The Auto expo this year has
got us motor junkies all drooling over the large number of flashing new
launches, all of which are proof that the Indian Automotive Industry has
reached a premium level. The growth is huge - The standards have risen to a
whole new level. This year's bag of surprises was unloaded in the motorcycle
segment, and the icing on the cake was from the home-boy Bajaj. Yes. Bajaj has
launched its most anticipated Indian motorcycle which could possibly be their
flagship.
Bajaj has always been the favorite pick of the youth when
it comes to budget bikes. This was kick-started by the launch of the first
generation pulsar over a decade ago. The old horse had set new design standards
for the bikes in its category. Since then Bajaj bikes have made it to almost
all parts of the country mainly targeting the middle class Indian families who
trusted them for their reliability, cheap spares and periodic services that
don't tend to burn a hole in their wallets. Speaking of all the aforementioned
aspects, one bike that comes to my mind is the Bajaj Pulsar. Some 6 or 7 years
back, the Bajaj pulsar was like the dream bike of school kids, especially the
ones that were in 11th and 12th grades. Young adults desired to own this
machine. Now, the equations have changed to such an extent that you can't see a
single street in India without a pulsar. That, is the success that the pulsar
brand has achieved.
The Pulsar range spans across a handful of variants, all
of which quintessentially portrayed the "wanna-be-stud" attitude of
the then modern youth. The list includes the pulsar 135, 150, 180, 200, 220f,
220 street fighter and the latest production model, the 200ns. Then came the
rumors about Bajaj launching a full faired 375 cc sports bikes, which
ultimately became true in this year's Auto expo. Bajaj has swept us off our
feet with their very first supersport offering, The Bajaj Pulsar 400SS.
The all new Pulsar 400SS showcased in the Auto expo is a
concept which is expected to make it to the roads almost unchanged. It seems to
be quite a poser from any angle. To start off, the Pulsar 400 houses the 375 cc mill borrowed from its more
maniacal KTM Duke 390 and is expected put out 43 odd horses. It is liquid
cooled, fuel injectedand incorporates Bajaj’s patentedtriple spark plug technology. Bajaj sadly hasn’t revealed anymore
technical specifications.The other important features include ABS equipped brakes. For now, all we
know is that this bike has taken us by awe with its show-stopping looks.
As for the looks part, it is a revolutionary design
project from Bajaj, but is very binary in terms of opinions. Yes. You either
love it, or loathe it! On a personal note, I feel that the bike looks more like
Bumblebee (Yes! That sexy looking Chevrolet Camaro) of Transformers fame. The
twin projector lamps up front coupled with eye-brow lights that function as daytime
running lights. The front fairing is heavily sculpted, that some people might
even think that the styling has been overdone. The tank is proper
“supersportishly” designed, and the sides resemble composite material made from
carbon fibre. When seen from the side, the bike looks like an evolved version
of the 200ns, with a fairing. You can find a monoshock rear suspension painted
in red, like the one in the pulsar 200ns. The bike gets a stubby exhaust like
the ones you can see on the 2013 Triumph Daytona 675. The tyres are Metzelers, a brand that was introduced
to the Indian market by the KTM Duke 390, which are known for their
super-sticky nature. In addition, the usual bundle of clip-on handlebars, telescopic front forks, digital-analogue gauge and
single discs at front and rear is also found. Another important design
feature of the new pulsar are the LED indicators. The front blinkers share the
Dukes’ DNA, whereas the rear ones are the first of its kind. They are
incorporated to the rear fender and look stunning and definitely deserve a
mention. On the whole, the new Pulsar 400SS has been a jaw dropping launch of
this year’s Auto expo. Design-wise the pulsar is so upmarket and really stands
out of the crowd, competing on par with its overseas rivals. But.. But.. Hold
it right there. I think that’s enough with the “praising Bajaj” part. All these
credits belong partially to Energica, a
$20,000 electric superbike from CPR, an Italian company. It does a top whack of
137 mph (translates into 220 kmph roughly) which is seriously fast enough for
an electric bike. In Bajaj’s defense, they have used the Energica only as a
template, on which they have fused their Indian DNA traits and formed the 400SS.
And boy was it a great Indian version. So let us just stop with the critics and
appreciate Bajaj for what they have come up with.
And now… The one thing that all of you have been waiting
for. The price. Though Bajaj was very serious about its “zipped-mouth” attitude
when asked about the price details, I would speculate the figures to hover
around 1.8 to 2 lacs ex-showroom,
which is quite competitive and a very in-your-face pricing strategy, considering
its rivals in the segment. The exhibited bike is still in its concept phase,
but sources say that it is almost in its final phase of production. My verdict,
it’s a delight for pulsar fans; 390’s,CBR’s and Ninjas – watch out. Anyways,
we’ll ultimately have to resort to the road tests to get an insight on the
actual performance of the bike.
Alright now. You must have already been
cursing me for such a draggy first look review, but wait, the Pulsar 400SS is not all, I tell you… There was this really sweet
dessert that followed after the sumptuous meal – a worthy stripped down
version of the faired 400SS. Wanna know about it too? Then stay tuned till next
week……
-Nova
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