Definitely male- thats what I would call my Bajaj Pulsar 150 cc.
I have been a die hard Bajaj fan throughout- earlier I used too own a Bajaj Legend which served me well. But the Pulsar is out of the world- before riding it I never knew that Indian bikes could be so solid, so good.
I am an avid auto enthusiast and when I decided to buy a bike I had two choices- Enticer and the Pulsar. I chose the Pulsar over the Enticer coz it was more fuel efficient, it had a street bike feel which suited my style of driving and it offered disc brakes- so important in modern bikes.
The Pulsar has been great since day one. Good pickup inspite of weighing 132 kgs (dry weight), very good mileage -52-55 kmpl in city, a refined engine, wonderful brakes and definitely a head turner with its distinctively muscular looks. The cornerstone of the Pulsar design is its huge muscular 18 litre capacity fuel tank. This huge tank not only imparts most of the naked streetbike look but also gives the bike a range of over 900 kms in one filling. I had gone for a 150 km highway ride at speeds in excess of 80 kmph going up to top speed - the bike returned mileage figures of 52 kmpl. Impressive, huh?
High speed handling is good and at its top speed of 110 kmph the bike feels rock steady. The build quality is impeccable, excellent paintwork, switchgear is top quality and I love those swanky mirror stalks.
Bajaj service has improved in recent times also and so owning a Bajaj is not a painful experience as it used to be. Spare parts are easily available and are correctly priced.
On the flip side- I felt that the rear 3.00 MRF Zapper tyres were not upto the mark- I have subsequently changed to 100/90 Zapper Y tyres - as a result handling has improved considerably although there has been a slight decrease in mileage.Also the 5 speed all down gear box is clunky-gives too many false neutrals and gets stuck now and then. And the steering damper hinders handling in heavy traffic conditions. Suspension is a bit on the hard side but will soften over time. Other niggling issues include a tight clutch, narrow seat and a weak headlight. Heard that a new Pulsar is due in October 2003- I do hope the Bajaj boffins can rectify the faults in the current model.
Guys, just park a Pulsar in a crowd and u will see all heads turning- and you can feel the envy all around you.I feel the Fiero F2 is a better bike but the Pulsar has street presence.