All these motorcycle pack a serious punch, that you just can’t choose one so easily.
Motorcycles generate an emotional appeal, something which only a rider can truly understand. We Indians have been starved of fast and involving motorcycles since a very long time. There has been the RX 100/135 and the RD350 but post that, there was absolutely nothing which could rock an enthusiast’s boat. Over the past half a decade, a slew of performance machines have been launched from a range of manufacturers, which has given the bikers amongst us a wide variety of options to choose from. But which is the ultimate Indian performance motorcycle today? Time to revv the engines to find out.
We have seven bikes here in this shootout and picking one is certainly not easy. Heck, even comparing them against each other is no menial task, after all, these bikes range from Rs. 97,000/- all the way up to Rs. 3.70 lakhs (all prices on-road, Mumbai). So clearly these bikes are as different as chalk and cheese, but still we will compare them to find out which is the most thrilling machine to ride and own today.
Now all these bikes certainly look good, after all beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. For that very reason we wouldn’t want to pass a judgement on the styling of these motorcycles. Some find the KTM Duke 200 to be the most gorgeous bike on the road, while others find it offensive. Thus it’s not an easy task to decide which is the most stunning machine here. However most people will agree with us that the Yamaha R15 Version 2.0 is the most stunning Indian bike on sale today. The R15 looks splendid in both quality and design alike, more so in racing blue shade.
All these bikes have modern instrument clusters (except the Kawasaki Ninja 250R) with analogue tachometer taking centre stage and a digital speedometer tucked neatly somewhere around it (except the Duke 200, which has a fully digital console). The most tech laden console is undoubtedly that of the Duke 200 but the small fonts and poor anti-glare properties really makes it difficult to read in bright sun light. The Ninja 250R’s bare basic console doesn’t justify its price tag, while the Pulsar 200 NS’ cluster is among the best in terms of design appeal. Rest of them are quite average and not really something which make you skip a beat. The CBR150R uses a cheaper version of the CBR250R’s console. Switchgear quality is good on all these bikes with the exception of the Honda CBR150R, which feels downright cheap. The R15 feels a step up than others in the way the buttons operate but overall, the Duke 200 and Pulsar 200 NS feel the most appealing in overall console design and switchgear quality.
Engine capacity of these motorcycle range from 150cc to 250cc but we are not going to dwell into the specification of each of these machines. Power output is one thing and the way that power is put down on the road is another thing altogether. So without much ado, let’s quickly dive deep into how these motorcycles perform.
The CBR150R is the slowest motorcycle here but the high revving nature of the Honda motor gives the highest rewarding experience to the rider. The R15 comes second last in performance but the engine feels butter smooth through out. The R15 does have good punch when you pull it hard. One can’t really blame the R15 and CBR150R for being slow, as they are the least powerful bikes here. The Pulsar 220, which was once the fastest Indian bike, is now all the way down to fifth. The 220 is the oldest and cheapest bike here and still has some serious performance on offer. It is the only bike which doesn’t have 4-valves but it’s commendable to see the 220 put up a good fight. The Pulsar 200 NS comes in fourth and is a complete delight to ride, thanks to an eager engine which pulls strongly. Again nothing comes close to the Pulsars in offering value for money performance.
Our top three performers are no surprise. The Ninja 250R had to take the honors as the fastest accelerating bike here, after all, it is the only bike to feature twin-cylinders. This puts the Duke 200 and CBR250R neck and neck. Although the CBR250R is quite heavy compared to the Duke 200, its taller gearing helps it to take second place. The CBR250R also has a higher top speed than the Duke 200. However, the Duke 200 is more thrilling to ride and it feels like a racket right from the word GO. The shorter gearing in the Duke, keeps you on your toes as you try to keep up with the menacing performance of this KTM. For outright acceleration and top speed, the Ninja 250R might take the honors, but if you want to be thrilled and scared (at the same time), the Duke 200 is the bike for you.
When it comes to underpinnings, the KTM Duke 200 is the most advanced machine here. But it’s not the best when it comes to track days. The Duke does handle like a charm and has strong brakes but the R15 is the most surefooted handler, with the telepathic steering and cornering ability which shames bikes of a segment above. The CBR150R puts up a good fight with the R15 but lacks the finesse that the R15 has. The R15 is so good in terms of dynamics, it feels like it has an extra pair of wheels. The 200 NS is also a surprise package with excellent handling and astonishing brakes. However both the Duke 200 and Pulsar 200 NS have stiff ride quality. The CBR siblings are very comfortable and you never feel tired after endless amount of kms on the saddle. They also offer good handling and excellent high speed stability. The Pulsar 220 is no match in dynamics department with a decade old chassis and suspension bits, but it takes sweepers at high speeds with confidence and braking performance is also good with the recent addition of Bybre brakes. Ride quality is excellent on the Pulsar 220. The Ninja 250R is an aggressive motorcycle and the motorcycle is in its own league with no competition whatsoever. Overall, if we had to pick for the best dynamics, we would close our eyes and hop onto the Yamaha R15.
