In recent news, we reported that a new Bajaj off-road focused motorcycle is likely to be in development. The bike that was reported earlier is likely to be based on Bajaj’s 375cc Dominar motorcycle and now according to a media report, there are speculations that a smaller 250cc off-roader similar to Hero’s Xpulse 200 is likely to be introduced in the Indian market. The motorcycle is likely to retain the Pulsar tag along with the ‘AS’ suffix which is used to denote ‘Adventure Sports’.
The new adventure motorcycle will feature a long travel suspension on the front and rear as well as 19-inch front rims made of light alloy wheels shod with dual-purpose tyres. The motorcycle is expected to come in with a semi-fairing design with a high mounted visor, LED headlights, LED taillights, ergonomically designed long seat, straight wide handlebar, fully digital instrument console and ABS.
The motorcycle is expected to be powered by a 250cc motor borrowed from the KTM 250 Duke. The engine specification for the 250 Duke in India is as follows:-
- 248.8cc, single-cylinder, 4-valve, DOHC engine with liquid-cooling which can belt out 30 HP of power and 24 Nm of torque coupled to a 6-speed constant mesh gearbox with slipper assist clutch. The fuel delivery system on this motorcycle is via an electronic fuel injection system with a 38mm throttle body and Bosch engine management system.
The chassis on the KTM 250 Duke is a steel trellis frame with 43mm WP upside-down suspension on the front and an adjustable monoshock on the rear. The braking duties are performed by a single 300mm disc with a 4-piston radially mounted hydraulically operated calliper on the front and a 230mm rear disc with a disengageable ABS system. The motorcycle weighs 146kg (kerb) and has a seat height of 830mm.
The engine and equipment will see some tweaking to enable easy off-roading and will most likely come with conventional forks and a SOHC engine, which may slightly have lower performance, but will keep the price in check. The adventure bike, when launched, will rival the Hero XPulse 200 and the XPulse 200T. The power on the bike is expected to be much higher than the competition and will be priced slightly higher than the competition for obvious reasons.