Yamaha R15 V3 vs Bajaj Pulsar 200 RS, NS & 220F in a long race: Who wins [Video]

The third generation Yamaha R15 V3 is the most powerful iteration of the motorcycle and also the most technologically advanced. It’s selling like hot cakes, and giving a stiff challenge to bigger capacity motorcycles such as the Pulsar 200 NS, RS and 220F models. But how does the Yamaha R15 V3 match up when it comes to a long drag race with the Bajaj Pulsars. This video will show you just that.

The high revving Yamaha R15 V3 initially takes the lead, and stays ahead up to speeds of about 120 Kph. What this  also means is that the R15 will win most traffic light GPs, that usually last for less than a kilometer. As speeds  rise, aerodynamics take over and the sheer resistance caused by the wind is a factor that all four motorcycles  struggle against.

It’s in this situation that the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200, which has the maximum amount of power and torque, and also a  full fairing, comes up trumps. As the wind resistance forces the less powerful Yamaha R15 V3 to run up against a wall of sorts despite its full fairing, the bigger engined, and more powerful motorcycles including the Bajaj Pulsar 200  NS and 220F begin to gain. In fact, the Pulsar 200 NS, despite not having a fairing to protect the rider and
motorcycle from wind blast, and maximize aerodynamic potential, manages to run the Yamaha R15 V3 very close and a particular point noses ahead.

The Pulsar 220F shows that some wind protection and a brawny engine with bigger displacement is still enough to beat the aerodynamic, high revving Yamaha R15 over a longer stretch. However, the fact that the bigger engined bikes need a really long stretch of road to nose ahead of the Yamaha R15 V23 only indicates how quick the latter is despite its capacity and power output disadvantage. To sum it up, aerodynamics really matter at speeds of over 100 Kph, and even the most powerful engine will face formidable resistance from the wind, and this resistance will only get greater as speeds increase.

The Yamaha R15 V3 uses a 155cc four stroke, liquid cooled engine with a four valve-SOHC head, fuel injection and 19 Bhp-15 Nm outputs. A 6 speed manual gearbox is standard, and so is a slipper clutch. The Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 and RS 200 share the same engine – a 199cc single cylinder motor that has nearly the same configuration as the R15’s. 23.2 Bhp of peak power and 18.3 Nm of peak torque. A six speed manual gearbox is standard. The Bajaj Pulsar 220F is the most old school among these motorcycles, and uses a 220cc, air cooled motor with a 2 valve-SOHC head.

This motor makes 20.8 Bhp and 19.1 Nm. A five speed maual gearbox is standard. The Pulsar 220F is also the least priced of these four motorcycles, with a price tag of Rs. 98,695 for the non-ABS version and Rs. 1.05 lakhs for the single channel ABS version. The Pulsar 200 NS costs Rs. Rs. 1 lakh for the non-ABS model, and Rs. 1.12 lakhs for the single channel ABS model. The Pulsar RS 200 is pricier, and prices are pegged between Rs. 1.27 lakhs and Rs. 1.39 lakhs. The Yamaha R15 V3 matches the Pulsar RS 200 in terms of pricing.