Tarmac Duels

After realising that my writing styles correspond to that of an engineering textbook i did this piece which turned out to be my ticket to Overdrive

Sunday morning, cool breeze, lovely winding roads and two seasoned monsters to check out ……………. Sounds like Christmas to me. The Apache RTR and the Pulsar 200 are two wonderfully engineered bikes that are fun to ride. While these may have a popular fan following and amazing sales figures, it is time to find out which machine rules ground zero. It aint gonna be a straight pass for the Pulsar with just that macho stance, neither will it be a cakewalk for the Apache with a mere growl from that monster of an engine. These are going to go through a series of nerve tingling tests that will push them to the limits. Ready to burn some rubber?????????

Ride position, Handling, Braking and Suspensions (Basically the “Feel”)

The Apache is designed with sporty ride intent and the designers have got the bull’s eye. In case you are looking for that adrenaline charged, crouched stance that speaks of a fully equipped street fighter then the Apache is your dream come true. The short wheelbase, the upswept seats, the rear set footrests, the split handle bars are all engineered for the ergonomics of the street oriented race machine. The amazing aspect of this bike is its handling abilities. It is the kind of bike that can make you go around a seemingly impossible curve and will leave you with a smile that displays your oral health and your pants wet! Changing lanes through slow moving traffic, trickling down to the front of the signal is feast while you leave those cagers with their mercs at the back. The bad part is on long rides you tend to get bored of this position and the lower back grows numb. The pillion has to be a “close one” because she hardly has any space. The brakes are amazingly sharp and pulling off stoppies is a treat. The 270 mm petal discs respond neatly even at low speeds, the rear drum brakes are progressive without that sudden drop in speed which throws you forward. The suspension is suitably stiffened to bully every road undulation to submission.
Looks are deceptive my friend…. And true it is for the Pulsar. The Pulsar looks sporty and a chick magnet but it doesn’t “feel” that way. The Pulsar is this calm and composed bike that is positioned for comfort in both the city and the highway. The footrests are not exactly rear set. The longer wheel base and the wide 120mm tires give you a brilliant stability on the highway even with Innovas zooming inches away from you, you don’t get drifted off like a leaf in the tornado. It’s a stiff ride and pretty neat on the straights. Shifting through city traffic is a bit of a trouble and manoeuvering it through saki naka(You know what I mean) is a Herculean task. The braking is just about average and it is the least you can expect out of a 200 cc. It’s the kind of bike you use when you got to reach work in say an hour……………..but at the back of your mind you know you can finish that toast and leave in ten on that Apache.

Styling and build quality (Head turner or not)

The Pulsar is a total looker of the two bikes. The fit and finish on the Pulsar looks more detailed and the overall character of the bike closely relates to a macho, no nonsense type of look. Comparing the Pulsar to its younger sibling (the 150) it feels like the Pulsar has been for a session at the gym and the salon. The wider tires, the long wheel base, the bikini fairing etc give it a lot of street presence. It’s a definite head turner. The cast in place LCD cluster is a bit of a turn down; it is not as sporty looking as the Apache’s cluster. The aircraft styled tank lock looks slick. The split grab rails look neat but they are slightly low on the functional part; you can’t get your hand under them. The tail lamps are sexier than the ones one the Apache. The Pulsar showcases a roundish tank with a tank guard and co planar tank extensions. The Pulsar is also upgraded to a 3D logo embossed on the tank .The Apache is a short, stocky muscular kind of a bike. The lines and the curves display a lot of streamlined plastic work. The fairing holds a wide head lamp which is the most striking feature of the Apache. The fuel tank grooves in perfectly well with the rider’s knees very much unlike the Pulsar’s round tank profile. The tank also fashions funky design bits like the air scoops which are actually just tank shrouds and of course the GT Shelby styled stripes across the length of the bike. The split grab rails look slightly out of place and need some restyling. Aluminum footrests are a brilliant contrast to the bike’s overall dark background. The levers on the Apache look sporty compared to the black ones on the Pulsar.

Engine, Gearbox and Performance(The Soul)

Finally I get my eager hands on them and the match is a close one. The Apache yells performance from the end of its exhaust. The Apache’s engine is punchy and very responsive in the lower ends. It is combined with an excellent closed ratio gearbox which equalizes in excellent initial pick up and performance figures. The engine seems to respond to the rider’s will rather than the throttle (You see RTR in action). The engine is anything but smooth, but it’s not like a crude piece of machinery, it just has a lot of grunt. The vibrations are a bit of an issue on the long drives. Between 60 and 70 you begin to feel like you should have had a lighter breakfast. Surprisingly it evens itself out beyond 70. Now this is a close ratio gearbox which keeps the engine in a very achievable power band. The gearbox is derived from the 150 which has short powerful throws. The fourth and fifth gears seem to come in too quickly; they could have been spaced out a bit more. The fifth gear could have been designed slightly higher to extract top end performance as one tends to seek an upward shift while being slotted in the fifth already. To harness the ultimate performance of the Apache to need to push it to 90 in the fourth, relieve it to the fifth and pull it to 105. Now slam it back to the fourth as you watch the tacho read a 90 degrees angle until 108. Push it back to fifth to see yourself at 118 kmph…………..Nirvana!
The Pulsar’s engine corresponds to a smooth, refined piece of machinery. It’s only until you twist the throttle when you realize what a monster it holds on the inside. The Pulsars engine responds neatly when the tacho reads an obtuse angle. In a lower rpm there seems to be a lack of power and the left foot is kept busy in the city. It may not be an impressive start off but the long rides are fun on this. The vibes last for a short span between 75 and 80 kmph. Now at the heart the engine the air cooling system is chucked out of the window to be replaced by an oil cooled, efficient piece of casting for the block. The cogs are wide and evenly spaced. Throws come in a relaxed progressive succession which makes it difficult to keep the engine in the power band. But once beyond 4000 rpm the powerplant is tough one to beat. The Pulsar maxes out at 130 kmph. At the end of the as the saying goes ‘there is no displacement for displacement’. All in all it’s a decent performer.

Final Verdict

With such brilliant performers it is a tough to pick one winner. While the Pulsar may be the better looking of the two bikes, the Apache is the stunter’s dream come true. If handling and ride control are the strengths of the Apache, the Pulsar leaves the Apache light years behind on refinement and stability. The Apache being a performance oriented machine, it has slightly failed on the aesthetics and this has probably resulted in the differences in the sales figures for these two products. Akhir jo dikhta hai wohi bikta hai boss!!!!!! At the end of the day the question that haunts all of us has to be answered. Be it touts, mechanics, authorized dealers, owners themselves………. Average kitna hai??
The Apache churns a decent mileage of 45-50 kms to a liter. The Pulsar might just burn a hole in your pocket at the end of the month with an okayish mileage of 35-40 kmpl. Being priced at 56,000(ex showroom Mumbai) the Apache is a pretty viable option compared to the 200 at 68.8(ex showroom Mumbai). At the end of the day it strongly depends on you; what are you looking for in a bike?? A performance oriented machine or an all rounder? A comfortable riding posture or a fully equipped street fighter? Personally Apache is the winner cause how many of us actually take that long ride across cities to relish the ride. I think an exciting daily commute is more preferable to the perennially postponed long ride to solace.