The Bajaj Pulsar has been a staple of the Indian motorcycling community since it started hitting the streets in 2001 and elevating many dreaming commuters to the world of sporty motorcycling.
Now, more than two decades since the Pulsar 150 & 180 twins first began letting maniacs loose on our streets, a new generation of Pulsars is doing its best to revive that zest for riding back to the masses.
The latest of the new batch of Pulsars (after the N250, F250 and N160) is the all-new P150. The P150 is the newest iteration of what many consider to be the real starting point of the Pulsar lineup, the 150.
So does the new Bajaj Pulsar P150 have what it takes to revive the glory days of the Pulsar maniacs or is it just another iterative commuter with the Pulsar badge slapped on its side? We rode the all-new Bajaj Pulsar P150 in Bangalore to find out…
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Bajaj Pulsar Design & Features – Projecting Sharpness
The all-new Bajaj Pulsar P150 has seen the Pune-based bike manufacturer dip back into its recent design books for inspiration.
The headlight on the new P150 looks like it has been pinched right off the N160 and N250. However, unlike the ones on its larger cousins, the Pulsar P150’s headlamp isn’t exposed to the elements which take away quite a bit of the aggressive nature of the design seen on the bigger naked Pulsars.
Anyway, the headlight itself is a bi-functional LED projector unit above which sits the LED pilot lamps that unlike the ones on the N160 and N250 is a single-piece unit. Other features up front include a small shroud element that sits above the headlamp and comes flanked by the indicators.
Lower down on the front fender you’ll be greeted by a flash of your chosen colour for the bike which is also seen on the stripes on the 17-inch wheels and on the underbelly protection setup for the engine.
The Pulsar P150 continues with the something borrowed theme with the muscular extensions on the 14-litre fuel tank. Sitting just ahead of the fuel tank is a USB port for charging your devices and the semi-digital instrument cluster that Bajaj has dubbed the Infinity Display Console.
Another borrowed design cue is the underbelly exhaust for the single-cylinder engine which makes the bike look even sleeker than before. The P150 is offered in both single-seat and split-seat configurations depending on the variant (single or dual disc) chosen which brings slight changes to the riding position.
The rear section of the new P150 features split LED taillights that have become a Pulsar signature. Also seen is the new monoshock setup and the wider 110/80 section rear tyre (compared to the one on the previous-gen Pulsar 150).
All the changes to the Pulsar P150 and the adaptations from its larger siblings see the new motorcycle tip the scales at 140 kilogrammes which is a weight savings of 10 kilos on the dual-disc variant compared to the previous Pulsar 150.
Bajaj Pulsar P150 Specs & Riding Impressions – Tractable Everyday Maniac
The biggest of the changes on the Bajaj Pulsar P150 comes in the form of the powerplant for the all-new motorcycle from Pune. The Pulsar P150 is powered by Bajaj’s all-new 149.68cc single-cylinder engine that the Pune-based firm claims make 90% of peak torque available in the useful rpm range.
The Pulsar P150’s engine produces 14.3bhp at 8,000rpm and 14.65Nm of peak torque at 6,750rpm. The engine is paired with a 5-speed gearbox that sends power to the rear wheel via chain drive.
In our time with the new Pulsar P150, we found the engine to be quite powerful for a 150cc unit. The P150’s engine is quite tractable thanks to a flat torque curve and is also free of vibrations. The tractable engine means that the bike is easy to use in the city thanks to the fact that you have to shift less up and down the 5-speed gearbox.
The soundtrack from the single-cylinder powerplant, emitted from the underbelly exhaust, is rather bassy for such a small engine.
The Pulsar P150 features telescopic forks at the front and a mooshock at the rear. The lightweight Pulsar P150 is quite a composed bike when it comes to the handling department. However, don’t expect any miracles in the corners as the softer suspension setup means that the rear does act up sometimes while the 110mm section rear tyre doesn’t really induce confidence.
The split setup of the dual-disc version of the Pulsar P150 we rode offers ample cushioning. The rider’s seat offers ample amount of space to move around while the pillion seat is also quite wide which means that long journeys on the P150 will be done without breaking your rear cushions.
While the 795mm seat height may seem a bit too high for shorter riders, the bike’s size zero central proportions and lightweight construction mean that even those who are slightly vertically challenged can manage the bike easily.
However, the new split seat means that the rider no longer sits on top of the motorcycle. Those clip-on handlebars for the top-spec dual-disc model though allow the rider to get into a sporty position and riders can move about on the seat to be able to grip the tank with their legs. However, the slightly rear-set footpegs and the raised tank mean that tucking in while riding isn’t really feasible.
The dual-disc version of the Pulsar P150 sports a 260mm front disc and a 230mm disc at the rear. We found the brakes to be on point thanks to the lightweight nature of the P150 though the rear wheel did tend to lock under slightly heavy braking due to the single-channel ABS setup.
Thoughts About The Bajaj Pulsar P150 – No Frills Ride For The First Time Maniacs
The Bajaj Pulsar P150 is the fourth new Pulsar based on Bajaj’s new platform for its sporty lineup of motorcycles and we found it to be a simple but very usable no-frills motorcycle that will provide enough thrills for buyers looking to transition away from the commuter malarky to their first ‘sporty’ motorcycle.
Keyword: Bajaj Pulsar P150 First Ride Review - No Frills Ride For The First Time Maniacs