If you are looking for a high revving motorcycle with sharp handling and surefooted brakes, both the Yamaha R15 and Honda CBR150R will leave no stone unturned to put a grin on your face. Looking for outright speed? The Kawasaki Ninja 250R is the clear winner. For the value for money bikers, the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is easily the motorcycle to pick, for its good performance, excellent brakes and splendid handling. People looking for a way to commute in style (semi-faired and fully loaded) with comfort and speed a priority over dynamics, Pulsar 220F is there to please. Those looking at a comfortable, reliable motorcycle, good enough to go endless kms on the saddle without breaking into a sweat, the Honda CBR250R is the top choice. But if you want the simple thrills of going berserk every time you twist the throttle, the KTM Duke 200 emerges as the winner and our choice as India’s best performance motorcycle. But these results don’t stay for long as the Duke 390, CBR500R, Pulsar 375 and Ninja 300R are all hiding in some corner of India, ready to pounce upon us soon. Till then, let’s paint the town orange, neon orange.
Further Reading -
Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS Review
Yamaha R15 V2.0 Review
Honda CBR150R Review
KTM Duke 200 Review
Honda CBR250R Test Ride Review
Yamaha R15 vs Honda CBR150R
KTM Duke 200 vs Yamaha R15 V2 vs Honda CBR250R
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golu January 26, 2013 at 10:49 pm
220 kuda hai . . .
Missing Apache here :’(
A little piece of info here, Keep the rpm above 8000 all the time, CBR150R pulls faster than R15 by 1 sec… You need to pull it hard… Try it.
CBR150R is the cutest bike here.
I want ALL…. I love all the bikes…
M DROOLING over NINJA300 and CBR500R. When they will launch.
Faisal Khan January 26, 2013 at 10:56 pm
Golu, CBR150R loses out too much at low RPMs that its not able to pull all that back at high RPM.
Ninja 300R by May 2013 and CBR500R coming by the end of the year.
Kaala March 27, 2013 at 10:54 pm
Ab tu btaega gaadi kaise chalate hain,
Yha sb professionals ne test kiye hain,
220 is the baap(father)
Kaala March 27, 2013 at 10:57 pm
Above For Golu
golu January 26, 2013 at 10:55 pm
And one more thing. . . Superb Review…
golu January 26, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Hey its me… Akash. Remember me… :D
Faisal Khan January 26, 2013 at 11:22 pm
Yes buddy, I remember you.
golu January 26, 2013 at 11:14 pm
And m in love with these two machines, espacially Ninja 300
karikor January 26, 2013 at 11:50 pm
Things have been really looking up these past 2 years for the motorcycle enthusiast in India. We have always had the roads for 250-600cc , 25-50bhp motorcycles in India, but sadly were made to choke on sub 200cc machines for way too long. Now in the next couple of years, we will have exactly the perfect machines suited optimally for our roads. Hopefully some years down the line, our roads will then be ready for 1 liter motorcycles.
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 4:20 pm
Karikor, for litre class bikes, you don’t need roads, you need a race track.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 5:18 pm
True that Faisal. That’s why 250-600cc is the best suited for our roads. And something in the middle will be optimally best suited for everyone. With 600cc being for those extremely experienced enthusiast.
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 5:26 pm
Karikor, but no one seems to be working on a 400cc, V-twin.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 5:46 pm
I guess the market has to grow first Faisal. The numbers should come in first and the segment grow so that manufacturers can think of building the comparatively more expensive 400 v twin. It will take time to reach that position but at least we are moving in the right direction. who knows what sort of motorcycles will be displayed by the time Auto Expo 2016 happens.
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 6:35 pm
Karikor, I think the Honda CBR500R has what we really need. But again Honda has gone for basic hardware.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 7:59 pm
Faisal I think we should just be happy that Honda is bringing in such a motorcycle now, no matter how basic its hardware may be, coz half a decade back we would not even have imagined anything above 250cc. Once we can establish the numbers on these present upcoming models then it will give the manufacturers the confidence to bring in models with the best hardware and still can expect to reel in the numbers.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 8:14 pm
And I don’t agree with models brought in under CBU route. And for someone who has to save every penny very hard for years together to be able to sign that cheque, I find it ridiculous to pay double of what the bike’s actual value.
