Edgar Heinrich is one name that is closely associated with Bajaj Auto Ltd. However, he is little known for the general consumer class. Edgar Heinrich will no longer speak for the second largest auto maker in India as he is shifting loyalties. He will soon be a part of the world famous brand – the BMW Motorrad.

He will replace David Robb and will look after the motorcycle division of the BMW AG. His job with the BMW will start from the first day of the second half of the current calendar year. The outgoing David Robb was associated with the company for as many as 18 long years. He was in charge of the operations of motorcycle design.

It was under him that the luxury auto company had first introduced the 4-valve boxer model. The R 1100 RT and the R 1100 RS are a couple of examples to talk of. Under his supervising of David Robb, the company successfully worked on off-road bikes K 1200 S and K 1200 R bikes.

Edgar Heinrich has his work cut out when he joins BMW, exactly five months from now. As a matter of fact, he is going back home. He was with BMW initially before he joined Bajaj. He worked with the company from 1986. His job profile was then of being a motorcycle designer. He worked under David Robb for a couple of years – from 2007 to 2009.

During this period, he was the head of the vehicle design. It was exactly in July 2009, that he joined Bajaj Auto. He has to oversee the brand strategy for the bikes manufactured by Bajaj. He also has the job of working with the same strategies for the newly developed four wheelers by Bajaj.

When after a gap of three years Edgar Heinrich goes back to BMW, it will be nothing less than a family reunion for him.

The Indian auto major Bajaj Auto launched their next generation model of the Pulsar model. The release comes on the occasion of the Pulsar completing 10 successful years in the market. Pulsar has been the backbone of the success that Bajaj has seen over the past ten years. No wonder, this is a great tribute to a great bike.

The bike was launched during a press conference at the Mumbai ITC Grand Central. It is least to say that Pulsar has created history not only for Bajaj Auto, but also for the Indian two wheeler industry. A lot of efforts were put when Bajaj launched the Pulsar model 10 years back. Pulsar has been to Bajaj what the Splendor proved to be for Hero Honda.

There is a lot of excitement about this bike amongst the fans of the auto major. Let us have a look at what the bike has to offer.

Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS Tech Specs And Details

The Pulsar 200 NS will be powered by the 200cc SOHC liquid cooled engine. The bike has been built with three spark plugs to give a better starting experience. The Pulsar 200 NS is the first two wheeler in the world to have integrated the Triple Spark Engine Technology.

This technology will put lesser load on the ignition system, on the battery and also on the fuel. The six speed gear box will help the bike give good performance due to all these reasons. The gas filled Nitrox suspension gives better riding comfort even on bumpy roads.

The bike can deliver a high power of 23 Bhp at 9500 rpm and can generate a top torque of 18.3 Nm at 8000 rpm. The kerb weight of the bike is 145 KG and comes with a fuel tank of 12 liters. The bike has got macho looks and looks ready to take on the world competition right on its head.

We had reported about Bajaj eyeing top sales for the current calendar year. As their strategy, they had expressed confidence of making it to the top with the help of new launches, which can take them at the numero uno position.

As Pulsar has always been the center stage for the success of Bajaj now, the Pulsar 200 NS has its job cut out. The bike will have to play a major role if Bajaj Auto is to be on the top of sales figures for the year.

Bajaj Auto is eyeing more sales for the current calendar year. The number two auto maker in India has their job cut out. They seriously want to be one of the top auto makers in the Indian sub-continent. The job, however, will not be easy. It will take a lot of planning and strategical marketing even for a seasoned campaigner like Bajaj.

But because Bajaj is a senior player in the auto game, they are capable of handling the task on hands. One of the most sure shot ways of increasing the consumer base and maintaining the higher position is to introduce newer bikes in the market. And that is exactly what Bajaj Auto has in their minds. It is like playing on the minds of the customers. The people who pay a visit to the Bajaj showrooms will get something new to see.

No wonder, buying a new bike of a newly introduced model is lot more exciting than owning a new bike of an old model. Mr. Rajiv Bajaj, who is the Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, gave the information about the new launches while speaking in an interview.

Now is the time to introduce you to the upcoming launches from the house of Bajaj. Among the new bikes to be introduced is the all new variant of the popular model Pulsar. Before end of the month, the first launch will have materialized. The new variant will be seen in mid-sports class. The Pulsar has given as much success to Bajaj as Splendor had given to Hero Honda.

So it is but natural for Bajaj to introduce the next generation Pulsar bikes before giving priority to any other model. However, there is another reason for the company to launch Pulsar first. Pulsar is celebrating 10 years in the market successfully and the launch is a part of dedicating the success to the most popular model for Bajaj.

