhpians, this is a story of how i met my RS200. Its kind of lengthy else there is no short way i could explain the decision process - mood swings - spoilt for choice - and what not. Also every time i see this word 'lengthy' in our forum, i tend to read it more carefully word by word, hoping to not miss any crucial plot points. Hope you guys too feel the same.

Before starting the story, i owe a lot to team-bhp and its family for kickstarting the passive petrolhead in me. My teambhp journey started off on a lazy afternoon when i stumbled on this travelogue in 2013 http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...spiti-leh.html. I was hooked on it the moment I started reading and hours just flew by. I always loved to travel and read tlogs but i never found a proper source to fulfill the reader in me. All that changed when i clicked on the Travelogues section, boy was i surprised! I knew i just opened the Pandora Box i was searching for. I then began reading frantically one tlog after the other and finally made a pact with me to read one tlog a day (office hours, you know ).

Around the month of november got my team-bhp membership approved. It was the same month i decided it was time for a new two wheeler. That was my initial year at the IT firm and i was using the bike brought in as a stop-gap measure during my college days 3 years back. It was a second hand TVS Flame, which had clocked in 6k kms when i took possession. Basically it was used only for commute to and from the college and a rare weekend trip. New City, 3 Years & 30k kms later it was showing some weird signs of retirement. It was always serviced at proper intervals and I was always a sane rider, forgot 80kmph it struggled to go past 50kmph and if you try to increase your throttle input, bike will just shut off. This weird problem was not a permanent one, happened like twice before in 3 years albeit for a couple of days, then it just becomes fine. On a run of the mill weekend getaway to Mysore the problem just cropped up, worst ever i should say. The bike refused to go above 20kmph and my every bit of jugaad was in vain. Then i took the oldest most efficient method of repairing a man made thing - shut off and leave it on its own for a hour and hope everything will be fine when you fire it. Boy, that was bulls eye strategy, it started in the first crank as if nothing had happened. But it took a toll on me and more so the problem repeated 3-4 times again on the whole trip.

After returning to Bangalore, the next evening i was in a TVS ASS. Explained all my complaints to them and i was told that they will give me a call once it was ready. Next afternoon to my horror the service adviser told that there is a problem with engine coil and since mine is a single sparkplug version of Flame, parts might be very hard to source. The quoted repair bill was around 12k, which may increase by another 3-4k depending on further replacements, if required. They were in no mood to diagnose the vehicle (which is already discontinued) I knew i was getting ripped off, so i just asked them to change the engine oil and be done with it (spending atleast 12k on a vehicle, which could barely be sold for 20k is making zero sense). Couple of weeks flew by and again the problem resurfaced, this time i took it to a known mechanic in EC. Himself too was unable to find the proper root cause and just did a trial and error method of changing the spark plug. It did work for the time being and i was off from there. A friend of mine who was with me in all these misfortunes suggested "Why dont you sell this off and buy a new one?". It was albeit being a casual stretch of words got me thinking atleast. It never dawned on me until that day to look out for a new ride, in the flow of life we just forget few things can be replaced.



Then started the actual process of shortlisting the currently available models. Initially i started off with a budget of 80k and the first draft was these bikes,
1. Fazer
2. CB Trigger
3. Unicorn
(Bear in mind, at that time Trigger was the new kid on the block, Yamaha has just launched some new sticker jobs on FZ and Gixxers are never heard of)

I decided to hold the decision process until the Delhi Auto Expo 2014, which was just around the corner. As there might be new launches or atleast a hindsight on what is about to come. I little know, how drastic the changes are about to come.