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:56 pm
Karikor, Honda giving basic hardware on 250cc bike, no problem. But on a 500cc bike is quite surprising.
karikor January 31, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Faisal,
Just your luck. Have you checked out the news that Honda are working on a 400cc V-twin motor for Asian markets? Guess God must have listened to your prayers. ;)
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:50 pm
Yes Honda is working on 400 but I doubt they will bring it to India over the CBR500R.
karikor February 5, 2013 at 11:00 pm
That is sad. If they brought in both the cbr400 n cbr500, then that means Honda wud have brought in their whole sub 600cc cbr lineup in India. cbr150, cbr250, cbr400 & cbr500 n hopefully in the future the cbr600.
Faisal Khan February 6, 2013 at 12:40 am
Karikor, Honda will slowly but surely get their complete line-up.
Akash February 6, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Faisal, I have read about SAFERIDE ABS system for all Indian bikes with disc brakes. Please check it and post a review about it. And also explain how it works.
After that compare two bikes one with saferide abs and other with stock brakes…. This would be helpful for everyone….
karikor February 6, 2013 at 11:51 pm
Well I hope you are right. Honda is all out to conquer every market in the world. By the way, good news about ktm-bajaj adding husqvarna into their family. Can’t wait to see them launch a ‘baby’ nuda in the Indian market. By the way do you have any numbers on how many ktm duke 200s sold so far since launch by ktm? There are already 4 of them in my mohalla.
Joy January 27, 2013 at 10:14 am
Hahaa .. negative, with raging fuel prices and roaring inflation you can only dream of a full litre bike, forget about buying do you know what it takes to maintain it, that’ll surely be quite a task as I have already spent the cost of the bike over a period of 3 years on the 220F that I own and I just cant get enough of it. I think any Bike above 350 cc is a show-off coz anyway you will have to always do “stop and go” in this Indian Traffic.
Crazywheels January 27, 2013 at 10:43 am
i really agree with you. a 150cc bike is enough to roar through the indian streets at any condition.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 12:53 pm
That’s the sad part about Big Indian cities.” Stop and go” traffic. Fortunately we from smaller cities are better off on this front. I need to just ride 5 kilometers from my house and I’m out on the wide open mountain twisty roads with just the wind on my hair for company.And well if you buy a 3-5 lakh bike you must have thought about the maintanence it will demand before signing the cheque.
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:51 pm
Karikor, how many kms do you have to ride to get the bike serviced then?
karikor February 4, 2013 at 10:22 pm
if it’s a Yamaha 3 km. If it’s a bajaj-ktm, 4 km, if it’s a royal enfield, 5 km, if it’s a Honda, 6km (opening shortly).
Faisal Khan February 5, 2013 at 12:34 am
Karikor, but will they service big bikes or only commuters?
karikor February 5, 2013 at 10:53 pm
If you mean commuters as 100-110 cc , then they comprise of only 5 % of the bikes in the road (small capacity bikes cannot handle the steep uphill roads and so don’t make much sense, so you will not find many splendors, passion around), 70% comprise of rx, pulsars, R15s, duke 200, fazers, etc n 25% are 250cc + bikes like cbr250, royal enfields, ninjas, rd 350s, hyosung gt250r n gt650r. The Hondas n hyosungs are presently serviced in guwahati 100km away (2.5hrs) whereas the others are all serviced in the city itself. however once Honda opens its own 3s facility here, then that will mean more Hondas in the city.
Faisal Khan February 6, 2013 at 12:39 am
Karikor, that is quite interesting. So which bike do you currently ride?
karikor February 6, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Hi Faisal I currently ride a 1995 rx-100 which I have done a lot of work on. I have changed the head with a rx-135, fully ported the engine, put in reed valves, a forged piston, a 5-speed gear box, proper jetting, a Japanese Mikuni carb taken from the rz-250, a k&n air filter, iridium spark plug and a tectrac racing exhaust pipe.
Crazywheels January 27, 2013 at 10:41 am
We should evaluate the performance of the superbikes after one year of usage. Then only we can judge the real nature of the engine. Especially Yamaha and Honda engines get aggressive only after the running-in period. My opinion is CBR 250 R is the best bike in terms of comfortable seating posture and pro-link rear suspension and can be used for touring also. In case of Money value, R15 is the best. But Pulsar 200 NS is the best choice, because we get a chance to ride a 200 cc beast within 1 L price range. DUke 200 is not a comfortable one but engine roar is enough to put our mind blowing. Ninja 250 is good but i saw an article that CBR 250 R can easily overblow twin cylinder ninja in tracks- in that case Ninja is not value for money.
