My experiences with the beast in black!. Review on Bajaj Pulsar 180

the new pulsar with black mag wheels is an attention grabber anytime!once you get it,the bike makes you feel that you have entered the bikers’ league!it is short on stance and has a generous wheel base that gives you the feel of an entry level sports bike.the bike is solidly built like all other pulsar versions and has a mud-flap and nitrox gas shock absorbers that are new.

even in the most happening cities you will often find people enquiring about your bike when waiting in signals and parking at other places!a sure sign that tells you that you have a design masterpiece that is really in!

however the only disadvantage as far as stying is concerned is its resemblance to its youger sibling.the bajaj guys have tried to make the difference felt by sporting black alloys to the 180 and it even helps but only to an extent!

PERFORMANCE:

for a 180cc(178.6 to be exact)this bike performs more than your expectations!so you will never be let down on performance.the company figures claim 16.5bhp.that should be a very good number considering the fact that the HH karizma with 223cc pumps out only 17bhp!and the 0.5cc difference is more than just nullified considering the pulsar’s lower weight.shorter gear ratios is bound to put you forward in a drag race with the karizma.however after 100kmph the karizma will take over.so racing within city limits is favourable to pulsar and in highways karizma rules because of higher top speed!meanwhile the pulsar’s top speed has been reduced to a miserly 120-125kmph(company claims 125kmph) while increasing the lower end torque that paves way for street racing.

the acceleration is commendable and you can trust the pulsar in this always!at no point will you feel the lack of power as the power delivery is pretty evenly distributed at all rpms.however the best bike in this regard is the unicorn whose refinment and power delivery are a class apart!

reaching 100 is so fast and easy and the best part is-the bike makes you feel you still have a long way to go accelerating.this is where the difference of the 180 from the 150 is felt maximum.at 100kmph you never get a feeling like you are extracting too much from your bike!

HANDLING:

i must give maximum points to the pulsar in this.it handles like a gem!the bike is rock solid at all speeds and you can afford to lean the way you like without any demanding driving skill!maneuvrability is fantabulous and even in busy traffic you wont have much of a problem getting out of the crowd fast!

the class benchmark in braking is redefined by this pulsar version and you can afford to hit the disks as hard as you want literally at any speed provided you are in a straight piece of road.

only negative point is-at speeds in excess of 100kmph you are not confident if you are without a pillion.when there is a pillion you can give her a twist to go vroom past 120kmph without worrying about the bike’s stability.

COMFORT:

with the all new gas shock-absorbers in the rear and the usual ones in the front,suspension is more than just "good".it feels the best when riding with a pillion however!the seat ergonomics is decent but there is always room for improvement in this.for long rides you get sore butts sooner than you expect.also the riding position is sportier than any other bike in its class while the handlebar grips could have been made with a smoother material.at small pot holes you sometimes hear a light rattling noise due to the loose chain sprocket which needs to be tigtened at regular intervals,more frequently when the bike is new.

MILEAGE:

this is one aspect where the 180 scores heavily over the karizma which when ridden judiciously gives you less than 40.pulsar on the other hand can go as high as 60kmpl.that means there is no difference b/w the 150 and 180 in mileage.no matter how hard you squeeze the throttle you can get something around 45kmpl.if the bike is maintained in peak performing condition it will take you above 50kmpl for sure!

A FEW NOTABLE CONS:

1)the gear box although better than its previous versions is below the class benchmark.you do hit false neutrals a few times but it can definitely be avoided with practice.

2)the front tyre could have been a little broader.

3)durability of the bike will be less than a HH brand as we have the option of extracting every single unit of power a 180cc engine can deliver,naturally resulting in reduced engine life.meanwhile the karizma which is an underperformer for 223cc will be more long lastin and trouble free.still pulsar will be able to serve you for atleast 4years or 40000kms without incurring any huge maintenance costs.

TO SUM IT UP:

the 180 is truly a value for money product.for 66K rs you get a bike that is on par with an 80k bike(karizma) in most of the aspects and even beats it in terms of mileage and lower end acceleration!so I would say

"juz go for it mann!" coz you will never regret for buying this beauty!