The 150cc segment was given birth by the evergreen CBZ but was made mainstream in late 2001 when the Pulsar 150 was launched. Its position was further consolidated by the second generation Pulsar rechristened the Pulsar 150 DTSi. The shortcomings of the classic Pulsar was solved by the DTSi. But after the coming and going of many bikes like Graptor, Beamer, Fiero/F2 and the likes came a bike which could at last give some competition to the Pulsar, the Unicorn and shortly afterwards came the revamped Pulsar fully armed to take on the Unicorn. So here is my take on the aforementioned bikes, the CBZ*, Unicorn and the Pulsar 150.
Looks- The killer CBZ looks have been spoiled somewhat by the employment of the new colour scheme by Hero Honda. It retains the classic shape and the sporty riding position of the CBZ of yore. The 100/90 rear tyre complements the overall looks of the bike. After so many years of production, not even once does the CBZ look dated. Only the dull headlamp spoils the party for the CBZ*. As for the Pulsar the looks have been further sharpened by the addition of the 17inch mag wheels which look awesome on the bike. The 150 has been given the 180’s lower handlebar and the fatter 100/90 tyre which definitely makes a style statement. But the main problem for the Pulsar is that you see them all over the place. No doubt that’s because it is a good bike but you don’t want to buy a common bike. You want to stand out of the crowd. Unicorn does not have much to say in the looks department. It is not that exciting enough. Has a mix match of various bikes but looks good on the eye unlike the Pulsar which has mixed reactions. But one thing about the Unicorn is that it has the best knee recesses in the country.
Rank1 – Shared by the CBZ and the Pulsar
Rank2 – Unicorn
Engine & Performance- This is the main criteria for most users in the 150cc segment. The Pulsar along with the Unicorn run away with the honours while the original performance 4 stroker CBZ is not too far behind. The pickup of these bikes is good, but the Pulsar takes away the honour for the best roll on figures. Thus, it minimizes the need for gear changing, thereby slightly increasing the mileage and reducing the wear and tear. The Pulsar roars forward with its soudtrack , the Unicorn is too gentle in her approach while the CBZ is somewhere inbetween. The Unicorn is unbelievably smooth with almost no vibrations even at 8000 rpm. The engine and gearbox is butter smooth. The CBZ has major vibrations upwards of 6000 rpm in the rev range. Higher the revs higher will be the vibration and the rougher and coarser the engine will get. The Pulsar too has its share of vibrations but they are not too irritating. To put it briefly, the performance of these bikes is almost identical, and it all depends on the capability of the rider. The Unicorn reaches indecent speeds comfortably but does not let the rider come to know while the Pulsar does all kinds of antics and makes the rider feel that he is riding faster than he is actually riding. The CBZ makes a perfect balance of these bikes; the rider knows without looking at the speedometer what speed he is doing.
Rank1- Shared by the Pulsar an Unicorn
Rank 2- CBZ
Handling- All these bikes are brilliant handlers. The Unicorn has the monoshock going for it, the Pulsar has the gas shocks and 17 inch wheels which further sharpen the handler while the CBZ has the best ergonomics, riding position and chassis. All three are almost identical with the Unicorn with its neck just ahead.
Rank 1 – Unicorn
Rank 2 – Cbz and Pulsar
Fuel Efficiency- In the Indian market, this is by far the most important consideration to be made by a prospective buyer. This makes or breaks a bike. The Unicorn gives the best mileage of the lot, slightly ahead of the Pulsar which is dented by the shorter gearing and fatter tyre while CBZ is obviously the most thirsty. I usually don’t like to drive gently, I rip my bike whenever I ride it. So no question of leaving my friend’s bikes. Beware, the figures that I have got have been done by literally thrashing the poor bikes, so it would give a lot more mileage than I have received. On 1 litre of unleaded, the unicorn gave 41kmpl, the Pulsar 38kmpl while the CBZ* gave 34 kmpl.(btw my p180 gives 33 kmpl)
Rank 1 – Unicorn
Rank 2 – Pulsar
Rank 3 – CBZ
Comfort- This is where the Unicorn delivers and the CBZ and Pulsar take a beating. The riding position of the CBZ is the sportiest, then the Pulsar and the Unicorn has commuer stle riding position. But in the long run a sporty riding position wouldn’t get you anywhere and the Unicorn would not give you any backache that you experience on the Pulsar and the CBZ. The seat is absolutely perfect. The Pulsar is the most uncomfortable of the lot (more so for the tall riders like me- I’m 6”2’)
with a narrow seat, low handlebars, no backswept footpegs, and the fat tank which has knee recesses only for sub 5 feet riders.
Rank 1- Unicorn
Rank 2 – CBZ
Rank 3 – Pulsar
Final Verdict-
Unicorn- For the office going man who wants reliability and smooth operation.
Pros- Engine, gearshift, handling , comfort and ofcourse the Honda Brandname.
Cons- Not exciting enough, looks bland, sounds like a geared activa.
CBZ- For the youth of today who do not want to be a part of the crowd lest he can handle the price and mileage.
Pros- Sporty, handling, and ofcourse “da looks”
Cons- Engine, harsh vibrations, mileage, old technology, price
Pulsar 150- For guys who are looking for the deadly combination of looks, performance and mileage, lest he does not wwant to be a part of the crowd.
Pros- awesome combination of looks, performance and mileage
Cons- very common, gearshift and clutch.
Happy buying.
Any doubts? You can contact me in the comments section.