Anyway after years of usage, i think CBR and R15 only exists in mint condition
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Crazywheels, a good 400cc, V-twin bike is the need of the hour, we really don’t need anything more powerful.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 5:37 pm
I have been reading comments saying anything above 350cc is showing off because of the stop and go traffic. In that case everybody in India should stop buying mercs, bmws and Audis. However what we see is that that segment is growing year after year with last year the three selling close to 30000 cars. Now that same domino effect that started with cars a decade back is trickling down to motorcycles as well. And when the market is now beginning to open to bigger machines, why do we still want to be satisfied with 150cc. I have no qualms against the 150cc as they all have an important role to play. But why stick to them? Same thing as to why stick to the Maruti 800.
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 6:34 pm
Karikor, forget the speed, a higher capacity feels more stable at higher speeds. So a Ninja 650R definitely feels more relaxed at 120 km/hr, than say a KTM Duke 200. That is reason enough to opt for a higher capacity bike. Although with lower capacity bikes, you can ride and extract power to the limit.
karikor January 27, 2013 at 7:42 pm
I guess a machine which can do 160 km/hr max should be the best thing to have. Where you can have a stable 100-120 km/hr in your normal day run and the occasional 100mph when you feel like juicing it up.
golu January 27, 2013 at 3:22 pm
In terms of YEARS of usage- HONDA CBR250R AND YAMAHA R15…
Madness- Duke 200
Value for Money- Pulsar 200NS
Super Performance- Ninja 250R
If you are MAD- Pulsar 220F
If you dont like R15′s rear seat- CBR150R
MILE MUNCHER- CBR250R
Hey Faisal, CBR150R is also RELIABLE PRODUCT na… The only draw backs are High price, switch gear and low end Torque…
And CBR250R cannot defeat NINJA 250R on Track…
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 4:25 pm
Golu, yes Honda CBR150R is a reliable product.
Naveen February 7, 2013 at 2:15 pm
No cbr is bull *hit. Cbr have a seruous problem with engine knocking…dont buy
Chaos January 27, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Hi Fas and Motorbeam team ,
You guys have been doing some fantastic work, the first website i open as soon my laptop is opened is motorbeam.com .
I agree with all that u said abt pulsar 200ns except that its short lived. do u have a long termer 200ns to test its reliability and niggles ? i heard, read and saw a lot of complaints from 200ns riders about irregular idle RPM , vibrations, drop in mileage after a few thousands on the odo, unable to achieve the same speeds in the same RPM as when the bike was new i.e., RPM higher for 50kmph than before when the bike was new. etc… lots of issues. i love the 200ns for being a total VFM indian product . only wish it sustains the same way as it was new or how it was during the test ride.
1) do you know if Bajaj is working on 200ns to make it niggle free and fix its carb issues due to 3 spark plugs ?
2) do meet or ask few owners who has 200ns about feedback and problems faced so far, which could help the prospective buyers who are put off by the negative feedbacks through word of mouth.
pls enlighten us all more about the 200ns as a bike to vouch for in long term or not !
Thank you ,
you guys rock !! :)
Chaos
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Chaos, we haven’t had the Pulsar 200 NS for long and have been hearing mixed reports from owners about the reliability. The issue is not on all bikes and some people are complaining about vibrations. The bike you see in these pictures has done more than 5000 kms on the odo, the owner said he hasn’t faced any issue. Many owners do complain about the poor tyres.
Engine reliability of the 200 NS is unknown and when I am faced with this question about reliability, I admit its going to take time to gauge if the latest Pulsar is well engineered for the long term.
1) I am not aware but I am sure if Bajaj Auto has received several complaints, they must be working on it.
2) I have spoken to quite a few buyers, response has been mostly positive, as expectations are lower at this price point. However there are many niggling issues faced by people, specially vibrations. The bike we had tested was quite new and there were negligible vibes.
Chaos January 27, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Thank you fas for the prompt reply, appreciate it.
The price point is sure a premium of atleast 20K more than the nearest 150cc premium commuter bikes at 80K INR. so people do expect some peace of mind at this price point if not for more performance and kit.
