bajaj pulsar 220f review

bajaj pulsar 220f review

Style It is not about style. I liked the bike's massive dimensions from the moment I saw it the first time many years ago. Now when I went to the showroom, I saw this pearl-white (black & white) 220F and it was love at first sight. I could have gone for the P180 of same color, but this pearl-white with Bybre discs in the rear looked massive and a fuller sportsbike to me. This bike is something big for me because I have graduated from Max 100 to Discover 100 to P220F. That's a big move.
Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox I know Bajaj engines are not like Honda or Suzuki engines, but I have ridden a Discover 100 for 2.5 years and know how to maintain a poorer engineering. Even when I gave it away after 24,000 kms, it was smooth enough. I just know how to ride with love.

I don't want to kill that engine in the long term, so I will not take it beyond 80kmph ever. They say that a Bajaj engine lasts only 30k, I want to test it with my smooth riding style.
Gearbox is slightly tough, but not an issue. Mileage is however an issue. I haven't calculated it, but I can judge that it's in the 35-40kmpl bracket. I used to get 80+kmpl from my Discover 100cc.
Ride Quality & Handling The P220f doesn't create much noise over shallow broken roads. The main stand however does touch those awkwardly built speadbreakers. Ride quality is overall much smoother than the weaker bikes. The large rear tires can withstand some of those broken roads that would otherwise be a pain. Handling - I didn't find any difficulty in moving on from my Discover 100 to this monster. This was probably because I have ridden my cousin's Yamaha R15 for some time. The front fairing doesn't cause any concern to me but the bike does require a lot more turning radius. Need to take those deep curves slower than usual.
Final Words I am in love with this monster. It is a lovely creature until 55-60kmph. But once you cross that 60ks, it becomes a devil and gives you the sensation of sitting on something with the sound of a Yezdi (only to the rider, not to others), but with the power of a Yamaha 350. It is a 1-lac bike, so got to wipe it and clean it everyday and protect its parts from rusting. Bajaj spare parts are not that good quality, so need to oil and remove dirt regularly.
Areas of improvement Could have helped if gear No. was shown on the display. That main stand is a problem. Should have added a kick to allow starting whenever in trouble. Bajaj could do better by adding a full engine cover that comes upto the fairing. Otherwise the bike looks incomplete.