Indeed, Pulsar has played a crucial role in the success of Bajaj. It is not only a success story in the Indian market, but Pulsar has had a warm response in the overseas markets too. Over the last ten years, the Pulsar brand has been an inseparable model for the auto maker.

The new Pulsar has been developed on an entirely new platform. It will be a new series for the bike in itself. Apart from that, Bajaj will launch another bike, probably in the middle of the year. It is expected that the bike we are talking about is the Discover series. A sea change is expected to be seen in the model.

Bajaj finally launched the much awaited KTM Duke 200 in the Indian market. This also happens to be the first and only official entry from the company in India so far. The Sportmotorcycle AG is known all over for its legendary achievements in the field of racing and also is the second largest brand in Europe.

To bring the bike on the roads, there will be near about 34 KTM outlets all over India. Apart from that there will also be the popular range of Accessories and Merchandise on sell. They are known as the KTM PowerParts and KTM PowerWear.

The price tag of the bike has been kept at a very competitive rate of Rs.1, 17,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The strong features of the bike are its plus points and are quite attractive enough to lure the potential customers to it. Now as we are talking about the features, let us have a look at some highlights of the bike.

Mr. Rajeev Bajaj, who is the MD of Bajaj Auto, spoke on the occasion of the bike launch. He said that the launch of the new bike was one step of the many that the company is planning to take. There is a lot more to come yet. He also said that the relations between the two companies are strong and looking to strengthen more and dominate the sports bike segment in the country.

Features of the KTM Duke 200

The KTM Duke 200 comes in liquid cooled single cylinder 4 stroke engine. It has the engine displacement of 199.5 cc. The bike can generate a top power 18.4 KW at 10,000 rpm while it can reach a high torque of 19.2 Nm at 8000 rpm. The bike comes with a powerful 6 gear transmission for better acceleration and pickup.

The bike has an 11-liter fuel tank. For better control while riding, the bike have the 17” alloy wheels 150 mm rear tyre and 110 mm front tyre. For the safety measure 230 mm rear and 300 mm front disc-brake.

The bike has a pure stainless steel silencer. The ground clearance is 165 mm while the seat height is 810 mm. At the time when the bike is ready to race, its weight is in the region of 126 KG.

It is one of the best bikes in its class and the trust of KTM coupled with Bajaj should make it a good buy.

The Bajaj Pulsar has proved to be a big hit for Bajaj – the second largest two wheeler manufacturer in India. The DTSi technology in the bike makes it a good fuel saving companion. There is the throttle actuated ignition-control system installed in the bike. There is also the digital (capacitor discharge ignition) CDI system integrated in the bike.

The presence of Bajaj Pulsar 180 in the market means that there will be a healthy fight between the Pulsar and the TVS Apache RTR 180. Both the bikes are in the same category and have a lot of exciting features to offer. Ultimately, it will all benefit the customers.

Now as we are speaking about the features of the bike, one of the very prominent is the ignition system. There is no kick start facility available in the Pulsar 180. This means in all the conditions the rider will have to rely solely on the self start function. For visual appearance of the bike, there are three colors, namely plasma blue, midnight black and cocktail wine red. The combination of black seat along with black alloy wheels with a blue fuel tank gives it a lethal look.

The Pulsar 180 falls in the commuter category. It has a top speed of 118 kmph. The fuel tank comes with 15 liter capacity. The Pulsar can give an average of 43 kmph in the city limits. But on the highways, it can reach almost 10 km more to touch 53 kmph. However, very long rides – from one city to another, can be troublesome at times and can give you a backache.

The bike that comes with a displacement of 178.6 cc has an air cooled engine. The bike can generate a top power of 17 Bhp at 8500 rpm and can reach a high torque of 14.2 Nm at 6500 rpm. The bike has a length of 2035 mm, has a width of 765 mm and height of 1115 mm. The total weight of the bike is 147 kg.

The Pulsar 180 has a wheelbase of 1345 mm. The 17” alloy wheels come in six spokes. The wheel size of the bike is 90/90 X 17″ – 120/80 X 17″ mm. However, the disappointing thing is that the Pulsar does not come in tubeless tyres. So the puncture of the bike happens to be a worrying factor.

The Pulsar 180 sports a telescopic 130 mm stroke for the front suspension. For the rear suspension there is the triple rated spring, 5 way adjustable with 101 mm travel nitrox shock absorber. The bike has 130 mm drum brake for the front wheel and 260 mm disc brake for the rear wheel. That is most certainly a reasonably designed braking system that is enough to secure your riding experience.

As most other Bajaj bikes, the Pulsar 180 also comes in a digital fuel gauge and speedometer. The presence of the step up seat along with the passenger footrest makes it comfortable for the pillion rider. The low fuel indicator and the low oil indicator remind the user at the appropriate time that keeps the bike in a healthy condition at all times. However, the low battery indicator is missing from the otherwise reasonable list of features.