I did have the bike for 4 days and rode around 300 kms. did have a few vibrations post 7000 rpm. mileage of 38 kmpl. Engine switches off during cold start rides and suddenly at times in signals. the tyres are pathetic to say the least, 70-0 kmph stops had the tyres squealing on tar roads. I have been recommending this bike to people around me so far and now am afraid to do so. a few thousand kms down the line, they might come back at me swearing ;)
Hope Bajaj hears about these problems and fixes them, do let us know if you contact bajaj or hear about any developments like FI for 200ns, revised version from march 2013 like how Mahindra is gonna do for XUV 500 silently.
Indian motoring scene looks interesting up ahead.
Chaos
Faisal Khan January 27, 2013 at 5:27 pm
Chaos, premium over a 150, yes but considering that level of performance, the only bike which comes close is the R15, which is around Rs. 30,000/- more expensive. Vibrations are inherent in Pulsars since day one but the 200 NS is still among the best yet, it will take Bajaj some more time to get it right with zero vibes. Probably FI will help them in this regard.
Amish January 27, 2013 at 6:39 pm
For me, nothing beats the sheer brutality and allroundness of KTM Duke 200, just wait & watch out how the upcoming Duke 390 would set benchmarks!
ramesh January 27, 2013 at 7:07 pm
Hi Faisal,
It is very nice to read this kind of reviews on your Website..
you did very good job..
very nice.. keep it up..
thanks
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Thanks Ramesh, I am glad you liked it and found it interesting ;-)
Maddy January 27, 2013 at 9:02 pm
Ninja 250cc is quarter liter king….looks,performance, by all means this bike is a bench mark….Ninja 250r my first love, specially the 2013 version….just killer….!!!!
But no doubt pulsar has shown what bikes are really meant for..Pulsar shows bikes are not made for only going from distance A to B.
Bajaj pulsar is so unreliable so problematic so common so popular so crazy performer…..anyone knows why every one dream about Pulsar…people heat..love whatever but once think about Pulsar…..it is nothing but THE PULSAR MANIA…
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Maddy, Ninja 250R is excellent but priced too high because its not locally manufactured in India.
Akash January 27, 2013 at 9:11 pm
For CBU product we pay more than DOUBLE…
Anyway a 500cc “HONDA” is the machine to live with. For 1 lac MORE rupees we will get nearly the double displacement of upcoming Ninja 300.
“Our Indian roads are terrains in most places”
I think I’ve read it at motorbeam itself. So Superbikes (1 liter class and more) are truly meant for tracks, not for our roads :) as every here saying, a bike with 400-650cc is MORE THAN ENOUGH… Just be happy.
I think, in march Duke 390 will launch.
What about Pulsar 375 Faisal ?? And ABS is must with this size of engine… Isn’t ? :)
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Akash, Pulsar 375 due by end of the year, it is likely to have ABS.
gokul January 27, 2013 at 9:33 pm
Why don’t you add classic 500 and apache and karizma r and karizma Zmr…..thunderbird tooo
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Gokul, we picked up the best performance bikes. The bikes you mention don’t really meet that criteria.
Avinash chitram January 30, 2013 at 9:16 pm
New version R15 is coming ?
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Avinash, no new version of R15 coming anytime soon.
Baljinder singh February 4, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Hi…. Faisal,
bro i am planning to buy 220 f in Feb last….. please can u tell me the on road price in punjab .?. and after how many kilometers run I can do some modification like changing filters…………….
Faisal Khan February 4, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Baljinder, why 220, why not 200 NS?
Baljinder singh February 4, 2013 at 12:29 pm
nt feel bettr wid looks…..but love 200 performance…..220 hav both so.
Faisal Khan February 4, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Baljinder, the 220 is no where close to the 200 in many aspects. Have you seen our comparison review?
Baljinder singh February 4, 2013 at 12:41 pm
Ya lots of diffrence in thr comparison……i took test drive on NS, its litle shotr in height to me…… i m 5.9inch,
Faisal Khan February 4, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Baljinder, 5.9 is not too tall for the 200 NS. I think you should get the 200 NS, the 220 is old and has poor dynamics.
Baljinder singh February 4, 2013 at 1:05 pm
K thanx bro…….i ll go for 200NS. i m crazy for bikes too, and gud luck for u to give bettr suggestns ahead also……..
Faisal Khan February 5, 2013 at 12:35 am
Baljinder, you are welcome. Do share your experience of the P200 NS.
Baljinder singh February 5, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Ya sure…i will try my best to share. waitn for NS to come…….
Avinash chitran February 4, 2013 at 3:09 pm
Faisal, R15 is better than CBR 150 ?
Faisal Khan February 4, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Avinash, for a solo rider yes.
