Bajaj Pulsar N250 Review - Finally, a better deal?
The Bajaj N250 is currently the biggest capacity and most powerful naked Pulsar motorcycle that Bajaj have out in the country. It also offers good value for money considering that Bajaj are asking you to shell out 1.51 lakh for one of them. But it does come with some shortcomings my way of features that this bike has to offer. But now, the year is 2024 and the company say that they have finally addressed thee shortcomings. So today, we're going to find out if that holds true.
On the visual front, the bike pretty much remains the same as before, just that you get new decals across the body panels and you can't miss the golden USD fork which adds a bit of mass up front.
Previously, a lot of people thought that the N250 looked like the lower displacement N160 model, with a short end can. And they wouldn't be wrong because the pair have the same face and body panels. So not a lot to visually separate the pair and more importantly not a lot to show off that you're riding the more powerful, higher displacement model. So you could see the new USD fork and the decals as Bajaj's way of addressing that particular issue.
Another area that Bajaj have addressed is the list of features that this bike was always found to be lacking. While the N250's LCD display might look like it was borrowed right of the updated N160, this one comes with turn-by-turn navigation in addition to Bluetooth connectivity. There's also switchable traction control and three ABS modes – road, rain and off-road – which alter the levels of the ride aid intervention, and can be switched on the go.
Moving on to the engine and performance aspects, Bajaj haven't made any changes to the existing setup. Which is something that not all will see as a good thing.
Engine & Performance
The 249cc single-cylinder engine makes the same amount of power and torque as before and comes mated to the same five-speed gearbox. So you still get 24.5PS of max power and 21.5Nm of torque on tap. It's smooth and refined and throws a decent punch, but it isn't as peppy as something like the 250 duke, but it will keep you entertained in the city. The motor throws a decent mid- and top-end punch, but it still feels like it's lacking something. That exciting feeing. Because when you think Pulsar, you think performance, and this is the most powerful Pulsar to date, but it feels like it's somehow been toned down. And a little soft. A little too comfortable. Not like any teeth clenched Pulsars of the past. But that's just if you're looking to ride hard and fast, if you're going at it easy, you won't find the brake bite too soft or any problem on the performance front because the bike feels tame and tractable too. So the TC system, do you really need it on there, the answer is no. But it's a safety feature at the end of the day so there'll be some riders that will find it helpful. With the way the suspension is tuned, this still is most comfortable Pulsar you can get your hands on. The riding position makes things very comfortable for city riding. Not too committed or sporty and not too laid back as well. Long stints on the saddle shouldn't be a real task. The new front suspension makes the bike feel nice and light which is great for flicking through traffic in city. An altered caster angle and the new fork up front make this bikes handlebar feel exceptionally light allowing you to snake past slow or standstill traffic with ease. It's just that when you pick up the pace that you will feel the front judder a bit which can be annoying on long highway stints, and that's a bit odd actually, because otherwise the front end feedback is good through corners, and you can or correct your line through a corner, at a decent speed clip, quite well with the slightly broader section rear tyre. So overall, has Bajaj managed to make the Pulsar N250 more appealing than before? For sure they have. It looks slightly better and you certainly get a lot more bang for your buck in terms of features. It's definitely an improvement, but for some reason, according to me, it's not quite what you would expect from a bike that brandishes the Pulsar badge. The updated Pulsar N250 will set you back by Rs 1.51 lakh, which makes it around Rs 1,500 more than the earlier model. And that's not a lot really considering what all Bajaj have thrown onto the bike like the Bluetooth connectivity for the dash, the ABS ride modes and traction control. It does make this bike feel like a more complete package. So, Bajaj have in fact held true to their word in a sense. So if you're in the market looking out for a quarter-litre motorcycle that's not too sporty, with a decent amount of power, is very comfortable and good to manage in the city, this bike makes a sensible choice.