Planning to buy a Bike - pulsar 220 dtsfi or KZM

BlackPearl · 17th November 2007, 11:20

As far as I can remember, last year in some magazine there was a description about a long distance endurance race (in most probably Latin America) where no bikes were allowed. But a mexican rider participated in a Pulsar 180 and finished the 3000 Km + race where only 1/3 of the participating cars could complete it. After the race he had mentioned that it was one of the best bikes that he had ever ridden. now that is some compliment and proves that pulsars are not bad at all. But I am not aware of the build qualities of the p200 and p220. Ideally they should have improved from the 180s..

balenopower · 17th November 2007, 13:27

Under Hard Riding Conditions and for die hard honda fanatics the zma might rule...but if u look at the goodies being offered its hard to give the 220 a miss...i mean how can u overlook a digi speedo,oil cooling,rear discs,F.I over the UNDER EQUIPPED and now the long in teh tooth zma...i agree the zma's refinement & handling is def better(i own a 2005 zma) but the bajaj aint that bad either...same goes for reliability...maybe under HARD usage the bajaj product flounders but for NORMAL-SANE riding the 220 should be good enough...i love my zma to teh core and would never buy a bajaj..but thts just me...
i feel both are good in their own terms and it just boils down to which one wins the buyers heart!!

chintan15 · 17th November 2007, 18:32

abhi bilkul sahi bol rela hai buddy........
i would any day go for the ZMA...

doctorque · 17th November 2007, 20:28

agree with abhishek totally on that, inspite of riding a p180dtsi v1,
would not buy a bajaj again myself too... though i love my bike....
220 for goodies, exclusivity and definately a good effort... for everything else KZMA...

hyper123 · 17th November 2007, 20:46

Yup buy the bike that you like after test driving both. It is definitely worth waiting for the ZMA FI.
I drove my uncles' P220 recently. It was brand new, so did not rev too much, but..
- It has a sporty riding position - may be a problem in city.
- Very much improved gearshift.
- Awesome console! Really lights up your ride at night.

Besides, I own a 2006 P150DTS-i with around 7000kms on the odo.

I have had one big accident in the first few months but no other serious troubles except for the speedo cable snapping off.
I do take care of her: running-in, not revving too much when engine is cold, always let the engine heat up before starting off in the morning.
The exhaust roar at high-rpms is to die for!!

Personally, I did not find anything wrong with the quality of the parts.
And I always try to park under a shelter, so no fading of the black instrument panel. You really should congratulate bajaj for starting the performance biking in India!

sourav9385 · 19th November 2007, 15:19

Goodies and everything aside, Pulsars are known for their notorious silly niggles and problems every now and then. Peace of mind is something that'd extremely difficult to find in a Bajaj product. And when it comes to quality and reliability, HH wins. Hands down, no questions asked. So when you are investing in something which is quite expensive, wouldn't you want something which gives you a lot of peace of mind? Something, that will run free of silly stupid errors ? Just my 2 cents...

hyper123 · 19th November 2007, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourav9385

Goodies and everything aside, Pulsars are known for their notorious silly niggles and problems every now and then. Peace of mind is something that'd extremely difficult to find in a Bajaj product. And when it comes to quality and reliability, HH wins. Hands down, no questions asked. So when you are investing in something which is quite expensive, wouldn't you want something which gives you a lot of peace of mind? Something, that will run free of silly stupid errors ? Just my 2 cents...

Could you elaborate on the silly stupid errors on the pulsars?

Technocrat · 19th November 2007, 18:03

Well I can list afew from the P220:

-- Console not coming alive at one go & needs to be restarted by switching the key off & then On. This happens atleast once a month & few have had it it weekly too

-- Clogged air filter false warning

-- Totally useless RVMs

-- Viberations on higher revs

-- Main stand scraping on curves

-- Problems with rear disks

I am sure people are aware of issues on other Pulsars

hyper123 · 19th November 2007, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Well I can list afew from the P220:

-- Totally useless RVMs

I heard that Bajaj has come out with a redesigned rear-view mirror. Problem should be rectified after the change.

phamilyman · 20th November 2007, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Well I can list afew from the P220:

-- Console not coming alive at one go & needs to be restarted by switching the key off & then On. This happens atleast once a month & few have had it it weekly too

-- Clogged air filter false warning

-- Totally useless RVMs

-- Viberations on higher revs

-- Main stand scraping on curves

-- Problems with rear disks

I am sure people are aware of issues on other Pulsars

Just as much, I'm aware of the cam tensioner. I know several ZMAs who've had problems with it. Arn's several times over. Including bunny's at 45k, if I recall right? As well as of several other guys (check xbhp). ZMA is good, but its not God. Except stand scraping, most P220 issues are getting sorted out. And its warranty is class-leading. As is the economy!

