Saturday, July 11, 2009

New Pulsar 220 DTS-Si




Bajaj Auto has done it again, they have managed to not only come up with a new Pulsar 220, which is faster than it is predecessor, they have also done this without the help of the fuel injection system from Delphi, which in turn has kept the price of the new Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi down.Bajaj Auto’s new 220cc mill now supports a UCAL UCD 32 venturi carburetor with auto choke and produces one horsepower more than its fuel inject predecessor. Even though amount of torque produced remains the same, it now comes slightly higher up the rev range at 7000rpm. Which should lead to slightly slower roll on figures, compared the earlier fuel injected one, though should still be within acceptable range.

Apart from the new engine parts, the new 220 DTSi also receives an all black engine treatment, better gearbox with reworked gear ratios, stickier rubber, better suspension, more powerful brakes and larger oil cooler.

The new Pulsar 220 DTSi not only hooked up to the freshly laid black top with leech-like stickiness but the way the suspension - both front and rear - endowed the machine with an absolutely neutral feel, it was easy enough to do the next and most logical thing quicker than before: open the throttle earlier and rush through the five-speed gearbox. It felt almost like I was astride the Honda CB1000R Hornet which I had with me a month ago, slightly larger physically for sure and armed with a full litre worth of displacement. The new 220 was just as precise and sure footed and in this detail suddenly you saw what had happened to transform a hair raiser of a machine to become even quicker, faster and with stability and poise through the twisties that no other road going machine made in India (barring the ultra-focused and sharp, not to mention pricey Yamaha R15) could deliver.

Here we are talking about quicker and faster and I am yet raving like a lunatic about handling and poise but like the Pirelli tag line, power is nothing without control, this has to be it first for any motorcyclist and more so for a machine with increased zest and crisper acceleration. The overall suspension geometry remains the same front to rear apart from a slight tweak to the front rake by half a degree. The damping characteristics have been altered with optimised valving and this coupled to a stronger and larger diameter front fork delivers a stiffer and firmer feel which also translates into strong high speed stability.

And yes before we move away from the dynamic prowess, yet another ingredient which needs to be mentioned just as highly are the softer compound tyres. MRF who have been sole suppliers to the Pulsar series from the outset were told how they could go soft on the rubber compound so that adhesion was improved without sacrificing structural stiffness and the Chennai-based tyre maker has come up with all new rubber which is undoubtedly the best in the two-wheeler sphere in the country by a large margin. Factor in the all disc set-up front and rear and you have retardation which is the best and the most surefooted of them all. You need this latter safety bit thanks to the performance this bike has to get you into trouble quicker than in the blink of an eye!

2009 Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi specifications:

Pulsar 220 DTSi Engine
Type: Single Cylinder, 4 stroke-air cooled.
Bore(mm)xStroke(mm): 67×62.4
Displacement: 220cc
Valve per cylinder: 2
Fueling: Carburetor – UCAL UCD 32
Compression Ratio: 9.5:1
Max. Power (Ps@RPM): 21.04@8500
Max. Torque(NM@RPM): 19.12@7000
Starting: Electric

Pulsar 220 DTSi Transmission
Clutch: Wet multiplate
No.of gears: 5
Gear Shift Pattern: 1-down, 4-up
Primary Reduction: 3.47 (66/19)
Final Reduction: 2.571 (36/14)

Pulsar 220 DTSi Chassis, suspension and tyres
Type: Double cradle down tube
Suspension (front): Telescopic, 130mm
Suspension (rear): Nitrox, with 90mm travel
Front Brakes: Disc, 260mm
Rear Brakes: Disc, 230mm
Tyre (Front): 90/90X17″ (Soft Compound, tubeless)
Tyre (Rear): 120/80X17″ (Soft Compound, tubeless)

Pulsar 220 DTSi Dimensions
Overall Length: 2035mm
Overall Width: 750mm
Overall Height: 1165mm
Wheelbase: 1350mm
Ground Clearance: 165mm
Saddle Height: 795mm
Kerb Weight: 150kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15 litres, with 3.2 litres reserve (2.2 litres usable reserve)

Pulsar 220 DTSi Electricals
Battery: 12V, 9Ah, Full DC
Head Lamp: Low – Projector Lamp, 55W, High – Ellipsoidal Lamp, 55W
Tail/ Stop Lamp: LED Type
Horn: DC, 2

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