Bajaj Pulsar 180 Price In India

Rs 74,200/- (ex-showroom Price, 2012)

Bajaj Pulsar 180 Tech Specs

ENGINE
 Type : 4-stroke, DTS-i, air cooled
 Displacement (cc)     :178.6cc
 Max. Power (Ps @ rpm)     :17.02 @ 8500
 Max. Torque (Nm @ rpm)    :14.22 @ 6500 
SUSPENSION
 Front :Telescopic 130mm Stroke
 Rear  :Triple rated spring 5 way adjustible
        with 101 mm travel Nitrox Shock Absorber
BRAKES
 Front : Disc, Dia. 260 mm
 Rear  :    Drum, Dia. 130 mm 
TYRE
 Front :Tubeless- 90 / 90 x 17″
 Rear  :Tubeless- 120.80 x 17″ 
FUEL TANK
 Total litres(reserve, usable) :15 liter full
 (3.2 liter reserve,2 litres usable) 
ELECTRICALS
 System : 12V Full DC
 Head lamp [Low High Beam-Watts]
 35/35W with 2 pilot lamps
DIMENSIONS
 Wheelbase :1345 mm
 Kerb Weight :147 kg

The upgradation of the Bajaj Pulsar 135LS is finally here after such a long duration. The Pulsar 135LS is the latest bike in the Pulsar range to have the speed lines. This upgrade was very much on the cards as it was in July 2010 that the Pulsar 135LS was upgraded.

The first variant from the Pulsar family to get the speed lines was the Pulsar 220. The speeds lines actually is a paint job that comes in dual colors along with some special effects. The presence of speed lines now has added a new and exciting feature in the range of Pulsar 135LS.

The Pulsar 135LS will now come with the fresh blue and black color scheme. Before this the Pulsar 135LS was available only in a couple of colors – red and black. However now, the Pulsar 135LS has got a facelift. The bike will now come in three schemes, which are as follows: blue and black, red and black and finally black.

That does not end the list of ‘colorful’ effects Bajaj has given to Pulsar 135LS. The engine of the bike has a golden hue finish color for the engine case. That looks damn attractive and is sure to become a certain attraction amongst the young bike lovers. However, there aren’t any changes in the engine or the chassis.

The clip on handle bar as well as the grab rail both has finished in all black color. It gives the bike lots of impressive looks. However, there is good news that will give more joy to Pulsar lovers than what has been described above. All the upgrades and the new looks will cost the same as before. Bajaj has taken the decision of not increasing the price and these features come absolutely free of cost.

There is no doubt that after all these upgrades and the same price tag the bike will be successful in attracting some extra customers. With these enhancements there is more beauty to the bike. without any doubt, the Pulsar 135LS is here to stay.

In the crowd of two wheeler brands in India, there will be an addition of yet another bike. The new addition will be that of the KTM Duke bike. The Austrian auto maker has joined hands with the Indian bike maker Bajaj. And both of them are ready to take the Indian two wheeler market by storm.

The bike to be launched is the KTM Duke 350. It is estimated that the bike will be brought into the market for a price tag of around Rs. 2 lakhs. The bike will show up during the next month’s Auto Expo at Delhi. The preparations and the market strategies for this brand in particular are almost finalized.

The reports doing the rounds are that the company will manufacture the KTM Duke 350 in India itself. However, there is no official word on it. These are just unconfirmed news reports as of now. Another bike – the KTM Duke 690 will be imported in India through the CKD channel.

Unconfirmed reports are saying that the KTM Duke 350 has been developed on the same lines as that of the KTM Duke 200. Therefore, the engine of the bike will be accessible anywhere in the world.

The company is planning from the grass root level to take on the big brands in India. First it was the KTM Duke 200. Now, the launch of KTM Duke 350 is in the offing. Once the company studies the response for the KTM Duke 350, they are planning to launch an even powerful bike – the KTM Duke 600, exclusively for the Indian market.

However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be many more launches by the company in the near future. The bikes those will be introduced later on in the Indian market will be the Super Duke and the RC8.

Bajaj plays an important role marketing the KTM bikes in India. They are trying to minimize the production cost of the bike as much as possible. That will spell a tough competition for other bikes like Yamaha R15 and the Honda CBR 250R.

Various auto expos are the breeding grounds for the upcoming new models for various auto companies. The growing popularities of the auto expos is another reason why many auto makers target such expositions. The upcoming Delhi Auto Expo 2012 will be no different. Enthusiasts are expecting new launches this time around as well.