Plus check out the link of the 220 that went to Leh (posted by yogesh). Its not perfect, its pretty darn good.

And Scary - please. You are seriously mistaken. I know of ZMAs that are almost 15k more than you (in just over three years, mind you). and of classic pulsars that have done 1.5L. So please, cut out the euphoria. Your ZMA has not conquered the kingdom of Narnia!

And let's not even start on the spares - that's something P220 is now catching up on :( What can definitely be a deal-breaker can be the vibes - they are typically higher on BAL bikes.

Let's face it - most bikes in India are reasonably reliable, and in "casual weekend driving" as wanted by vv, both will pretty much make the cut. I suggest we end this drama here.

@Mods: Why not close this thread till v&v makes a reappearance - the gent has disappeared - no posts in this thread for two weeks. And the pulsar vs zma fan fracas is never ending.

Technocrat · 20th November 2007, 12:03

Yes they are rectifying most of their problems that too FOC & for old customers & thats what I like about them.

I agree ZMA is not perfect heck I can list down its -ves as well but has much less issues than a Pulsar. Luckily my ZMA never faced cam problem but yes I am aware that its a very common problem.

To put it simply with Pulsars you will face problem but a solution will be available sooner than later & overall maintainance is quite cheap. With HH you will face less problems but even a small problem will be costly & really annoying.

After owning a 180 DTSi V1 & ZMA for little over two years all I can say is ZMA is pure bliss for highways & if you are not an Highway guy then P220 is the way to go.

Quote:

Let's face it - most bikes in India are reasonably reliable, and in "casual weekend driving" as wanted by vv, both will pretty much make the cut. I suggest we end this drama here.

@Mods: Why not close this thread till v&v makes a reappearance - the gent has disappeared - no posts in this thread for two weeks. And the pulsar vs zma fan fracas is never ending.

I agree

ScarySkulls · 21st November 2007, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman

And Scary - please. You are seriously mistaken. I know of ZMAs that are almost 15k more than you (in just over three years, mind you). and of classic pulsars that have done 1.5L. So please, cut out the euphoria. Your ZMA has not conquered the kingdom of Narnia!

Amen to all the guys you mention. I'm amazed their guardian angels do so good.
And for the record, that isn't my ZMA. It's a Odo pic of Doc Arnob Gupta's ZMA after he completed his run from Ludhiana.

v&v · 21st November 2007, 16:32

hi guys,
thax for all opinions.
i have brought the p220 finally. got delivery last sunday. rode around 150 k in three days.

My first observation -

1. Good Torque - No frequent gear change required.
2. Gives a Big Bike Feeling and gets road respect.
3. Fantastic Balance while riding
4. Power Full Breaks
5. Good Headlights

I think they can still improve the build quality further.
will keep posted the develoments

BUSA · 21st November 2007, 16:51

I too am in the market to buy either one, i was going to put my money on the P220, but it has many many issues which are yet to be sorted.

Zma is a fantastic machine, only HH should give it FI and some goodies.

phamilyman · 22nd November 2007, 07:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScarySkulls

Amen to all the guys you mention. I'm amazed their guardian angels do so good.
And for the record, that isn't my ZMA. It's a Odo pic of Doc Arnob Gupta's ZMA after he completed his run from Ludhiana.

heh, so we have common friends.

In which case, you would be aware of the kinda issues he has himself faced with tensioner, and varying life of clutch, disk pads.

On another note, I'm myself a fan of zma's almost silent uber quick pickup. But i think the difference has pretty much narrowed down between zma/p220

and ultimately, bikes are pretty much decisions of the heart, than just our kinda extremities!

are you overcharged from xbhp?

If on BN, you can check out capt chitnis' p220 reports!
anywys, how's your alto FE doing? any improvements?