Kedar February 1, 2013 at 1:19 pm
One silly question Faisal.
Why Bullet 500cc (Classic or TB) and Karizma ZMR excluded from this comparison. I think ZMR is more reliable than Pulsar 200 & 220.
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Kedar, the ZMR is not a performance bike, its slow and will easily be smoked by the slowest bike here. Also the ZMR is not a rounded package, it has quite a lot of flaws, therefore we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. We can say that confidently after having the bike for quite a long time.
Royal Enfield bikes are for cruising not for drag races.
Its quite weird to see people complain about why this bike was not in the comparo. Nobody appreciates whats there but only complains about whats not there. Doing a 7 bike comparo is no easy task and its sad that people are always running behind whats not there, rather than focusing on the things that are there.
Kedar February 1, 2013 at 3:19 pm
Faisal dont take it in wrong way. Thats why I said silly question and cleared my self.
I dont wanted to criticize this review. This is the best comparo and I can understand how dificult it is.
You did fantastic work buddy and it is well appreciated.
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 3:21 pm
Thanks buddy but I was not referring to you but generally what I have seen. On Facebook too, everyone is asking why no FZ, ZMR, etc.
Akash February 1, 2013 at 3:49 pm
IN BLACK COLOR NINJA LOOKS AN ORDINARY BIKE…..
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Akash, in green color, it looks weird to me. I feel red looks awesome on the new Ninja 250R.
Faisal Khan February 1, 2013 at 5:53 pm
Akash, no news on Pulsar 375 but expected end of the year. ABS is likely to be offered.
Akash February 1, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Thanx Faishal for the reply…
And one more thing, you can’t deny the fact that you’ve forgotten to add one more, most important sports bike in this review…. HYOSUNG GT250R… :D :P . . . . . Isn’t so… Or you knowingly removed in from the review due to unavailability or some other reason…..
Please also compare Hyosung GT250R, Kawasaki Ninja 250R and Honda CBR 250R….
And name the review as
- THE QUARTER LITER DASH
- QUARTER LITER GAMBLE
- WHICH 250 ??
- THE 250cc GAME
- THE QUARTER LITER GAME
etc…..
:P
Faisal Khan February 5, 2013 at 12:33 am
Akash, we did not include the GT250R for a reason, lack of popularity and high pricing.
Baljinder singh February 6, 2013 at 1:29 pm
Faisal, can u get me d price of both Ns nd 220 in punjab onroad….?
Faisal Khan February 6, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Baljinder, not sure of the price but the difference between them is around Rs. 5000/-.
Baljinder singh February 6, 2013 at 4:42 pm
k i got……its 96k for 220 nd 1.01 NS. Ns little costly to me
Avinash chitran February 6, 2013 at 4:24 pm
In mileage R15 or CBR 250 is better
Baljinder singh February 6, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Avinash, R15 will giv bettr mileage……..lots of diffrnce in thr power
Baljinder singh February 6, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Faisal, bro Wt needs to join motorbeam?
Akash February 7, 2013 at 6:47 pm
Faisal, I’ll TVS Phoenix 125 within a month or so :) and that will be my FIRST bike.
Akash February 7, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Faisal Bro…. Sales Figures…?????
Faisal Khan February 7, 2013 at 8:27 pm
Akash, Suraj is working on it.
Surya February 9, 2013 at 2:25 am
Karizma jet set go. I beat 200ns
SPITFIRE February 19, 2013 at 3:02 pm
@SURYA…… surely it does in the ADVERTISEMENT LOL :)
no chance infront of 200NS these are reasons why :-
1.23.5ps vs 17ps(zma)
2.POWER TO WEIGHT OF 200 NS IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF ZMA’S P 200NS’s POWER-TO-WEIGHT is 162 bhp per tonne, whereas ZMA’s 115 BHP PER TONNE.
3. P200 NS has close ratio six speed , whereas ZMA has conventional five speeders.
Akash February 9, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Reply faisal bro ???
pr@sun February 10, 2013 at 10:53 pm
Bro…Can u say how much R15 v2 differs from its prev version according to performance only..??? Any news about Yamaha R4 ..??
nahim ihza February 11, 2013 at 1:39 pm
@faisal when Pulsar 200NS go to Indonesia?
did the Pulsar 200NS will be added fuel injection? and which one? and as bosch as duke 200?
and it is true the sales will be handle by kawasaki as they do in Pilliphine?
