Which one outscores - Bajaj Pulsar 220 or Yamaha FZ16?

A comparative evaluation between the two big brothers of the Indian bike market

It could be tough fight for you as you go to choose two well-known brands of the bikes; you are in a conflicting mind. You seem to have landed at a place with 2 machines on either side - Bajaj Pulsar 220cc or Yamaha FZ16.

With two big names in the league, obviously, it is a difficult call to make - Bajaj or Yamaha. One cannot dispute the fact that India is one of the connoisseurs of great machines lately. Bajaj Pulsar kind of actually initiated the street fighter concept on the Indian roads through this line of bikes. But Yamaha with its FZ 16 gave a new meaning rather a new avatar to the street fighter terminology.



In fact, with the FZ series Yamaha transcended a sea of change to the face of bikes in India and people were just swayed away by this Lord of Streets.

The bike lovers have great regard for this new hot machine. India's very own brand naturally could not sit with folded hands and had to come out with something really extraordinary and this burning competition/desire gave birth to the fastest bike on the Indian roads the Bajaj Pulsar 220.

The Yamaha FZ16 is no match to Pulsar in terms of power, still this handsome jerk can jolt and trouble you and throw you into a dilemma. Such is the beauty this beast has.



The two big guys are a treat and kind of an evil temptation for many bike lovers, so natural that one could imagine their plight if they are given to choose between the two. To make the decision a little easier, here is a quick review of the two bikes.

Looks and styling
Pulsar 220cc comes with no fairing and all-black theme that rather appeals to every bike lover as a leaner and a meaner machine. The 6-spoked alloy wheels and the exposed chain and body panels, 3D graphics and reworked console just woo the bike lovers.

When you are looking for the street fighter looks the main criteria of course should be solid body, huge tyres and a suspension. It is, basically the bike should portray an evil macho (truly bad boy types) look. And on this account Yamaha FZ 16 definitely outscores not only Pulsar 220 but rather any other bike in India.

The build quality of FZ is way too better than Pulsar - the huge muscular elevated fuel tank and big fender and broad rear tyreswill hardly help you from keeping your eyes off of this sizzler. There is nothing that the Bajaj Pulsar 220cc could do and beat the FZ beast in this regard.



Engine performance and torque
The Bajaj Pulsar 220 generates power of 21.04 PS and there is enough torque to help you cruise along curvaceous roads. The new piston enhances the engine performance, ignition is powered by large air-cooler system and the improvised combustion chamber serves maximum combustion. The re-invented ignition supports faster start, warm up and thus improves the torque of the bike too.

Yamaha FZ16 boasts of 156cc engine that gives a maximum torque of 13.6Nm at 6000rpm. The bike is a perfect treat for urban roads and the traffic. The low center of gravity coupled with higher torque at low rpm enables the bike to get the label of a perfect vehicle to zoom away even in the city traffic.

The bikes cannot be compared in terms of engine performance as both fall in different bike segments, Pulsar >200cc category and the Yamaha FZ16 150cc bike category. Bajaj obviously stands taller, as the engine capacity is greater pushing behind the Yamaha in this regard.

Handling and comfort
But the FZ16 has better chassis and suspension combination as compared to the Bajaj Pulsar 220. The front forks of the Yamaha are quite monstrous and stand out among all Indian bikes with a 41mm size, and they perform as awesome as they appear.

The beefy swing arm with the monoshock will beat the dust and give good ride feeling. Braking of the Yamaha is far more decent than the Pulsar (known for hard braking). As regards the ride quality Yamaha FZ16 outscores the P220 across different road conditions and terrains. The bigger rear tyre gives amazing ride comfort which sets it apart from the Pulsar.

Although the acceleration during the start off is not the best with the Yamaha FZ16 it is just enough to support the front lever to race away. The wide handle bar and the real wide tyres give an amazing grip and thus riding this bike is simply blissful but the bike needs momentum for the rider to get a feel of its performance rather the bike's performance largely depends on its suspension. The Bajaj Pulsar 220 is a little disappointing when it comes to handling, as the start is pretty lazy and maintaining constant throttle is not any great.

Besides the Yamaha is lighter bike that can be handled better in city traffic, and Pulsar series bikes are known to be heavy handlers, however, the project lights in P220 outscore the Yamaha's. As regards value for money, Pulsar 220cc outscores as the on road price will be about Rs. 80k while the Yamaha FZ16 comes with a price tag of Rs. 75k.

So for a little extra price the Pulsar gives you more powerful engine, good headlights and a bigger bike overall.

Mileage
The Bajaj 220 gives a top-speed of 140 kmph, which makes it actually the fastest bike in the country and Yamaha FZ 16 gives a maximum speed of 111 kmph. The FZ 16 will give a mileage of 40 kmpl in the city and on highways it gives around 54 kmpl. Whereas, Bajaj Pulsar 220 around 38 kmpl in the city and 42 kmpl on the highways. If you are a budget rider and look for a mileage bike, then Yamaha FZ16 will please you.

Color choice
Yamaha FZ16 is available in red, orange and black and the Bajaj Pulsar 220cc comes in Blue, Red, Black and Grey.