17th November 2007, 11:20	#31
BlackPearl Team-BHP Support Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Calcutta/London Posts: 3,608 Thanked: 16,998 Times View My Garage	As far as I can remember, last year in some magazine there was a description about a long distance endurance race (in most probably Latin America) where no bikes were allowed. But a mexican rider participated in a Pulsar 180 and finished the 3000 Km + race where only 1/3 of the participating cars could complete it. After the race he had mentioned that it was one of the best bikes that he had ever ridden. now that is some compliment and proves that pulsars are not bad at all. But I am not aware of the build qualities of the p200 and p220. Ideally they should have improved from the 180s.. Last edited by BlackPearl : 17th November 2007 at 11:21.
	() Thanks

17th November 2007, 13:27	#32
balenopower BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 957 Thanked: 465 Times View My Garage	Under Hard Riding Conditions and for die hard honda fanatics the zma might rule...but if u look at the goodies being offered its hard to give the 220 a miss...i mean how can u overlook a digi speedo,oil cooling,rear discs,F.I over the UNDER EQUIPPED and now the long in teh tooth zma...i agree the zma's refinement & handling is def better(i own a 2005 zma) but the bajaj aint that bad either...same goes for reliability...maybe under HARD usage the bajaj product flounders but for NORMAL-SANE riding the 220 should be good enough...i love my zma to teh core and would never buy a bajaj..but thts just me... i feel both are good in their own terms and it just boils down to which one wins the buyers heart!!
	() Thanks

17th November 2007, 18:32	#33
chintan15 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 82 Thanked: Once	abhi bilkul sahi bol rela hai buddy........ i would any day go for the ZMA...
	() Thanks

17th November 2007, 20:28	#34
doctorque BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 565 Thanked: 404 Times	agree with abhishek totally on that, inspite of riding a p180dtsi v1, would not buy a bajaj again myself too... though i love my bike.... 220 for goodies, exclusivity and definately a good effort... for everything else KZMA...
	() Thanks

17th November 2007, 20:46	#35
hyper123 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 321 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Yup buy the bike that you like after test driving both. It is definitely worth waiting for the ZMA FI. I drove my uncles' P220 recently. It was brand new, so did not rev too much, but.. - It has a sporty riding position - may be a problem in city. - Very much improved gearshift. - Awesome console! Really lights up your ride at night. Besides, I own a 2006 P150DTS-i with around 7000kms on the odo. I have had one big accident in the first few months but no other serious troubles except for the speedo cable snapping off. I do take care of her: running-in, not revving too much when engine is cold, always let the engine heat up before starting off in the morning. The exhaust roar at high-rpms is to die for!! Personally, I did not find anything wrong with the quality of the parts. And I always try to park under a shelter, so no fading of the black instrument panel. You really should congratulate bajaj for starting the performance biking in India!
	() Thanks

19th November 2007, 15:19	#36
sourav9385 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Montreal Canada Posts: 444 Thanked: 770 Times	Goodies and everything aside, Pulsars are known for their notorious silly niggles and problems every now and then. Peace of mind is something that'd extremely difficult to find in a Bajaj product. And when it comes to quality and reliability, HH wins. Hands down, no questions asked. So when you are investing in something which is quite expensive, wouldn't you want something which gives you a lot of peace of mind? Something, that will run free of silly stupid errors ? Just my 2 cents...
	() Thanks

19th November 2007, 18:03	#38
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	Well I can list afew from the P220: -- Console not coming alive at one go & needs to be restarted by switching the key off & then On. This happens atleast once a month & few have had it it weekly too -- Clogged air filter false warning -- Totally useless RVMs -- Viberations on higher revs -- Main stand scraping on curves -- Problems with rear disks I am sure people are aware of issues on other Pulsars
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 16:32	#43
v&v Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,545 Thanked: 1,205 Times View My Garage	hi guys, thax for all opinions. i have brought the p220 finally. got delivery last sunday. rode around 150 k in three days. My first observation - 1. Good Torque - No frequent gear change required. 2. Gives a Big Bike Feeling and gets road respect. 3. Fantastic Balance while riding 4. Power Full Breaks 5. Good Headlights I think they can still improve the build quality further. will keep posted the develoments
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 16:51	#44
BUSA Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,130 Thanked: 20 Times View My Garage	I too am in the market to buy either one, i was going to put my money on the P220, but it has many many issues which are yet to be sorted. Zma is a fantastic machine, only HH should give it FI and some goodies.
	() Thanks