SPITFIRE February 19, 2013 at 2:56 pm
the GREENIE MEANIE KAWI NINJA 250R is the BEST among these BY FARRRRR!!!!!!!
whereas the PULSAR 200 NS gives “THE MOST BANG FOR A BUCK”
SKS February 19, 2013 at 10:58 pm
Only an idiot will say that P220 is a performance bike (with that gruff engine & ever sagging chain & heavy un-flickable front end) & karizma not….What a foolish misconception.
SKS February 19, 2013 at 11:10 pm
What the hell is that P220 doing in this modern day comparo with all other machines having proper water cooled engines, 4 valve heads, 6-speed boxes & fuel injection. I’m amazed wih fan following of this good for nothing ugly looking (worst half fairing design in the world) bike from day one.
Faisal Khan February 20, 2013 at 12:17 am
Sks, P220 has its flaws but it was the first fast and affordable motorcycle in India (not considering the old Yamahas).
Adithya shashank February 23, 2013 at 8:29 am
Hey bros… Am planing to buy ninja 300r can u say good or not
Adithya shashank February 23, 2013 at 8:31 am
Ninja 300r is only ABS ??
Adithya shashank February 23, 2013 at 8:33 am
ninja 300r will be a gud compitetion in indian bike market?
Adithya shashank February 24, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Cbr 500r ill bee gud or ninja 300r.. I have seen dat ninja 300r as 39 bhp n cbr 500r as 40 bhp
bhaskar boora February 28, 2013 at 1:06 am
fazer or cbr150 me konsi best h faisal sir accordng to thier prices and performance,quality,power.
vaikunth March 3, 2013 at 8:05 am
Y hav u guys not included the beast (RTR-180)
Faisal Khan March 3, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Vaikunth, because its not as fast.
Reeto March 5, 2013 at 5:55 pm
The P220F DTSi is not just for “commuting in style” but also a good tourer. The P220 as well as CBR250R has the best stability in strong cross winds that we often encounters on an open highway.
Pranay March 17, 2013 at 8:09 pm
I appreciate you doing a 7 bike shootout. I understand it must be hard doing such an extensive testing on all these bikes. I just have one thing to say which I see has already been asked about in the comments but I wasn’t satisfied with the answer given there. My question is about the exclusion of the Karizma ZMR. I am a Karizma owner and hence I do have a few inputs to give. I am just going to compare it to 3 bikes here. The Pulsar 220, CBR 150 and R15. I have raced my bike with all 3 of these. As sporty as the R15 and the CBR look, they aren’t that fast at all. My bulky ZMR which out weighs them by about 20 kgs each is actually faster goin from 0-60. Even the pulsar 220 falls just short of the ZMR. ( I do have a K&N RC-1060 installed along with Iridium spark plugs ). NOw the pulsar does reach the 100 kmph mark faster, the R15 and the CBR still dont beat the ZMR even to that mark. They only manage to out pace it afte the 120 kmph mark which is 10 kmph short of the ZMR’s top speed. I know the ZMR stands no chance against the duke, ninja, 250r or even the 200NS ( which is actually quite cheaper) but I strongly believe it performs better than the R15 and CBR 150. AS this is more of a performance trial I wouldnt defend the ZMr much as it has different traits and it widely considered a sports-tourer than a racing machine. Sorry if you felt offended by my post, I dont mean to undermine your work at all. Do reply if there if you have anything to say.
Thanking you in advance. Have a nice day.
Faisal Khan March 17, 2013 at 10:03 pm
Pranay, you have answered your question yourself. The ZMR is more of a tourer than a racing machine and hence we did not include it in this test.
I have myself owned a ZMR and I am very well versed about the motorcycle, however it just did not make a fit for this comparison.
By the way, thanks for the appreciation ;-)
vicky March 28, 2013 at 12:59 am
hey faisal,
previously u had mentioned that if apache RTR 180 was included in this competition, it will lead r15 and cbr upto 80 to 90 kms and after that both will smoke RTR badly……can u plz explain why is that so…..and also let me know the pros and cons of apache RTR 180..
and my other doubt is , can pulsar 200ns surpass pulsar 220 in both acceleration and top speed? …
Faisal Khan March 28, 2013 at 10:54 am
Vicky, yes but then the Apache loses out post 80 km/hr. The 200 NS is faster than the 220 in every aspect.
vicky April 1, 2013 at 10:32 pm
faisal,
Some websites had mentioned that the top speed of pulsar 220 as 144 kph and for pulsar 200ns as 136 kph..Is that true? have you tested the top speeds of both the bike?