The Indian auto major Bajaj Auto will be one of the prominent participants in the next season of the auto expo. Auto companies had literally made the auto expos the launching pad for their new brands. There are speculations that the company may introduce the KTM Duke 200 during the auto expo.

This superbike from Bajaj will make a good contest in the two wheeler segment in the country. There are already bikes like the Honda CBR 250R and the Yamaha R15 that have attracted a good chunk of followers. The bikes are literally dominating the market in the 200cc and 250cc segment.

KTM, the Austrian auto company has been working with the Indian company Bajaj Auto for some time now. With the help of Bajaj, the KTM has been instrumental in launching the KTM series bikes in the Indian market. As Bajaj is the second largest name after Hero, it should work in the favor of KTM.

According to the experts, the KTM bike will be able to deliver high power of 25 Bhp at 10,000 rpm while it will churn out a maximum torque of 19 Nm at 8,000 rpm. The engine of the bike has been integrated with aluminium. It will be propped up by the six-speed gear box.

At present, the bike that is waiting to be displayed at the expo is being test driven. The reports of the tests are extremely positive and the bike looks better and finer from all angles. The turning is even better as the suspension and weight of the bike help the rider get a better grip.

The bike can reach a top speed of 140 kmph. However, as and when you reach the 135 kmph mark, the fuel supply gets under control of the rev limiter.

It has been one full decade in the market for one of the best selling bikes for Bajaj – the Bajaj Pulsar. To be exact, the bike will complete ten years on November 24, 2011. It was on this day 10 years ago, that the number two, two wheeler company Bajaj Auto had launched this bike.

The company was specifically known for its scooters then. For that reason, it was hard to make people buy the Pulsar brand. Days were tough for Bajaj for another reason apart from their scooter identity. The reason was Hero Honda – the two companies – Hero and Honda were in partnership then.

Such was the influence of Hero Honda that it was an out of the way thing to buy a Bajaj motorcycle. Hero Honda certainly ruled the market and literally did not give any option to the customers. However, ten years on, owning a Bajaj bike has become a matter of passion. They have managed to carve a niche for themselves in the lucrative Indian market.

It was a brave attempt from Bajaj to challenge the monopoly of Hero Honda. It was a difficult transition period as the inclination towards having scooters was still prevalent in the Indian market. People were neither excited nor interested in owning bikes. Even if they were, Hero Honda was a force to reckon with. However, overtime scooters started to lose their charm and bikes started to take over.

The glamour of motorcycles took over the common Indian customers by storm. It did not take a long for them to go for bikes other than other any other two wheelers. Apart from the glamour, the fuel efficiency and the low maintenance cost made bikes an instant hit. Moreover, the introduction of Hero Honda’s CBZ – the 150cc bike added fuel to the fire.

The disc brakes were an exciting affair then. As people were used to 100cc bikes, the 150cc CBZ was certainly worth taking a note of. However, the Pulsar proved to be the best bike for Bajaj. It was designed by the German designer and motorcycle artist Glynn Kerr. It was a whopping investment of Rs. 1 billion and three full years.

However now, the company is reaping rich rewards of all the efforts put in designing and marketing the bike. Today, the Pulsar has become an identity of Baja Auto and it is the leader in the 150cc segment.

It is being guessed that the first month of the New Year may be a debut for the KTM Duke 200 for the two wheeler Indian market. Cross Industries AG, the company that comes from Austria will play a vital role in promoting the bikes in the Indian market. It will be indeed evident from the next month when the bikes are actually launched in the market.

However, as far as the issue of slashed prices is concerned, the talks doing the rounds of the media is that the prices of three KTM models will be brought down to compete with other bikes in the category like Honda CBR 250R and Yamaha R15. As we mentioned, it is yet not any official word from the company.

But there are figures that are made public already. It is expected that the rates may fall down from Rs. 1.25 lakhs to Rs. 1.35 lakhs. KTM Duke 200 bikes are to be sold through the Bajaj Probiking showrooms. That is why there will also be the KTM logos to be seen in the Bajaj showrooms nowadays.

As far as the KTM bikes are concerned, here is a small technical piece of information for you. The bike has a top power of 26 Bhp at 10,000 rpm while it can churn out a high torque of 20 Nm at 8000 rpm. It is not only the cut down in the prices, if the reports are to be believed, there are some cosmetic changes incorporated as well.

However, the cut down in the prices are not the only piece of rumors. Another round of rumors is that the KTM Duke is designed on the lines of Bajaj Pulsar 200 as far as the breaks and the switchgear are concerned. The launch of the KTM Duke bikes is the only way out to stop the rumors.

Currently, the Duke 200 bikes are being manufactured at the Bajaj’s Chakan plant near Pune.