Styling, build and finish awesome.

The Bajaj Pulsar RS200 has more styling than all of the Pulsars that have gone before it. In fact, if OVERDRIVE were in the business of creating meaningless categories at their annual awards to ensure everyone gets one, then the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 would win the Most Style For Money Award this year. And probably for the next few years too.

It's over the top and then a bit. The sides are festooned with a galaxy of scoops, strakes, textures, lines, panels and stickering that are hard to grasp. In some ways, it's more like a painter's palette than a painting. If you look closer, there are some details that I do actually like. The side panel with its flat mesh texture I think looks great on its own. The seats too look good. Plus all the silver bits below - peg mounts, levers et al. However, you look closer at your own risk because at the back is a tail lamp that is stunningly at odds with the rest of the bike. There's a good idea in there - to turn the number plate hanger into a light. But the final shape is way too ornate and curvy to go with this design

The metallic edge of the Pulsar engines is gone and the RS200 sounds pretty refined as well as pretty different. The engine makes 24.5PS at 9,750rpm and the 18.6Nm at 8,000rpm. The extra oomph works with the lower gearing to create a motorcycle that's got easy drive off the bottom and is pretty quick after 6,000rpm. The aerodynamic advantage of the fairing combines with the power to push the motorcycle to a higher top speed as well - which is why Bajaj claims this is the fastest Pulsar ever. This is despite a 12kg weight gain over the current 200NS, mind you. Numbers? The RS200 maxes out at 142kmph (this is the GPS-measured speed, not indicated speed) crossing 60kmph in 4.09 seconds (just a smidgen slower than the RC 200) and 100kmph in 9.92 seconds. It's a reasonably quick motorcycle and the linear nature of the torque tends to

Verdict
The RS200 is a clever little sportsbike. It does get some of the ability and performance required to be called a sportsbike. But it stays away from dropping the handlebars too low or pushing the legs too far back and high. This ergonomic position is great for cornering and feedback but will kill wrists and cause loads of discomfort. Bajaj have managed to find a riding position that allows you to sit nearly upright if you like and then switch to a full race crouch if amateur hour is over and you're at a racetrack. In that tuck, just watch out for the enormous bar risers - I banged my visor on them more than once. The point is the Bajaj RS200 is an excellent sportsbike for the real world on many fronts. There are purer sportsbike experiences you can buy but this blend of comfort and performance will be hard to find.