Two-wheeler is another thriving sector of the Indian auto industry. The best thing about the two-wheelers are- in a jam-packed road you can easily move with it, it is easy to park for its small size and comes in different price range meaning, there is something for everyone. Currently,700,000 bikes are sold per month in India. Honda, which started its joint venture with Hero group India in 1984, became the market leader in India and one of the top two-wheeler manufacturers of the world. Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda and TVS Motor are the top three two-wheeler producers of the country and they will also attend the 10th Indian Auto Expo.
Though Indian economy felt the tremors of the economic recession, it successfully came out of it. Thanks to government’s stimulus package, reduction in “excise duty on small cars,” the growing appetite for cars among people did not die out. Rural India also played a big role. Many people in villages bought cars and motorcycles and the Indian automakers took full advantage of this opportunity. However, there was a bump when drought hit Northern India. In 20009, passenger cars lead the sales with a staggering 1,33,687 units in November. This is a 61% increase compared to the 83,121 sales of 2008. In 2009, Maruti, the top passenger car maker of India produced 75,000 cars per month followed by Hyundai with more than 40,000 units.
On June 23, 2009, Bajaj Auto Ltd., the second largest two-wheeler maker of India, released a new version of its popular Pulsar DTSi model. The new Pulsar 220 DTSi has been termed as the fastest motorcycle ever produced commercially in India.
Till date, the 220cc was only available in the DTS-Fi category and it was quite expensive. Now, with the advent of the 220 DTSi, motorcycle enthusiasts will be able to taste high performance at a comparatively lower price. The new Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi will be produced at the Chakan manufacturing facility of Bajaj near Pune in Maharashtra. Bajaj Autos hopes to sell about 1,000 units per month. The new Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi will compete with Yamaha FZ16 and Yamaha R15.
Though cumulative sales is down in the last two months, Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Autos, hopes to achieve a sales figure of 1,75,000-200,000 units per month for the remaining months of the current fiscal year. He hopes that this would be achieved by introducing innovative new models in the market. The company is looking forward to capture one-third of the super sports bike market. Though Bajaj Pulsar is one of the most popular bikes in the “Performance Bike” segment the existing Bajaj Service Centers lacks necessary capabilities to handle these bikes.
The company organized a press conference to launch its new bike. In the press conference, it also unveiled its second generation DTS-Si engine system that comes with five new innovations. On July 18, 2009, the company will launch another bike in the 125cc- 135cc category featuring its second generation DTS-Si engine technology. Another model will be launched by the end of 2009. S. Sridhar, CEO, Bajaj Auto, said that his company had been continuously evolving the Pulsar range to provide top quality products to its customers. Mr. Sridhar said that the 2009 edition Pulsar raised the performance bar by becoming the fastest bike in India. Famous website Zig Wheels team of reviewers and test riders conducted road test at the Bajaj Auto’s test track in Chakan and around the roads of Pune and they found out that the bike is in fact the fastest bike in India.
Design & devices :
As usual, the new bike features sporty design. It is a heavy bike, a macho style bike and the fastest bike in its category. If you love the raw power and thrill of the ride then this is ideal bike for you. Here is a list of upgraded devices on the bike:
Carbon fibre diffuser.
A 32mm venturi carburetor, the biggest ever used in India.
The intake port in the cylinder head of the new Bajaj 220 Pulsar DTSi has been modified with higher lift and duration cam.
The Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi features temperature based ignition mapping which gives the bike a good “startability” and high torque.
Front suspension: 37 mm inner diameter 130mm telescopic forks.
Rear suspension: Hydraulic, Gas-filled.
Front brakes: 260 mm disc brakes.
Rear brakes: 230 mm disc brakes.
Front tyre: 90/90X17 Tubeless
Rear tyre: 120/80X17 Tubeless
Electricals:
Battery: 12 V 9 Ah, Maintenance free.
Instrumentation: Digital speedometer, Analog tachometer, Digital fuel gauge,
Tell-tale lights.
Price:
The new Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi features carburetion system instead of fuel-injection which brought down its price cap. The 220 Pulsar is priced at Rs.70,000 which is 10,000 less than the Bajaj Pulsar 220cc DTS-Fi model. You will also receive a standard two year warranty upto first 10,000 km.If you want to know about the peformance of the new Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi, then visit the following address:
