I’ve been driving my ole 95 kinetic honda since ages long past... It sufficed through Second yr junior college and all thru Engineering. I took it my first job in Bombay and then to Pune when I started in IT. I took it to Bangalore... And it was a rugged beast of burden, a mule if you may. But it had several limitations: It didnt look flashy and it does make a bad first impression when you’ve gotta take a girl for a ride.
No girl wants to have a guy take her on a 9 year old kinetic honda with faded paint. It also has tiny wheels and I know that that is dangerous, because small wheels amplify bumps. Its top speed has decreased to 65km/hr.
I needed to upgrade. I have wanted to buy a bike for a couple of years now, but the desire to do so had been on the rise. Some of the reasons for this were:
Bikes have better mileage (supposedly)
They have a bigger wheel radius which is more comfortable and safe, not to mention stable.
Chicks prefer bikes
I wanted to buy a bike primarily as a way of commuting 16kmX2 to office daily.
Eventually after several practice sessions I learned the concepts of riding a geared bike.
I visited Bajaj, Yamaha and Hero Honda showrooms and test drove a few bikes. I liked the (new) Pulsar’s looks and pickup but I was real scared about my ability (or lack thereof) to handle the weight and the higher seating position. I was about to settle for a low strung light weight Enticer, when everyone I asked said to go for a Pulsar without thinking about it...
I bought the Pulsar 150 DTSI ES for 59512 on road with a free seat cover and engine mud guard, and that turn indicator sound thing.
WHen I got it the pickup was lacklustre, but this improved after I filled the reccomended tyre pressure of 28/35. Still, since the engine was new, I couldnt drive it more than 58. Even if I wanted to, the engine didnt allow me.
I just did my 1st service after 750km. Bike is smoother and stronger and it can drive faster and turn better (or is it my Imagination???). I just reached 70, but I wont go any faster till the second service.
I think the bike would be better if I got a big rear tyre mod (maybe after a year or two).
The horns sound like car horns and are effective at night on highways. Headlamp is mucho powerful. Brakes are good.
You feel safer on this than on a kinetic. People move out of your way more easily (or is it coz they know I am an inexperienced biker??).
Update:
I just got my bike back from 1st service. It seems good.
I had a bit of an unpleasant experience today with the service supervisor. I noticed immediately that the fuel indicator was not registering fuel. I had filled 5 liters in the main tank and that show up on the indicator.
This ’supervisor’ insisted that the indicator would start working when I filled a couple of lts more or when I kept the bike vertical or ...all excuses.
I drove home like 5km and it still didnt show anything. I suspected all along that some wire wsa disconnected but I tend to trust people first. So I fill 200 Rs petrol. Still nothing. I go back there really hot and demand service from the supervisor. He tries to argue back... come tomorrow we are all busy etcetc. I tell him that this problem was -caused by them after the service and -it is probably a wire loose and that -this isnt the service I expect from Bajaj.
Anyway for some reason living on my own and working in a highly ethical and hard working environment or what I dunno but I knew exactly what needed to be done in this situation -- Escalate... That always works in a hierarchy. I stormed to the reception and said I wanted to speak to the manager and the moment this dude saw that his attitude changed. He took the bike in the service area, and discovered that a wire from the indicator was indeed unplugged which was easy to fix...
Cheers!!