Hello Friends,
I have been Using my pulsar (180 DTSi) for about a year now and have done a modest 18000KM on it. I thought it is right time to present my views on the bike and let me tell you in the beginning most of it is positive!
Before buying my vehicle, I visited this site to see the reviews of the Vehicle and decided to for it for following reasons.
Power (around 17bhp)
Stylish Looks (Alloyweels and the frond head lamp styiling mad a huge difference)
Comfort (Nitrox Shocks is a real winner)
Gear Shift Mechanism (1 Down, 4 Up)
Ready Availability (At that point of time, Unicorn had wait time)
And above all, I wanted to try something which is developed by us (Indians). I heard that the DTSi was a brain child of a engeering student - But not sure about it -so if anyone knows the exact story do let me know.
Plus Points
1. Control :
Handling: The Vehicle is compact and the heavy handle weight will give you excellent Balance. I veer across traffic with confidence
Braking: The Disc breaks work like a treat.
2. Mileage: Irrespective of how roughly I handle the Vehicle - I get a minimum of 49 KMPL. If drive at recommended speeds (economy) I get 55-60KMPL depending on City/High-Way
I have seen comments from people about Pulsars Mileage being low. Mileage and Power as we know are inversly proportional. Keeping that thing mind, if we are getting 55-60KMPL for a 17 BHP engine, it’s a treat.
My earlier bike was a suzuki Samurai. I know we should not compare a two stroke engine to a four stroke one but just to give you a feel
Suzuki Samurai - 8.5 BHP - 60-65 KMPL
Pulsar 180 DTSi - 16.8 BHP - 55-60 KMPL
- driving in ideal conditions
We are almost getting double the power with the mileage difference being negligible
I don’t know about other bikes as I have not driven them, otherwise I would have presented a comparision chart.
3. Maintenance: I know that 18000KM is not much, but till now I only had to regular servicing no other issues.
4. Comfort: I have read some reviews which state that Pulsar is not very convinient for long drives which I totally disagree. I have done many long trips (aroud 250KM in a day) - and I have never felt any discomfort.
The ENgine itself is very Calm and you will hardly ever notice any engnine strain even on steep asscents.
Minus Points
1. HeadLight The Headlight is not as powerful as it should be. On top of it because the head light assembly is positioned lower, even if you are on High-Beam - You will not be able to see for longer distance.
For City Riding, the existing set-up is sufficient. But on High-Ways when you are doing around 80-90 (which I regularly have to do as part of my work), the more you see the better it is.
The Wattage is 35/35W which is low.
2. Side Stand Light: There is a assembly with a magnet which sits on top of the Side Stand. The Magnet drops off (on a very regular basis). Though this is very cosmetic still it is a PIA.
3. Ground Clearence: This a bit low, Especially on our Roads where there is no standard specification for a ’’Spead Breaker’’... The Ground Clearnce should atleast be a cuople of centimeters more. I have had numerous thumps on ugly spead breakers.
4. After Service: This more of a Bajaj’s issue rather than the Bike. The only reason I still go to the Dealer is for Warranty. The After Service is pathetic. The Mechanics are either morons are not really interested in hearing the customer’s problem.
For Example:
After My First free Service, I noticed this vibration problem. I could feel lot of vibration in my foot. I had visited the dealer around 3-4 times but they simply said it is normal. I then Contacted regional Bajaj Engineer at Hyderabad, who confirmed that it was indeed a problem and suggested to tight the mouting bolts and other screws (I don’t remember exactly what he suggested). This has solved the problem. All I want to say is, had there been a competent engineer at the Bajaj Showroom, I would have avoided around 10 trips to the garage and saved lot of time.
Verdict:
All and all, apart from minor glitches (which every bike on earth will have).. I am totally happy with my Pulsar. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a combination of (in order) Power, Styling and Economy.
Dev.