Ceat Zoom X3 - Best Tyres For Bajaj Pulsar 220F

Ceat Zoom X3 - Best Tyres For Bajaj Pulsar 220F

The Indian motorcycle market has changed quite a bit in recent years with consumers transitioning from traditional commuters towards more premium motorcycles- motorcycles that not only offer comfort and the eagerly desired fuel efficiency figures, but also performance. Now apart from a potent engine, most of us tend to forget that tyres are an integral part of how a motorcycle performs. After all, it is the only contact between your bike and the road.

So we are here at a Go-Kart track with three different brands of tyres. We also have the Bajaj Pulsar 220F- one of the most popular premium motorcycles in India. And we will put the bike through a series of tests on this tight and demanding track to determine which of the three tyres the Pulsar 220F performs the best with.   

The Tests

So we started by testing the Pulsar 220F’s 0-60 time using its stock brand of tyres that we will be calling Brand A. To give you a brief, in this acceleration test, we started off from a standstill as we recorded the time taken to hit 60kmph. Then, we got onto the braking test. And to test the braking performance of Brand A as we went from 60kmph to a complete stop with the Pulsar 220F. And the Pulsar 220F stopped within 27.05m from 60-0kmph with the stock tyres. Lastly, we tested the stock tyres by doing three laps of the track and recording the best time out of those as our final parameter for testing.  

After having completed the tests on Tyre A, we made a quick switch and swapped those with tyres from Brand B. Yet again, we put the Pulsar 220 through the same tests as we did earlier. And having completed all three tests with Brand A and Brand B here’s how the Pulsar 220F fared with Brand A and Brand B tyres.

Switching tyres to Ceat Zoom X3

Well, it was time to swap rubbers again. And this time we shod the Pulsar 220F with Ceat’s Zoom X3 tyres that have been purpose-built for premium motorcycles. The brand also claims that that the Zoom X3 offers excellent control and stability at high speeds. To find out if that is true we tested the tyres using the same parameters of acceleration, braking, and lap times as we did earlier. 

Acceleration with Zoom X3 

After having done the 0-60 acceleration test using the Ceat Zoom X3, we compared it with the timings of the two other brands to see which one of tyres performed the best. And out of the three options, the Pulsar 220F performed the best with the Ceat Zoom X3 tyres. 

The ‘Zig Zag’ pattern of the central groove and the ‘Lateral grooves' on the Zoom X3 not only hold on to the tarmac and offers better traction as the Pulsar 220 jumps off the start, but also provides impressive stability in a straight line.

Braking with Zoom X3

With the acceleration test completed, we went on to see how the Pulsar 220F fitted with Ceat Zoom X3 tyres performed under hard braking. Again, the test was the same as done previously- three rounds of dropping the anchor at 60kmph to bring the bike to a dead stop.

Here too, the Ceat Zoom X3 performed better, if only slightly, compared to its rivals. As we found out in the 0-60kmph test earlier, the Zoom 3’s ‘Lateral Grooves’ offer a wide contact patch and credible traction that help it to hold on to the road even better. It inspired a sense of confidence when jamming the brakes. 

Moreover, thanks to the ‘Sipes in the tread pattern that dispel water and help in improving grip in wet conditions, hard braking didn’t seem like a scary affair at all.

Lap Time with Zoom X3 

Now for the most final and most crucial test. Here, we did three laps of the track and record each lap time just like we did with Brand A and Brand B. Along with the timings we also gauged the tyre’s performance like high-speed cornering grip and stability on sharp turns.  

After considering the best time of the three laps, here is how the different tyres fared. The Pulsar 220 shod with stock tyres did it in 36.74 seconds time while with tyres from Brand B, it managed a time of 37.02 seconds. However, with the Ceat tyres, the Pulsar 220 was nearly over two seconds faster.  

That said, the bike also feels much more confidence-inspiring leaning into corners with the Zoom X3 tyres. Even when braking and accelerating out of corners, the bike felt stable thanks to the enhanced grip. And this would translate to improved handling in real-world conditions.

Conclusion

So which one of the three tyres is the perfect option for the Pulsar 220? Well, the numbers speak for themselves. The Ceat Zoom X3 tyres not only performed better than the stock tyres and the other premium brand with faster timings, but it also enhanced the motorcycle’s handling substantially.

Moreover, Ceat is also offering better value for money and peace of mind with a 6-year warranty for these tyres. And as they say, it is great to have a fine motorcycle between your legs, but the right set of tyres changes the game. In this case, it is the Ceat Zoom X3.   

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi