Autoportal India

In the context of the Indian motorcycling scene, the name Pulsar holds a lot of weight. A lot of it is because of its storied history and the rest is because ever since its inception, it has been that darn good at what it set out to do. From the original Pulsar from 2002 to the ‘then Fastest Indian’ 220, and the ballistic 200s; it has become a name synonymous with performance, ‘affordable’ performance. Come 2021, we have with us the biggest, fastest  Pulsars yet- the Pulsar 250. More specifically, Bajaj Pulsar F250 and Pulsar N250. 

Before we talk more about the bikes, let us talk about why ‘Pulsar’ is such a significant motorcycle. Around two decades ago, we did not have the motorcycles we have today. The focus was on small, fuel-efficient motorcycles that were more tools than an object of passion. The Pulsar changed all that. It started a revolution that has led the Indian motorcycling scene to where it is today. 

Not just that, even xBhp’s story began with a Pulsar as it was known as bajajpulsar.com before being christened xBhp. Legend has it that Rajiv Bajaj went to the Japs to help him build a fast and sporty motorcycle. Upon being denied any help, he took it upon himself to see his vision through. That is what resulted in the birth of the Pulsar and, in turn, xBhp. His perseverance and determination led to the creation of one of the most important motorcycles in the history of Indian motorcycling. A bit of that of our own has made xBhp what it is today. 

Maybe xBhp’s history intertwining with the Pulsar’s has something to do with our love for the motorcycle. But it is not blind love or love without substance. Ask any motorcyclist worth his salt about their first performance motorcycle of a certain generation and the answer may very well be Pulsar. And trust us, it won’t only be because of it being one of the firsts or few. It was simply because it was that darn good. 

The NS200, which along with the RS 200 steered the Pulsar in a different direction that led to them being more like KTMs and slightly less like Pulsars. Not that it was a bad thing. We can understand how tempting an engine was that to Bajaj too.

For the most part, the Pulsars followed a formula, stuck to it and it worked. 150, 180, DTSi, LS 135 and the sorts. The 220 was the first big departure followed by the NS200 and RS 200, both of them being a complete overhaul. They were closer to the Dukes than Pulsars which is not a bad thing by a long shot. But for a long time, we have needed a Pulsar- one that could harken back to its legendary predecessors. The Pulsar 250 is just that- a Pulsar for 2021. 

The Fastest Indian at one point- the Pulsar 220F was recently added to the xBhp Garage celebrating #18YearsOfxBhp

Now, there has been a lot of noise, for the lack of a better word, regarding the new Pulsars; the F250 and N250. That is all based on a bunch of pictures and a bunch of numbers. More often than not, we have seen that those numbers or those pictures are in stark contrast to the real-world application. It has happened before and in the case of the new Pulsar 250s, well, it is happening again. Nevertheless, we got to spend quite a while with both the Pulsar 250s and let us try to explain why most of the ‘noise’ is unfounded. 

First of all, the looks. A subjective matter and yet, it is the most discussed aspect of the new Pulsar 250s on the internet. In our books, the new Pulsar 250s look pretty good and boast of a captivating presence. With the design, Bajaj has integrated a lot of new-age features and thus, form in function go hand-in-hand when it comes to the new Pulsar 250s. 

The F250 is the semi-faired street racer and it carries that concept in its looks. The fairing looks nice, the DRLs drip with aggression, the bi-functional LED is a functional thing of beauty and the overall dimensions and proportions of the motorcycle suit its purpose. The N250 is even more aggressive as it has shed the fairing and yet, does not lose out on any of the features. The headlight design is slightly different but overall, it looks mean and aggressive. So as far as the looks go, the new Pulsar 250s follow the Pulsar philosophy religiously.