My Pulsar 180 DTSi which I bought in Feb 2004 is still going strong after 9 years.
Thankfully Bajaj is so far ok with spare parts of this particular model and mostly I didn't face problem in getting genuine spares.
There were some hiccups but for 9 years period I would tolerate them. E.g. after 5 years, silencer had to be replaced as original one rusted from inside. Clutchplates have been changed 2 times so far etc.But the bike's engine is still providing roaring performance - still touches 125 kmph on speedo when pushed really hard. Even after 9 years of usage, it holds its own against majority of the bikes except those above 180cc. Fuel economy still ranges around 37-42 kmpl which is totally ok.Overall reliability is still good.Though this is also in a way result of care taken.
Overall, even after 9 years, even after purchasing my next bike in 2012 - KTM Duke 200 - I still didn't sell away my Pulsar.This shows why this brand has thrived in India.It gives you sufficient thrills without breaking bank and it is maintainable for fairly long periods.
I am happy.And will wait for Pulsar 375 to come out soon!
Regards,
Jeevan [my older review below]
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Dear All,
Before I start raving about Pulsar 180 DTSi which I am owning since Feb-2004, I want to give a bit of background about the kind of motorcycles I rode before turning to Pulsar.
My very first motorcycle was Yamaha RX 100(1995-97). Then I got a TVS-Suzuki Shaolin(the only 5 speed bike manufactured in those days(1998 to 2003). In between, I also had about 2.5 years of Motorcycle Madness streak to buy the most powerful bike in India - Yamaha RD 350 HT(1984 model). I owned this bike from 2001 to 2003. So in this period, I used two performance bike alternately!
Having used every Two stroke screaming performers, once the overall scenario became bleak for two strokes I was in great trouble! What could I do in such case!
Then Bajaj came up with Pulsar 180 DTSi that went much ahead in terms of almost every aspect compared to any other bike in production at that time. The only bike not bested by it was Yamaha RD-350 and that is still unbeatable but it is not sustainable motorcycle now.
I took the test ride of Pulsar 180 DTSi and was NOT impressed too much. Simply because I was still riding Shaolin which had very superb low end performance and due to low weight etc it was still capable of giving a hard time to these new bikes. But then, I took a decision - I had to sell off older two stroker and adopt new ways of 4-stroke bikes(I really hated them at that point!).
I decided to go in for Pulsar 180 DTSi(version 1) on Gudhi-Padwa of year 2004 due to following reasons:
It was a completely fresh concept in India - High performance 4-Stroker(CBZ pretended but didn't deliver the way Pulsar did. My unmodified Shaolin could easily beat CBZ.)
It was definitely a very good looking bike. It still is!
It had relatively higher mileage than I was used to.(Pulsar 180 DTSi when new; was giving around 50 kmpl with softer hands while with hard riding it still gave 45-46 kmpl in Mumbai. Even today I am getting around 36-42 kmpl or so and now I ride much faster and I ride in Pune which is even more start-stop traffic compared to Mumbai with narrower roads.)
It looked and felt quite solid. It really turned out to be a very sturdy bike for all kind of normal speeds(anything upto 100-105 kmph).
It was much more comfortable than my previous bikes(except RD-350 of course but that had a tailor made suspension in my case rather than a stock one)
Despite being 4-Stroke, it did not compromise on performance!
Once I started riding it regularly after engine run-in period, it truly proved its mettle!
Feel, Acceleration, Gear Shifting -*
Pulsar is a relatively quite fast bike and beyond 4-5000 RPM, it almost feels like a two-stroker(of coure not exactly but comes close) as the revs rise very rapidly to 9500 or so!
Acceleration is on par or better than UNMODIFIED two stroke bikes such as RX100/Shogun/Shaolin. I have been able to toy with almost all regular two strokers in Traffic Light sprints with my P180DTSi! Only once I was defeated in a highway sprint where a modified RXZ beat me but then I was with a pillion while he was single. Overall, a very good bike for those migrating from 2-strokers!
It is definitely a delight and even my friends having other bikes agree to this when they ride mine occasionally. However, I did maintain almost single handed use except very rare occasions and I think that contributes a lot to a bike's life!
In very first DTSi version, the gear box was not at the same level as TVS Shaolin and definitely nowhere like RD-350. But it wasn't bad. Very occasionally one could miss a gear but normally that is not the case.
Handling, Stamina and Suitability to medium distance Highway Riding-
After 4 years, it still is a very capable Highway rider where for 200-300 km journeys with one or two stops, you can ride it in the range of 85-105 kmph with some power still being in reserve which helps you to overtake almost all vehicles on any general highway. Engine doesn't get too stressed with such riding. You can negotiate the curves well on good surfaces.
At 110-125 kmph(on speedo that is the max I have achieved quite a few times), it is better that you are on smooth straight road and not aggressively going for curves. Very expert riders may find it exhilarating but it is a bit nervous in that speed range on curves/ a bit of wavy or rough surfaces).
In straight line also, on concrete roads I got a bit of shaky feeling while on good tarmac roads, I never felt that way. This bike does behave differently on concrete and tarmac and on concrete it is safer to ride a bit slower than tarmac. In straight line it is fine at top speed. New Pulsars have far better Air-filled shock absorbers and those have good handling even on concrete roads as per my experience.
Servicing/Maintenance -
It is a moderately expensive motorcycle to maintain in case you always ride hard and fast regularly hitting the Redline on the tachometer.
I always used premium fuels for it. Servicing was carried out only in authorised Bajaj Service Centres. Oil changes were regular. One replacement each of Air Filter, fuel filter, brake pads, clutch cable, clutch plates and pressure plates have been done. Spark plugs have been changed once.
I always wash my bike on a weekly basis with a good quality car-wash soap(low concentration) and polish it with silicone based wax polish once a month. Colour of the bike has remained very good - metal or non metal parts. Chrome finish of the wheels, silencer, crash guard and even the twin horns has remained good. Petrol tank has not rusted yet. My bike faced two years of usage in Mumbai and two in Pune and it has coped alright.
All in all, I would say it is a very reliable motorcycle and has never ever caused me any trouble during mid-range trips up to 300 - 350 kms on regular basis. Apart from regular wear and tear, I did not face any significant problem.
Authorised Bajaj service centres are a bit costly at least for Pulsar rangeand I think it is ok because Pulsar is a premium range for Bajaj. So far they have done ok job. But mostly there is a tendency to just replace part at slightest doubt of damage to it. However, that is not unique to Bajaj at all as even authorised centres for TVS/Suzuki and Yamaha do the same as per my experience.
After recent changes in clutch/pressure plates, gear box components of my bike, the gear shifts have become far more pleasant and the acceleration has come back closer to original levels when the bike was new.
To sum it up, I won't give this bike up for minor upgrades like Pulsar 200/220 as I don't feel these are a significant leap in terms of performance. Only thing that can make me leave my Pulsar 180 DTSi will be an imaginary bike that has performance same as or more than Yamaha RD-350 but reliability and easy service availability like my current bike.
Regards,
Jeevan
