The refreshingly new Discover is Bajaj Auto?s channel for the 125cc bike market.
Bajaj Auto?s Discover is among the more relevant motorcycles to hit Indian roads this year. Thanks to Autocar October 2004. Unfortunately I forgot the link - url. I do not live in india. But I guess, every indian should be proud of an indian product which can beat anyone in the world....Discover is one such product.
Walking up to the machines readied for our first introduction, we noted a petite and welcoming demeanour, unlike the fierce-looking Pulsar duo. Three different models in sparkling paint jobs offer something for all buyers, and we were pleased to get a crack at all. The cheapest model sports an ultra-powerful 60/55W domed headlight and comes without electric ignition.
Moving up, there?s a bikini-faired variant with self-starter, while the sportily inclined will love the top-of-the-line Discover. Hot-looking six-spoke silver alloys, unheard of in this segment, will be standard on this one, as will a tachometer and self-starter.
This handsome bike shows off its charcoal-black frame to good effect. Prominently visible around the bike, it lends muscularity and a naked look also enjoyed by another family member, the Eliminator. Even the rear box-section swingarm is clad in black. There is a lack of customary aluminium dollops, though this is surely a factor that contributes strongly to the Discover?s estimated knockout price.
When observed closely, the Discover presents a series of smooth bulges hooking right back to its tail. Its angular front mudguard is creative. A sump-guard protects the starter and engine from rubble. The facade fairing on the higher two models is similar to the smashing-looking Pulsar unit, clear lens 35/35Ws headlights smile slightly wider, with trademark twin city lights winking on either side. A comprehensive twin-pod instrument binnacle does duty. The smoothly contoured fuel tank is capped with a simple yet tasteful lid, offering deep knee guides to tuck away all but the tallest rider?s knees.
The side panels are unique, with the swingarm pivot area lying exposed directly beneath. Looking back from here, a prominent highlight to this bike is the integrated brake-light ? eye-riveting to say the least. The chromed silencer seems identical to the Pulsar, though later in this story we mention why it is a completely different kettle of fish.
Attention to detail is at the lofty standards one anticipates from this two-wheeler Goliath, and good levers, soft grips and comprehensive switchgear were part of our discoveries. We were pleasantly surprised to find a pass-light switch and push-to-cancel indicators present on even the lowest specification model.
The Discover employs a short-stroke motor measuring 57mm x 48.8mm. This engine is DTS-i-enabled, and fires on the shoulder of Bajaj?s distinctive dual-mapped ignition system, TRICS ? short for Throttle Responsive Ignition System. DTS-i is chiefly twin plugs opposed to each other in a single-cylinder, both firing in one instant for better combustion. The benefits of this system have clearly shown by the way it has improved the original Pulsar?s efficiency and performance.
A short-stroke motor is employed on sports bikes for an ability to rev to hyper limits ? always adding fun for enthusiasts. The downside to this setup is a loss of low-end rideability, which is often sheltered by a close ratio gearbox. We were surprised to hear of a short-stroke unit on a commuter bike like the Discover. Bajaj?s R&D facility has nailed the drawbacks with strategic tweaking to the silencer, internally very different to the Pulsar unit it resembles.
A tuned chamber in the twin-tube bent pipe sets up exhaust gases in a manner as to feed twin pulses of back-pressure to the exhaust port. Further tweaks within the baffles route the exit of gases in the manner of an expansion chamber and technicalities aside, the results are respectable. Wads of torque are felt from as low as 25kph in top gear, negating any short-stroke lack of bottom end character. Induction is via a massive air-filter box. The inlet port swoops inwards at an angle engineered to raise swirl for sought-after turbulence. Aiding this is a dished piston housed within an alloy block and head. The rocker arms use roller followers cushioning contact with cam lobes, reason enough for a rev limiter to protect the needle bearings.
The valve stems are as skinny as possible at 4.5mm, while they employ a wide seat area to assist breathing. The wet clutch is positive and not as sharp as a Pulsar?s. Unfortunately, while enjoying our brief test ride on the Discover the sole enthusiasm-dampener was the four-speed all-down gearbox. Smooth, light and positive as it may be, but we found ourselves dreaming of how a five-speed box would have enlivened things, at least as an option.
The engine sounds distinctive, thanks to its expansion exhaust, and plods seamlessly no matter where you are in its power band. There is little to hint at the short-stroke platform, save for its ability to rev mightily past its class-busting peak power of 11.34bhp made at 8000rpm. Torque is 1.10kgm at 6000rpm, again class-busting, and graphs we saw displayed the magic of the tuned exhaust which helps bring up 1kgm as low as 4000rpm.
The riding posture on a supportive seat is close to sporty with slightly rear-set footpegs and a nominal drop to the handlebars. It is snug for all but a six-foot-plus rider. We liked it!
Often the best things in life are the simplest. ?Why didn?t I think of that before?? ? this maxim holds for the diminutive but vital 17-inch rim size on the Discover, a critical inch less than the industry standard. Indian riders are typically of short stature and require a low saddle, but with roads like minefields, the ideal setup has to be long suspension travel. These two solutions don?t normally gel but Bajaj, astonishingly, has pulled this off and the Discover offers saddle height that?s comfy for the shortest, and the long travel helps the rider glide over potholes. Add to that reworked fork internals, and multi-rated springs all round and you get one plush bike.
Turn-in is light, thanks to the reduced gyroscopic effect from smaller wheels, and this makes the Discover a well set up motorcycle. While throwing the bike around on broken tarmac, we enjoyed its instant response.
This Bajaj uses a broad and flared dual cradle frame in large 29mm diameter pipes to good effect and flex is a thing of the past. The engine uses rubber mounts up front and doesn?t have a balancer. Handlebars are rubber-mounted and weights are present on both ends. Braking on all three bikes was as good as expected, and the Dunlop Zebra-y tyres provide good traction.
We all saw the wonders DTS-i did in transforming the classic Pulsar's fuel economy. Going by this and the addition of roller-cam followers to the equation, one can expect the Discover to be a frugal 125cc bike. It also features a ?ride-control? switch in its quest for better economy by telling a rider when to ease off the accelerator.
The new Discover is purpose-built. It?s no Pulsar downgrade, and has been built ground-up for individuals probing an affordable upgrade from the entry segment. With value injected into all folds and loads to make it appeal to myriad buyers, this is a model sure to cause a prodigious flutter in the market. To discover the bike?s competence, we will of course have to conduct a full road test ? so hold your breath.