[RYP]

The Auto expo turned out to be a great one with n number of announcements and launches. Announcements which i could relate to are, Yamaha showcasing the FZ V2, Bajaj the 400 twins SS400 and CS400, the unmistakable Suzuki Gixxer, Inazuma, New Karizma Twins, and the HX 250R. Then the decision was made to TD all the vehicles which are considered. First visit was to a Honda showroom, contrary to the popular belief this showroom has been the most courteous and kindful bunch i've ever visited. Straight away went about with the business and the first bike was the Trigger. Test drove it and liked it, a run of the mill Honda machine - negligible vibes, good fuel economy & reliable. There was that beautiful CBR150R standing in a corner in all its glory, out of curiosity asked about the details and to my surprise they gave me a TD just like that. On riding, it never felt like a 150, many forums always whine about poor low end of CBR150 but to me it felt at home and i was easily zipping in traffic with power never a concern. Came back to the showroom bleaming and told the showroom personnel i would get back to them in couple of weeks. Having ridden my friends' Unicorn occasionally for like 4 years, never bothered to ask for TD.

Next visit was to a Yamaha showroom, if Honda showroom atmosphere was like Diwali, this was like a Govt office- just boring people who never smile or speak to us. Asked for TD of Fazer, and after some 15-20mins they brought one with the fuel hose connected to a bottle of fuel which is itself hanging on the left side of the handle bar (Great Start). Odo was disconnected and the person sitting behind me constantly whining about making a U-turn in every passing junction (there were like 3 within a km). Nevertheless the Fazer felt okay but not great in power or engine refinement compared to Trigger. Remind you this is the version 1 of Fazer and V2 hasn't been showcased yet.

The Yamaha TD was finished in no time hence decided to visit Hero and Bajaj showrooms as they were only a stone's throw away from Yamaha. Bajaj showroom felt like an asylum, no one cares what is going on and just a rude receptionist who just took my name in the entry book and wrote Pulsar 150 next to it, where actually i was there for 200NS. Honestly i too never bothered to correct her (she's just rude ). Straight away she refused for TD and no one bothered to speak of their product. Just stared at 200NS and 220F for few minutes and left. Me buying a Bajaj product at this point is very very bleak or level zero.

The last visit for the day is where things got spurred up in my selection process, if not for this visit i would never have brought the RS200. It was a Hero showroom, reluctantly asked about Hunk as it falls in the same category as Trigger and a customary TD later, i was there sitting at the lounge waiting for the sales rep. Bunch of brouchers were scattered on the table, to kill time i went through them and there was this 223cc workhorse from Hero with a Honda heart. I was caught in the moment thinking, just hardly 15k more and i could end up with a great bike rather than run of the mill one's. Maybe because it was too long in the market or lack of spotlight by Hero i just never considered Karizma, it never crossed my mind. A powerful, butter smooth 223cc reliable Honda mill for 95k- just the perfect vehicle i could have brought. Flurry of questions to the sales rep resulted in details like Karizma production is stopped/ondemand, availability of spares might be an issue in the future. He assured me about the launch of new Karizmas around June (Three months to go). Also he informed that, if paid in full cash he could get his hands on the soon-to-be-discontinued Karizma in a month. Dumbest me freaked out on the fact of spares unavailability and decided to sit out the next three months.

Next three months passed without any significant interest, and my weird TVS Flame reminded me of my new bike purchase now and then by stalling out of nowhere. Then came the eagerly expected launch of the Karizma twins in June 2014, i was kind of okay with the much debated looks but only wanted to make sure how the now re-tuned engine paned out. Went through all the ride reports, first ride reviews, comprehensive reviews, Youtube videos of the Karizma and i was almost convinced this could be my next bike. Next bike in the sense i mean the ZMR- because of the FI, Oil cooler(sort of), and that fairing. After two weeks i again visited the showroom and that rep remembered me after all these months and straight away prepped both ZMR and R for TD. Pretty swift service i should say. Then all hell broke loose.

ZMR was the first one i took for a spin and that constant vibration from handle, footpegs, fairing were unbearable. Then came the Karizma R, which was even more daunting to ride, when throttle input is increased, instead of power being delivered there were only these vibrations, vibrations and more vibrations and even more vibrations. Both never felt like 223cc Honda motors, there ain't any power nor smoothness. Hero screwing up bigtime is evident, with the re-tuning of that once brilliant Wizard has ended up as a Witch. After both the TD's i could'nt think straight, the thing bugging me was - All these months of wait and just nothing. On the way back i kept thinking, why god why i didn't book that old Karizma R, instead waited all these days for this crap. With nothing to speak of from the short listed bikes and that price point, decided to look up in the next segment (1L - 1.3L).

