Bajaj Pulsar 250 India Launch Soon; To Replace Pulsar 220F

The upcoming bike will be built on an all-new platform

• It will likely be the basis for the next-generation Pulsar lineup.
• Powered by an air-cooled 250cc engine with an oil cooler.
• It will likely be the most affordable quarter-litre bike to go on sale in India.

As per our sources, Bajaj is working on an all-new Pulsar platform and it will kick things off with the Bajaj Pulsar 250. Expect the Pune-based bikemaker to launch the motorcycle in the next couple of months, replacing the Bajaj Pulsar 220F. It is expected to be priced competitively and could even undercut its rivals, the Yamaha FZ25 and the Suzuki Gixxer 250.

The Bajaj Pulsar 250 will get an all-new design, new chassis, and even a brand new 250cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine with an oil cooler. Bajaj hasn’t gone the liquid-cooling route to keep the costs in check. The DTSi platform reached its threshold with the Bajaj Pulsar 220F’s engine, so Bajaj had to develop something from the ground up if it were to contend in the fast-growing 250cc segment. That’s how the new 250cc motor was born.

The engine will nestle inside what’s likely to be a combination of the perimeter frame in the Pulsar NS200 and the double-cradle layout found in the regular Pulsar 150 range. It will be suspended by a telescopic front fork and a monoshock at the rear, unlike the dated twin shock absorbers in the current Pulsar range. Of course, the bike will be equipped with disc brakes at both ends with ABS.

• Bajaj Pulsar NS200 BS6: Road Test Review
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• Pulsar 220F Gets New Colour Schemes For 2021

Bajaj will take a top-down approach with this motorcycle, so after the Pulsar 250, the rest of the smaller-engined bikes in the Pulsar family will be updated to their respective new-generation versions. However, going by the current trend, the 150cc segment is becoming expensive enough to get dangerously close to the 160cc segment. Hence, Bajaj may simply offer bikes in the 125cc, 160cc, and 200cc segments. 

That said, the future of the Bajaj Pulsar NS160 is uncertain. However, its siblings, the Bajaj Pulsar NS200 and RS 200, will likely stay in the market if there’s enough demand. Moreover, the two bikes already contribute a sizable chunk to the brand’s export business. Looks like the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and Apache RTR 200 4V will soon have potent contenders. What do you think?

Images used are for representation.