Pulsar 180 v/s the apache RTR 160. Review on Bajaj Pulsar 180

Rtr   v/s  pulsar 180 ug3

well friends recently I have bought the pulsar 180, to say the leasti am in love with this bike all over again.  Previosly I had the oldest of allpulsar(classic)150then later I went on to buy the apache rtr160  which at he time I thoght to be the best option. Since I wanted something different from the pulsars. But now i’m back to the pulsars, lets see why so.

Looks

though looks is a personal choice, rtr just impresses u with its looks. The racing stripes, the red pinstripes like stickering. Petal disks and a very muscular tank indeed, its only after u get behind the handle bars is that u realise that this 16lt tank is huge and mind u I am saying this after owning apulsar classic, but still it nicely gels with the body. Only dissapointment is the tailpiece.

when it comes to pulsar the design is way too commonly seen but still u will find that those twin slash tail lamps are way too good for the rtr. Now for the dials I preferred the ones ones on rtr. They were much more sporty.

Utility & comfort

well on this front rtr has a few plus points like being a bit light and extrmely good to handle makes it  very good  to ride in the cities in those high traffic conditions. Though the suspension could has been a bit on the softer side. What dissapointed me the most is the seating position. Its way too sporty. Though for short sprints it’ll make u go all guns blazing but after a mere 15 minutes you might find yourselves nursing your aching hands and calf muscles. Plus that suspension just breaks your butt  in potholes. One thing I loved of the rtr was the clock on the digital panel. It was so very useful I surely miss it every time I check  my wristwatch on the pulsar.

Pulsar on the other hand makes do with the softer suspension setup, which does its job in the finest way possible  it allows you to do long jaunts without much of a problem no aching wrists and butts here.as for me who goes almost everywhere on his bike from the nearest kirana store to 1000kms south “indore to hydrebad” pulsar surely is the one to go for. Now as for stability pulsars are far more stable on 100+ than the rtr’s. Rtr frigthens you ater 90 on the clock whilepulsar gives u enough confidence to push harder, engine noise is a put off though.

Engine

pulsar engines are not known for refinement and smoothness but still they are better than others just becoz of the sheer intoxication which no other bike comes close to. Just treat it like a baby for the first 2000kms and see how it goes. Rtr is a more refined engine but it is just not a match for the 180. As for gearshifts pulsar is a loser on this front but still u get used to it. As for the toe shifteron  the rtr its sporty but not very good either slightly better than pulsar.

Others

one thing the rtr leads in is braking.gawd! It bites. stoppies are a piece of cake in this one.

Final verdict

if you are a guy who lives his lives on tracks, rtr is the one for you, though it seems underpowered on a paper than a 180 it can do wonders on the twisties.go ahead bring out the rossi in you. But if roads are bad in your area then rtr is strict no-no. Coz then its not the tracks you will find yourself in but insted the ramdeo-baba yoga lessons for your back.

If you are a die hard biker as in my case then go for pulsar no matter what. As they say “there is no replacement for displacement”.it gives you everything you want plus a decent fuel efficiency means no burning pockets. All the best please post your comments and rate this! Thanks