This is where things got interesting and the next draft of short listed bikes somewhat looked like this. I tried to accomodate all the interesting prospects from that price bracket.
1. CBR 150R
2. R15
3. 200NS
4. RE Classic 350 (just a far-off)

It is no surprise that CBR150 is topping my short list given the awesome TD experience with it. No test drives were available for R15, which I found out during my stint with Yamaha during the Fazer TD. I was not much into cruisers or classics but at that point in time RE Classic 350 rather seemed a lucrative option than to ignore. It was in the back of my mind to TD an RE, but due to work commitments i couldn't. As luck would have it, I happened to ride my colleagues' RE350 one evening. It was a good 2 hrs or rather a painstaking 2 hrs to be honest, because i happened to take it from EC to Malleswaram via Silk Board at around 7pm- peakest traffic hour coupled with the duty of cutting right through the city, Bangalorians know what i mean. It was a pain in the *beep* honestly, the bike felt cumbersome, very hard to manoeuvre in the traffic and did i meant Heavy, yes H-E-A-V-Y. My physique was perfect for a RE, I'm 6.2', and hover around the 85kg mark - not fat but just well built. Still i couldn't manoeuvre the RE and concluded , I'm not yet good or not ready for a RE at this time.

Now it was around the September of 2014, I'm nearing almost one year of my two wheeler search, but still there ain't any concrete options. Yes both CBR150 and R15 are appealing to the heart but it makes little sense, because of the fact that R15 is a complete track tool and impractical for day to day running and that long rides & I'm not getting any younger in the foreseeable future. CBR150 is due for an upgrade this year and Honda is busy clearing the current stock of both the baby CBR 's and I doesn't want end up with a product that is at its end of its cycle. In the same month Yamaha launched the Fazer V2.0, and one of my friend was interested and i just jumped ship to accompany him to the showroom. (Now a personal question for the bhpians, Is it only me or you guys too jump in the first opportunity to check out new launches, with lame reason like 'Accompanying' a friend in need?). Now coming to the story, TD went great, no rattles nothing and Fazer felt more refined than ever and i can easily claim it is THE MOST refined 150 in India. OTR was touching the 1L mark, yes it looks a bit costly given that its just an air-cooled 150 afterall, but the extra bucks are worth it if all you want is a perfect 150.

In all these days, one bike which i didn't completely write off or considered seriously is the 200NS. Only due to the poorest showroom experience i didn't take up the NS seriously. Then some changes took shape in the workplace and I was asked to report in the other side of the city (IT projects you know). Work was too hectic there i could count the no. of times i opened tbhp in that mean time and all i require is a single hand. During mid december work was wrapped up i was back to EC and my bike search too. Now rumours were floating around the possible launch of a 200cc Pulsar and spyshots were all over the autoportals. It was then showcased officially at Turkey and Indonesia as SS200, flattered by its looks and its similarity to the bigger SS400, I was convinced.

February came and went and there were no signs of a possible Indian launch for the SS200, then strong rumours started flowing all pointing towards the launch happening as early as March last week. Then during mid march it was duly confirmed that Bajaj would launch a Pulsar that month. Days before the launch it was confirmed that it would carry the RS200 moniker instead of SS200. Which completely makes sense, because Super Sport and 200 just cannot be in the same sentence. I was expecting a premium of 20k more than 200NS for the RS200, and NS was retailing at 1.08 OTR Bangalore.

The D-day came and Rajiv Bajaj took stage, standing beside his proud product all bleaming Then came the price part, 1.18L Ex-Showroom Delhi and 1.40 OTR Bangalore for the Non-Abs. It was atleast 10-15k more than i was expecting, but decided to check it out anyway.

[RYP]

Visited Amba Bajaj, Bommanahalli on 4th of March 2015, before reaching i was still in a fix between 200NS & RS200, because of the only reason that RS200 is atleast 30k more than NS and there ain't much difference in performance between them. Hardly 30secs into the showroom and I was stoned, it was standing in all its glory and there was no looking back after that. Sales rep was very courteous and explained every details in a fine manner, since TD vehicle is not ready, was promised a TD next day. They Duly arranged for a TD next day, and i was given the key and the bike. Thumped the starter, it was precise and crisp. Manoeuvres were easy in the traffic, although being 165kgs the perimeter frame never made it feel that heavy, there were some little fairing noise but not that predominant and overall a satisfied experience. Paid the booking amount and was promised delivery within 15days, and mine was the 16th booking in that showroom for RS200 in the last three days.


Two weeks passed and there were no signs of me getting the delivery, hence decided to call the sales person on 20th March. They surprised me that RS200 lot has arrived a week before and i can take delivery as early as next day, they didn't had a proper explanation for not calling me as soon as the stock arrived. Here started the classic case of Downward Spiral of showroom experience. Visited the showroom the next day to finish off all the documentation works and paid the remaining amount, though delivery was available the very next day, as per moms' insistance of an auspicious day and time decided to take it on 25th March. Called them on the day before delivery i.e 24th to enquire about the status of RTO processes and got the reply like everything was on track.

D-Day - Went to the showroom and i was searching for my sales rep- not there. Went to the receptionist and asked about my RS200 delivery, she pointed me to an another sales person. She asked my name and took out the documents and straightaway asked me to sign here, here, here and here in a hurry. I told her i'm signing nothing without seeing the bike in flesh, she pointed us to the stockyard 100mts away and gave the chassis no. and engine no. of the bike allotted to me. Went there and showed the chassis no. to the person in charge there, he swiftly took me to the bike allotted. It was a great and special feeling to see something for the first time that is going to be with me in the years to come. At this point in my life i haven't seen my wife but my first priced possession .

First look at the stockyard,




Quick PDI ensured that nothing was wrong and just a simple cleaning is all it required. Informed the same to the sales person and it was done in a jiffy, signed the final document and she gave me the key. But again have to go back to the stockyard to take the delivery. Customary photo session took off and after a good 15 minutes started my first km of ride. Gazillion glazes and enquiries from strangers later, Went straight to the fuel station tanked up, left for the pooja at a nearby temple and finally reached home and called it a day.




4km on the ODO




At the time of writing this post i've been gearing up for a 300km ride to and from Salem to make use of the extended weekend and also the lousy part of running in the engine.

[RYP]

All set and the planned departure time was 3 PM from Bangalore, started off as per plan and 10 mins into the ride it started raining cats and dogs. Rain came off from nowhere and i could do nothing other than waiting in a roadside tea shop hoping the showers would stop. After some 15-20mins the heavy downpour subsided and made way for gentle drizzle and it looked like i could atlast start my uno ride. The heavy rains has made the NH7 from Bangalore to Hosur a nightmare for all the vehicles with water clogging everywhere on the road, it was extremely slippery and i never went past 40kmph until Hosur. At that speeds the tacho was at 3000rpm on 6th gear and it felt like riding any other 125-150cc vehicle.



Once past Hosur it was all sunshine and puppies and the roads were completely dry, according to the RS200 Owners Manual the recommended speed on 6th gear was 48kmph which would be achieved at around 3800rpm it ain't a perfect world hence I myself made a barrier at 4000rpm and decided never to exceed unless its extremely unavoidable. RS200 did 54-56kmph at 4000rpm on the 6th cog effortlessly, but any slight incline requires either more throttle or a lesser cog. Gearing is short and one should be precise in selecting the right cog, it struggles at 3k rpm in 6th gear in a straight stretch- meaning one just cant drive around in the same gear from 20-60kmph. My old Tvs Flame could do 15kmph in 4th gear but i never rode it like that and i love shifting gears (come on, who doesn't), but still until the 4k rpm mark its laborious to ride the RS. You have to work your way through the cogs and the real show starts at 5000rpm.A rather unusual or weird comparison of this gear box can be with Rohit Sharma - extremely laborious until a 50 and just creaming the ball everywhere beyond that.

