With upgrades for the chassis and electronics along with a killer price tag, the Bajaj Pulsar N250 shows more promise than ever before.
Story: Joshua Varghese
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Following its launch in October 2021, the Bajaj Pulsar N250 has received its first major update. The USD fork is the most crucial upgrade in the chassis department but the motorcycle also gets wider tyres (140/70-17 rear and 110/70-17 front) and petal disc brakes. The outgoing N250 was a simple motorcycle but this model gets new electronics as well, namely traction control and ABS modes. To check how all of that came together to enrich the riding experience, we spent some time with the new N.
It would have looked identical to the model it replaces if the graphics had not been updated and it gets new colour options too. The red and white paint schemes get a golden USD fork while an all-black approach has been adopted for the black colour. The riding position has not changed one bit and that is a good thing because this N was among the most comfortable 250s in the market. Similarly, nothing has been done to the engine either. The 249-cc, air-cooled (with oil-cooler), two-valve, single-cylinder unit continues to develop 24.5 hp at 8,750 rpm and a peak torque of 21.5 Nm at 6,500 rpm. Would have been great if they had added a sixth gear too but it continues to be offered with a five-speed transmission. No complaints though.
The console is new and offers more functions than before, the first of which is smartphone connectivity. Pressure from the competition and consumers have forced Bajaj to equip this Pulsar with simple turn-by-turn navigation and a dedicated smartphone app. The reverse-LCD offers good levels of visibility but the clear plastic on top of it limits the view due to reflections. Traction control was not something this motorcycle needed and even now, its effects are rarely felt. In fact, the only time it makes its presence felt is on surfaces that have poor traction. Otherwise, it just exists in the background and can be switched off entirely only in the ‘Off-road’ ABS mode.
While most of the switchgear remains the same, the left side gets a new button for the ABS modes. A quick double-tap allows one to toggle between Road, Rain and Off-road. Thanks to an exceptionally hot summer, Rain mode was left unchecked but the dual-channel system works well for city riding. In Off-road mode, one may expect the ABS at the rear to be disconnected but that is not the case, it is always a dual-channel system and cannot be switched off completely at either wheel. However, it is calibrated to allow the wheels to lock up and slide for a bit longer than Road mode before intervening.
After riding the N250 around for a while, my first thoughts were that this is what this motorcycle should have always been. The addition of the USD fork and the wider tyres have made some minor changes to the wheelbase and seat height but the biggest difference is in handling. Under hard braking, this N is incredibly stable, allowing one to apply more pressure at the lever with higher levels of confidence than before. While we cannot say for sure that it reduces the braking time and distance, we can guarantee that one will find it easier to decelerate on this version. Similar levels of composure from the front end also makes faster cornering more effortless than before. The front does not twitch at corner entry even if the input is not the smoothest and the improved levels of feedback only add to the experience. At low speeds, one may find the previous generation a bit easier to steer quickly but the difference is not enough to be significant.
Owners of the older generation motorcycles may believe that they can swap out a few parts to bring their machines to this specification but it is not going to be worth the trouble or money because Bajaj have launched the new model at an extremely aggressive price. At Rs 1.51 lakh (ex-showroom), it is not even Rs 1,000 more expensive than the model it replaces which allows this significantly updated motorcycle to remain one of the most value-for-money 250-cc, air-cooled motorcycles in the market. If the N250 was launched with the USD fork initially, would have been amazing but considering that they updated the NS200 with a USD fork one year ago, I feel they have sat on this upgrade for too long a time. Of course, it is never too late to improve anything but Bajaj have the launch of the NS400 lined up in the first week of May. We hope that comes equipped with a full arsenal.
Watch the video review here:
Also Read: Kawasaki Ninja 500 Review
Leave a Reply