As you may know, these two companies have a joint venture in India. Bajaj Motors has allowed the Austrian two-wheeler manufacturer to produce KTM bikes in Bajaj’s Chakan plant. In addition to that, it not only allows KTM but also allows Husqvarna bikes to manufacture there.
If you ask about the price difference between these two bikes, well, the KTM RC 200 commands a higher price. It carries a price tag of Rs 2.18 lakh, making it more expensive than the Pulsar RS 200’s price tag of Rs 1.72 lakh. All are ex-showroom figures.
Apart from that, both bikes have an impressive list of offerings, be it technical or mechanical.
So, let’s see how the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 goes up against the KTM RC 200 in terms of features and specifications.
Specifications
Before jumping to the main bit, many people tend to think that some Bajaj bikes have the same components or engine, for that matter, as the KTM bikes. But, it’s not like that. Yes, some components are shared between their products but not the whole engine, as a result, they have a different state of tune.
The Austrian two-wheeler manufacturer built the KTM RC 200 by using the powder-coated steel trellis frame to give better durability as it prevents the bike from rusting or having any foreign deposits. On the other hand, the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 is structured on a pressed steel perimeter beam section frame. Both are lightweight in nature, plus, they both are robust as well as agile.
The kerb weight of the Pulsar RS 200 is 166kg, making it 6kgs lighter than the KTM RC 200’s 172kg of kerb weight.
Check out the Pulsar RS 200 price here.
Now, as far as the figures are concerned, the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 is powered by a 199.5cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, which is tuned to churn out 24.1 bhp at 9750 rpm and 18.7 Nm of peak torque at 8000 rpm. Similarly, the KTM RC 200’s trellis frame supports a 199.5cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, which is tuned to pump out 24.6 bhp at 10,000 rpm and 19.2 Nm of peak torque at 8000 rpm.
Both bikes make themselves move by drawing power via a standard six-speed manual transmission.
Weighing the engine outputs of these two bikes, the KTM bike offers more power than the Pulsar RS 200. However, if you ask about a few seconds of acceleration thing, the Pulsar RS 200 will have an edge, as it is relatively lighter than the KTM. But, overall, the KTM RC 200 offers a better performance.
If you are a hardcore performance-oriented buyer, you should pick the KTM offering from this comparison. Check out the RC 200 price here on the autoX website.
In terms of fuel efficiency, both the locally-produced two-wheelers have more or less the same figures. As per the feedback from the owners, the Pulsar RS 200 returns a real-world mileage of 37 km/l, while the KTM RC 200 returns a mileage of 35 km. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the real-world mileage figures can still vary with the local traffic conditions, engine and transmission combination and individuals’ riding styles. However, there is hardly any difference in their mileage figures.
Brakes and Suspension Setups
The engineers of these two bikes adopted the performance approach as well as the urban riding approach. That said, you can experience comfortable plus performance-oriented rideability. As for the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200, it stands on a telescopic with anti-friction brush suspension at the front and nitrox monoshock absorber with canister suspension at the rear. Given the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200’s price, it has an impressive suspension setup.
On the contrary, the KTM RC 200 has Apex upside-down forks at the front and WP Apex monoshock suspension at the rear.
You may have got an idea that both bikes are equipped with an impressive suspension setup. They can sail through the bumps from potholes as well as undulations with ease. Apart from that, the presence of two added benefits make these two bikes safer: the dual-channel ABS and dual disc brakes.
The presence of dual-channel ABS offers more grip, due to which the stability increases, even around the corners. In addition, it keeps the bike stable on wet roads as well. Moreover, the braking duties are taken care of by dual disc brakes. Given the suspension and brake setups, these two bikes will decrease the chances of mishaps, such as skidding or making a stoppie during emergency brakings.
Moreover, the size of the rear disc brake on these two bikes is the same, rated at 230mm, while the front disc brake has different sizes. The Pulsar RS 200’s front disc brake size is rated at 300mm, while the RC 200’s front disc brake size is rated at 320mm. Both the locally-produced bikes run on 17-inch alloy rims.
Features
There are not many exclusive features on these two bikes, as they share the majority of the new-age features. The Pulsar RS 200’s exclusive features include an analogue tachometer (RPM reading), projector headlight and split grab rails.
In parallel, the KTM RC 200’s exclusive features include a fully adjustable handlebar, LED headlights and a digital tachometer.
The common offerings, however, include a digital instrument cluster, a digital fuel gauge, a side stand alarm, a low fuel indicator, a low oil indicator, and a low battery indicator. Further, both have a digital clock, a gear shift light, a pass light, an electric start-type, and a killswitch.
As for exterior lighting, both are equipped with automatic headlights, LED DRLs, LED brake and tail lamps and LED indicators.
Prices and Variants
Both bikes are offered in one variant only, the standard (STD). The KTM RC 200 price is Rs 2.17 lakh, while the Bajaj Pulsar RS 200 is priced at Rs 1.72 lakh.
All are ex-showroom prices in Delhi, as of July 2023. Please note that these prices are subject to change without any prior notice to the customer. You can, however, visit the autoX website to access the latest location-based price list for your dream vehicle. For more, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. So, stay tuned!
Read more: TVS Jupiter Vs Honda Activa 6G: Find The Comparison
