Bajaj Pulsar RS200 Vs NS 200 – Faired vs streetfighter

Bajaj has done a splendid job with its 200 cc Pulsar series. The engine has been co-developed with the KTM and is shared with KTM bikes.

With a segment-leading value for money bikes, Pulsar 200 series is consistently increasing its fan following. If you are planning to buy the bike from the Pulsar 200 series, it might be confusing to choose between the faired version, the Pulsar RS200 and the streetfighter version, the Pulsar NS200. Stright up there is a budget difference between the bikes but this article will go into the details of each bike. This will help you choose a bike better suited for your purpose.

Design

First, let’s see and understand the design of these bikes as the majority of the difference is about the design. The Bajaj Pulsar RS200 is a faired motorcycle so it gets a huge fairing with the dual projector headlamp setup.

The rear taillight is a LED unit which is very unusual when compared to most of the motorcycles in India. The front wheel of the bike matches with the graphics colour on the motorcycle. Nevertheless, the bike looks damn impressive and upmarket. Even the bike is quite old now, the style statement still matches the newer entries.

The Bajaj Pulsar NS200 on the other is a pure naked streetfighter. It comes with minimalistic tank fairing and nicely crafted headlamp design. A headlight unit is a conventional unit but the taillamp is of LED unit which resembles the Pulsar lineup. The alloy wheel design on both the bikes is the same, which suits well for both the bikes.

Also read: KTM Engines – Top Speed and Mileage

Power

Both bikes share the same powertrain. The engine on both bikes is a 199.5 cc single-cylinder, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled unit. The engine produces about 23.8 bhp max power and 18.7 Nm of peak torque. If we compared other bikes at a similar price, the numbers are significantly high enough. The gearbox with the engine is a 6-speed unit. Previously there was a difference that the RS was the only fuel-injected bike of the two but now after BS6, both the bikes come with a fuel injection system.

Also read: Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS – Coming back?

Hardware and Features

Both the bikes get a similar level of hardware equipment or we can say that they both share similar hardware. Suspension duty on both the bikes is managed by the telescopic suspension at the front and adjustable mono-shock suspension at the rear. The brakes on both the bikes are same at 300 mm disc for the front wheel and 230 mm disc for the rear wheel. The only major difference is with the brake assistance, as in the Pulsar RS200, the brakes are assisted with the dual-channel ABS while in the Pulsar NS200, it is been assisted by the single-channel ABS.

Both the Pulsar RS200 as well as NS200 share the same semi-digital speedo console. Both of them do get split-seats, clip-on handlebars, tubeless tyres, canister for the rear suspension.

The major change in both the bikes is limited with the design and driving dynamics. The RS200 has more committed riding posture when compared to the NS200. The ground clearance of the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 is at 157 mm while the NS200 comes with 168 mm. The wheelbase of the Pulsar NS200 is also slightly longer. So Pulsar 200NS gets a slightly more benefit for its city rideability and practicality. While the Pulsar RS200 has better highway high-speed stability due to its fairing. The claimed top speed of the RS200 is above 140 km/hr which is quite amazing.

Price

The Bajaj Pulsar RS200 is priced at Rs 1.45 lakhs (ex-showroom). While the Bajaj Pulsar NS200 costs Rs 1.25 lakhs. Both the bikes do judge the pricing. The other 200 cc bikes you can think of is TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, KTM Duke 200, KTM RC 200 and Hero Xtreme 200S.