Great Tarmac, but cant go above 55kmph


One situation where i was forced to go beyond the 4k mark was when, i was in the left most lane and a Tavera carrying a full family just overtook me, and started having a mid lane chat with a Van Cabbie (full with family) which was too at the left most lane at around 55kmph. There is no way they are ending their chat and i'm tailgating them at the same speed the cabbie blinded me completely and now i'm left with one option of moving to the right most lane and overtake, checked the RVM and there was nothing as it was a curve, simple curve albeit enough to mask the vehicle behind. Moved to the rightmost lane and half way through the overtake a Innova came honking and flashing beyond me & left with no option i twisted the throttle, the tacho climbed like an angry teenager and i was doing around 80kmph in no time and the manoeuvre was complete. That Innova must be doing at least 110-120kmph. Like i said before- show starts at 5000rpm.

Radiator should kick in at 98°C and will go off once the temperature reaches 92°C as per the manual. The heat from the radiator can only be felt in a stop and go traffic and you wont realize it kicking in once on a highway. Gave it a thorough water wash the next day as there was too much of slush and mud from the rains. Please double check with the water washing guys to spray the water with very little pressure at the Radiator area, these guys always have a thing for highly pressurized water.




Upon reaching back Bangalore, ODO now reads at 526kms and the service reminder symbol started showing up in the LCD at 450kms. The Trip Meter reading was 452kms, i've yet to calculate the mileage as it is better to do so after first service but approximately it should have been anywhere between 40-50 kmpl (i hardly went past 55kmph). 35kmpl must be the real world figure under normal riding. Coming to shifting quality, upshifts are quite hard and downshifts are normal, hope it becomes fine after the first service. Finding the Neutral is the one thing i've yet to find a way in, its like you have to take out Cheese between 6 Paper weights with your foot, blindfolded .

RS200 has a tremendous road presence, and it turns heads everywhere. One interesting thing happened in suburbs of Salem, a random guy approached me and asked if it indeed was the RS200-Yes indeed was from me, i thought he was a fellow poser like half a dozen guys who approached me before him in the last 2 days to take a 'Photo'. But little i know that he was from a Biking club in Bangalore and himself owns a Benelli TNT600, he requested me to allow him just to see the riding position for him, i obliged. Sharp observer he is pointed out the raised handle bar should be a tad less high, and the current setup is no good on tracks as it hits the helmet once the rider couches too far but the foot positioning is as perfect as it gets. He even suggested me to join Biking clubs and suggested few names. Had a good 15min chit chat and waved him good bye.

Is RS200 the perfect bike at this price point - No, but better than its counterparts. Its easily the jack of all trades.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorbikes Section. Thanks for sharing!

[barcalad]

Congratulations on purchasing the first RS200 on T-Bhp, RYP!

Got a few queries for you.

1. How's the headlamp throw at night?

2. Can you give us any inputs on pillion comfort?

3. Is the exhaust note same as that of the 200NS or is there a difference?

[abhii176]

Congratulations RYP, you've certainly earned bragging rights being the first RS200 owner on this forum! I am one of the few who really like the design language of this Pulsar and I think this is one great looking machine.

Have heard few comments about rattling of the fairing. Hope you haven't faced any such issues?

Waiting for you to finish your run in period and then give us more inputs on the performance of the bike. Congrats one again!

[ashwin1224]

Congratulations for the first RS200 on the forum!

Have you ridden with a pillion yet? How good are the grab handles? The RC twins have a similar setup, and most of the people dont even know about it. And the ones who do dont find it any good.

[RYP]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Got a few queries for you.

1. How's the headlamp throw at night?

2. Can you give us any inputs on pillion comfort?

3. Is the exhaust note same as that of the 200NS or is there a difference?

Thanks barcalad! Coming to your queries,

1. High beam is fantastic with great throw, but the low beam is kind of too steep and its of no use once you rode past 40kmph. Have to get the alignment corrected for the low beam during the first service.
2. Haven't ridden much on the pillion so far, maybe for 5-6kms overall. My friend has ridden pillion most of the times and according to him its a 6/10.
3. Exhaust note is more in the lines of Duke 200 rather than 200NS

Originally Posted by abhii176

Have heard few comments about rattling of the fairing. Hope you haven't faced any such issues?