Baljinder April 1, 2013 at 11:41 pm
@Viky. the real topspeed of pulsar 220 f is 138 with GPS and 200Ns is 136……..Bajaj always had issue with speedo-meter error and still also with new models. 144km is a fake speed.
vicky April 4, 2013 at 11:11 am
Thanks buddy :) .After lot of confusions, finally got a pulsar 200ns (yellow).
pranshu April 5, 2013 at 11:53 am
hey i own a karizma r and my top speed was 140-142 km/h… can u help me xplore my r more as it wasnt in this competition. and let me know about these kinda drags. thanx faisal in advance.
Faisal Khan April 5, 2013 at 8:47 pm
Pranshu, Karizma R doesn’t accelerate as fast as other bikes here but the ZMA has its own charm of excellent cruising ability and proven mechanicals.
Pravin April 8, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Hi Pranshu, Can you tell me at what rpm did you reach the speed of 142!! I have owned a Karizma before.. and I dont think the bike can acheive anything close to the mark you have mentioned!!
Pravin April 8, 2013 at 10:10 pm
Karizma R does 100 at 6.2Krpm in the top gear.. the bike’s red line is 8K rpm beyond which it doesnt go.. infact touching the 8K on the top gear is itself questionable.. imagine even if you touch so much.. you would only be able to acheive 129kms/hr on the meter max… which is as good as some 125-126kms/hr genuine..
Velutha April 5, 2013 at 3:42 pm
Have to say, Excellent effort Motorbeam! Kudos
Faisal Khan April 5, 2013 at 8:45 pm
Thanks Velutha, glad you liked it.
Dr Sandeep Singh April 11, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Which is better ????
Yamaha f z 16 or TVS Apache 160 Beast ??
Faisal Khan April 12, 2013 at 12:19 am
Sandeep, Yamaha FZ.
abhishek jain April 12, 2013 at 6:22 pm
hey faisal..right now i am looking for an all rounder bike which provides good looks an mileage in 150cc segment bikes…i am not a race freek so ..which bike u wud suggest as a good options for mee to buy…waiting for ur earliest reply…coz planning to buy in a week …
Faisal Khan April 13, 2013 at 1:43 am
Abhishek, what mileage are you looking at? You should wait for Honda CB Trigger.
vicky April 15, 2013 at 12:30 am
hello faisal,
please solve my doubt..it would gain me alteast some knowledge..
my doubt is,
1. what exactly is BHP and TORQUE? how r they dependent?
2. does bhp relate acceleration and top speed?
Faisal Khan April 15, 2013 at 1:17 am
Vicky, BHP is the power figure (bigger deciding factor in top speed) and Torque is the bigger deciding factor in acceleration.
dev April 19, 2013 at 6:38 pm
Will 200 ns last long i owned 220 but it drained in 3 years
Faisal Khan April 20, 2013 at 12:14 am
Dev, only time will tell but doubtful.
Mathew George April 21, 2013 at 12:02 am
duke 200 or cbr 250r 2013…which i should buy….???
Faisal Khan April 21, 2013 at 1:26 am
Mathew, depends on your requirements.
ajay May 1, 2013 at 4:30 pm
ninja300 or i20
Akash May 1, 2013 at 6:34 pm
@ajay Honda Amaze :D
vicky May 13, 2013 at 1:18 pm
hello faisal..
pls let me know about the UG series in pulsar 150cc .. i read that pulsar had launched 4.5 UG …what does UG mean? and the 4.5 UG provides a peak power of 15.06 hp..so is that model of pulsar powerful in 150cc segment ? (excluding r15 and cbr 150r)….
A kind request—- can u plz give me the top speed of the following bikes tested with GPS?
1. bajaj pulsar 150 (pulsars that have 14.09 bhp)
2. bajaj pulsar UG 4.5 (pulsars that have 15.06 bhp)
3. yamaha fzs
4. yamaha fazer
5. suzuki gs 150r
6. honda cb unicorn
7. honda dazzler
8. cbz xtreme
9. hero hunk
10. apache rtr 160
Pls let me know the figures faisal…im crazy about bikes nowadays..sorry if i’m making you frustrated :(
Faisal Khan May 14, 2013 at 1:39 am
Vicky, we haven’t tested these bikes with GPS, but the top speed between them won’t vary much and should be between 115-125 km/hr.
UG means upgrade.
shajraz hariz May 21, 2013 at 5:14 pm
hello faisal,
bro i am in an confusion for getting a bike .i need a bike with premium looks , performence and enough milage .pls help me 4 a better decesion .my budget is 1-1.5 lacs.tell me wats ur oppinion about duke 200 .pls rply or sent to my email-shaju619 @gmail.com