Bajaj Auto’s onslaught on the 150/200cc segment continues with the launch of the Pulsar AS 150 and AS 200 in New Delhi today. The AS here stands for “Adventure Sport,” a category that has been largely missing from action among the affordable motorcycles in India. This is with good reason, though, as adventure motorcycles generally are torquey machines, with weight and power to match. They need to be rugged, and have a go-anywhere capability akin to SUVs and off-roaders, because that’s what touring entails sometimes.
Bajaj Auto aims to bring these qualities to the Pulsar fans with the AS duo.
First up is the bigger AS 200. Powered by the same triple-spark 4-valve engine as the 200NS, the AS 200 makes 23.5PS of horsepower at 9500rpm and 18.35 Nm of peak torque. These figures make it the most powerful motorcycle in its category, according to Bajaj.
The smaller AS 150, meanwhile, makes do with 17 PS of power at 9500rpm, which Bajaj again states is industry-leading in its segment.
So does the new Adventure Sports family of Pulsars have what it takes to be proper tourers? On paper, they certainly do, despite the obvious small-capacity engine that will be felt by seasoned riders on straight stretches of road.
Take the wheelbase, for instance. At 1363 mm, it is one of the longest wheelbase on a Pulsar ever, and should endow the AS duo with superior stability and poise for touring. The half fairing and tall windshield are designed to deflect air away and above the rider, and the tall three-piece clip-ons are designed to provide a upright riding posture, great for prolonged times in the saddle. The perimeter frame and monoshock suspension at the rear are optimized for stiffness and solidity, traits that are as beneficial on the open road as on the track.
At 167mm and 170mm of ground clearance for the AS 200 and AS 150 respectively, these machines are also pretty much guaranteed to sail over any large potholes and bumps you might encounter on your ride. And finally, there’s the projector headlamps that will ensure that you ride safer in the dark, which isn’t something we necessarily recommend given our atrocious traffic sense but is still something that we can’t avoid entirely.
And, dare we say, the AS duo even looks pretty good in the pictures, especially in that blue colour.
The Pulsar AS 200 will be priced at Rs 91,550 and the Pulsar AS 150 at Rs 79,000 (both ex-showroom, Delhi). Bajaj is offering three colour options, blue, red, and black. Bookings are open now.
What do you think about the Pulsar AS 200 and AS 150? Let us know in the comments.
Photography by Dhairya Gupta
Technical Specifications
Bajaj Pulsar AS 200
Bajaj Pulsar AS 150
Image Gallery
Finally some 1 asked a sensible question… Our Indian manufacturers( especially Bajaj) takes nomenclatures to extreme extent without making any sense.. I don’t understand how can some 1 call a normal day to day street bike as an adventure sports just by putting a half fairing and projecror lights.. But bike still looks promising for normal highway touring like karizma r.
Think of it more as a baby step than a proper leap into the adventure and touring world.
Thanks for pointing it out, Abhiram. I did mean fuel injection. Fixed!
Adventure Sport ?? Then why the stock suspension ?? Where are the raised front springs ? And how come alloys instead of spokes ? I dont think without these it can take the off road challenge which the Adventure bike is supposed to take.
Interesting bikes. Although I must add that it looks to me like you are confused between liquid cooling and fuel injection. It is the fuel injection and substantially larger throttle bodies (and maybe some revision to the head/camshaft or something else) that has given the RS the extra horsepower. The NS also comes with liquid cooling, and i doubt it is supplied by Bosch. It looks like they have simply put on a fairing and projector lamp on the NS, which is definitely a good thing..I’m sure many tourers will appreciate the package.