Waiting for you to finish your run in period and then give us more inputs on the performance of the bike. Congrats one again!

Thanks abhii176,

No nothing has rattled so far, its really a well-put together solid fairing.

Run-in finishes at 1000kms, will open up the throttle bit by bit beyond than and will sure keep this thread active with all the RS200 experiences.

Originally Posted by ashwin1224

Have you ridden with a pillion yet? How good are the grab handles? The RC twins have a similar setup, and most of the people dont even know about it. And the ones who do dont find it any good.

Thanks ashwin1224,

Please see my reply in bold Point no.2 for pillion comfort.
Yes nobody notices the grab rails errr grab pits to be precise, unless told so. Though it looks in line with the design, its not much practical like a regular one.

[Urban_Nomad]

Congratulations! Quick question please :

- Did you get a chance to ride the NS 200? As you rightly mentioned this bike is 30k more expensive than the naked. Was it looks alone that swayed your decision the RS' way?
- How is the fueling, especially at low RPM? How are the throttle on off transitions? Jerky?

Originally Posted by RYP

Great Tarmac, but cant go above 55kmph

Oh yes you can!! Run ins are based on engine RPM, not vehicle speed

All the best! Wish you a long trouble free ownership

[RYP]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Congratulations! Quick question please :

- Did you get a chance to ride the NS 200? As you rightly mentioned this bike is 30k more expensive than the naked. Was it looks alone that swayed your decision the RS' way?
- How is the fueling, especially at low RPM? How are the throttle on off transitions? Jerky?



Oh yes you can!! Run ins are based on engine RPM, not vehicle speed

All the best! Wish you a long trouble free ownership

I test drove both the 200NS and the RS200 back to back, yes 200Ns is easy to manoeuvre in traffic and you feel at home the moment you start riding but refinement is better in RS and also the carb without kicker is always a bad combo. The looming launch of the 150NS completely robs of the novelty factor of 200NS and yes looks do matter

Fuelling is pretty seamless regardless of the rpm, and you won't notice any thing going awry when subjected to sudden throttle on/off transitions. Its afterall the same Bosch Fuel Injector which does duty in the Duke 200.

PS. 55kmph is the atmost speed RS200 can do at 4000rpm, which indeed is the limit.

[Joe M]

Congrats for the purchase, and I guess the RS200 will satisfy your quench for trips to a level, providing an optimal balance between riding comfort and sportiness. Nice write-up, too. Enjoy your ride, and always ride safe!

[rakesh_r]

RYP congos for the RS.It's one cracker of a bike. For the headlight I would suggest you to upgrade the low beam to that with a 4300k HID.Leave the high beam as it is,correct the alignment and you are good to go . I had the same set up on my 220 and was quite satisfied. I comfortably did Mumbai Bangalore at night.

[Sojogator]

Congratualtions on procuring the eyeball magnet !

It is a sure head turner and comes equipped with quite a few bells and whistles. Also to be the one of the firsts and the first one here is the icing on the cake.

Congrats again and happy mile munching for hundreds of thousands of kilometers to come.

Ride safe, Ride hard !

[petrolhead_neel]

Congrats on your newest acquisition. The first one on the block! Wishing you a happy high revving journey with her.

So, our homeboy Pulsar grows up. The styling is just oh-so-mature. In my opinion, the 200NS was the turning point of Pulsar. Before that, it was a not so refined bike(rather pretty crude) built for macho men. It packed some good power too.

Since the 200NS, things have changed a fair bit. The Pulsar has grown up properly, has a massive appeal to it for a wide range of customers, refinement has increased, and the bike now has an international feel.

Looks wise, I personally love the look of this mean little beast.

One question : Did you ever think of TDing the Duke /RC 200?

Originally Posted by RYP

carb without kicker is always a bad combo.

Very rightly said