Bajaj Pulsar

Bajaj’s Pulsar 150 has it all. Its got looks, decent performance, and mileage all bundeled up in a nice package which is Value for money as people see it. Or is it?

Pulsar’s design evokes extreme reactions even after 4 and a half years of its existance. Main point of attraction is the ’’tank’’. What not has been said on the tank? ’’Its egg shaped’’ ’’It will kill your manhood’’ ’’Oooh, what shape’’ ’’All curves, no cuts’’ The reality is that the tank perfectly gels with the overall look of the bike. If you have had a look at naked bikes (hehe, not ’’that’’ type) ala Ducati Monster, you’ll notice the fat tanks and round headlights, and the mass of the engine under the tank, which looks so yummy. So, that is carried forward to the Pulsar as well. But with the introduction of the DTS-i’s Pulsars have been given a bikini fairing, which somewhat does not gel with the naked theme of the bike. This has been done by Bajaj because most people did not like the round headlamp. Why? Coz even the likes of Passion and Victor had a fairing! I mean, now C’mon. Naked bikes need no fairing. Kills the excitement. Moving on, the side panels continue the flow of the bike. And it ends with an average tail-lamp. Bajaj still sadly retains the Caliber based tail-lamp. But, all in all Pulsar’s a sexy looking bike.

Now, to the Engine. The Engine makes a whopping 13.5bhp out of its 143.9 cc mill. The engine’s rev-happy and screams to its rev-limiter happily in each gear. Makes beautiful power way down in the rev-range down too. So, in bumper to bumper traffic, you dont have to rev the bike’s heart out. When it comes to the highways, it runs out of breath (in this case, revs) way too soon. This is opposite to the old DTS-i which held on to the highways pretty comfortably. And all this due to the wheels made shorter to 17inches and shortened gear ratios. Te engine is not as refined as unicorn but is not unrefined either. It has a hooligan character. At low revs, is as well behaved as a puppy, but when given the full fisted treatment gives all what its got. Does make a racket while doing so, and most people like that. There is a rev-limiter at 10, 500 rpm lest the truly crazy harm the engine. Max power is made at 8500rpm, at which it will deliver optimum performance. No use revving above that. You’ll just be wearing out ur crank and piston, slowly, but surely. But, there are downsides too. The engine does not seem bulletproof(as in the case of the Unicorn) and gives out harsh vibes at high rpms. Nothing to be worried about but still is enough to make one uncomfortable. Then there’s the hard Gearshift and clutch combo. Bajaj can never sort this out, can it? The gear can anytime downshift anytime(without any inputs!), which can be dangerous. Though I agree that happens once in a while. Also, one of the weakest links in the engine are the valves. They are too delicate. All the Pulsar guys who put readymade free-flows on their bike are guaranteed to screw up the engine because of that.

Handling the bike is pure delight. With a flick here and there, the bike dances to your command. But, there is a big downside here too. You cant push the bike deep into the corners like its previous versions lest you dont love the bike and youself ;-). This too is because of the 17inch wheels. The pegs are now grounded much earlier than before, limiting the cornering angle. But the sharp handling and stability more than makes up for it.

Mileage given is not classbusting, but not bad either. Gives around 55kmpl in the city with a relaxed right hand.

Now, to the minuses of the bike. The Quality of the bike is nothing to be raved about. The bike does not ooze out quality, which even the likes of Fazer does. The coating on the bike is not uniform and the paint loses its shine earlier than you would expect. The quality of the plastics is also not too good. Bajaj should try and improve the quality of its bikes. This is the sole reason why prospective buyers go for other bikes. They dont find a Bajaj to be reliable due to its inconsistency. The paint starts chipping off after some time if not taken care of properly. The fairing starts rattling after every 2 or 3 days after servicing. There is also a widespread problem of overheating in pulsars. Though thats more of the rider’s carelessness than anything else. Another negative point is the seating position. Its horrid to say the least. Low handlebars, forward set footpegs, a fat tank which you cannot grip from your knees and a narrow seat. What do you get? This bike is surely not made for touring. Also one thing that I’ll like to point out. Though I’ve not experienced it personally, but it is widely said that Pulsars lose their performance and mileage after some years. Dont known how much of truth there is in that.

Allover, it can be said that now there are now three contendors, which are in the race for the 150cc crown. It all depends upon your tastes. The Unicorn, Apache and the Pulsar 150. Take your pick. Personally I’ll take the Pulsar 150 given the chance, even though the doodhwala’s son owns one.

Scoop: Expect a revamped Pulsar anytime now. It will most probably have revised rear cowl, side panels, LED rear tail light and minute changes to the engine.