[Updated] Bajaj Pulsar RS200 owner reports crash allegedly due to collapsed wheel during braking, hospitalized

Update: Bajaj Auto has officially communicated with Motoroids about the incident

“Bajaj Auto was informed on Wednesday, 22 July 2015 of an incident where a Pulsar RS200 was reported having a major alloy wheel breakage. This type of incident has never happened to any Bajaj motorcycle before. We have immediately sent a team to the workshop in Mumbai to conduct a full analysis of the accident vehicle. We have also spoken to the customer to express our concern for his well-being and understand details of the incident. Our initial findings are: 

1. The alloy wheel breakage in this accident is possible only if the wheel has experienced a large external side impact. Such an impact is not possible under normal road or track riding conditions.
2. This is evidenced by the direction of the break and marks on tyre and rim in this case.
3. Our tyres on the Pulsar RS200 are P rated suitable for up to 150 kmph. The tyre-wheel combination and the entire motorcycle is designed and tested extensively to operate safely well beyond max speed.

We confirm Bajaj bikes are manufactured to the highest quality standards and are designed for safe operations. Over the past 14 years Bajaj Pulsar has earned the trust of more than 50 lakh customers in over 25 countries.

If a recent post by Facebook user Mohsin Patel, his Bajaj Pulsar RS200 is the reason behind a major accident involving his wife and himself. The incident, according to the complainant, happened when he applied brakes while riding on the highway; all of a sudden the wheel allegedly broke and tossed the occupants off the motorcycle, on the tarmac. Both the riders reportedly suffered some serious injuries and were hospitalized.

We decided to dig a bit deeper into the matter to find out finer details and authenticity of the incident. Digging deep into the incident, we analysed the Facebook profile of the complainant which does not come across as a genuine profile, especially that of a married guy if not entirely an fake ID. But that’s our opinion. After Bajaj’s response, the authenticity of the incident has been established, so an accident, indeed has happened. Now, the next step is to figure whether the wheel collapsed under normal driving conditions, or is there something specific about the incident which has not been reported. We would request our readers to share any details they know about this incident to to help us get the real picture.

The state of the broken wheel, as visible in the images is quite surprising. The wheel doesn’t seem to have sustained any damage, so the theory of the spokes coming off during braking somewhat holds. However, the clean manner in which the spokes have come off is something we have never seen before. For all we know someone might just have sawed the spokes off the rim. We really don’t have any conclusive evidence here. Bajaj have sent a special team to the service station to figure what exactly was the cause of the incident and we will update you as soon as we get more details on the matter.

Without being apathetic towards the bike owner’s woes, and being a responsible publication, we would like to wait for some more substantive evidence before pointing a finger at Bajaj or at their suppliers. At Motoroids, we have received malicious emails in the past where customers demanding irrational compensation from the manufacturers, and having denied the same, have created arbitrary stories and shared them with us to gain publicity. We would be glad if you (the owner and family / friends included) could share more insights on this issues if you happen to be in the know of affairs.

We would dig deeper into the incident and try to get more updates for you. Meanwhile share your views about this damaged Pulsar with us through the comments section below. You can also share insights about the accidents that have not been reported yet with us.