You all might be thinking that why this review for the 180cc hunk after the bike was revealed 3 months ago, and this bike already has got the attention it deserved. But this is the right time when this bike should be reviewed again…after 3 months of on-road usage. Everyone reviewed the bike when it was new…and just dumped their initial thoughts on you. But when you wanna invest your hard-earned money on your dream machine, you really expect someone to tell the first hand inside story after riding the bike. So, here it is…
Buying this bike is a very simple affair. Just stash all your money in a briefcase and visit any nearby Bajaj Probiking store. They promise to deliver the bike within 10 days if you have sufficient documents for registration. Though I had a a hard time as Mumbai is a bit short on Probiking stores, and I also didnt have enough documents with me. This mean machine will cost you something less than Rs. 73000 in Mumbai (the taxes are pretty high here). The money was the only thing I had with me. So, they took the money and booked one for me. And they did deliver the bike as soon as I had the documents given to them. Price of the bike is very very competitive…when you compare the price with other bikes like the Yamaha FZ-16 or Yamaha Fazer or TVS Apache RTR-180, then you will realize that pulsar 180 has got the biggest engine for the least price, with the best features and dashboard functionalities.
The waiting part is over. Now its you and your dream machine. Now what…just ride and ride. Let your bike take the first toddling steps. Dont cross 60 kmph for the first 500 kms. Its good for the engine. Once you cross 500 kms, send your bike for its first checkup. Dont worry…everythings fine with your bike…they just wanna change the engine oil.
Now that your bike is out of the nursing home…it is ready to become what it was destined to…the beast…the mean machine. This is the time I felt that this bike needs some extra attention…cuz its special…much better than its predecessors.
- Acceleration is superb…you could beat any machine out on the road.
- Handling is superb…with wider tyres…you could just come out of any turning very smoothly.
- Efficiency…best in its category…you can easily get a mileage of upto 40 kmpl in city driving…and something better than this while on the highway.
- Gear shifting is pretty smooth…when you are anything above 4500 rpm…the gears change like butter.
- Brakes…superb…with the rear 130mm mechanically transmitted drum brake and front 260mm hydraulic disc brakes…you can always be sure that you will stop before you hit anything else other than the breaks
. - Looks…that was the first thing I had in mind when I bought this…so no doubt…its a killer…speacially the one wearing the midnight black colour.
With a better sitting posture and only-toe operated gear lever you could actually think of going long distances on this bike. One more good thing which this bike has got is that you dont have to worry switching off the turn-blinkers/indicators once you have navigated through a turning…they turn off automatically sometime after you turned them on. So, no need to worry for the gadgets on your dashboard…just concentrate on riding.
This bike has done away with kick-start. But dont panick…the self start worked fine even after the bike was standing still for 4 days in rain. The only painful part could be if your the self-start didnt work for some reason. Though it has never failed till now…but have your bike checked-up regularly to avoid any stuck-on-the-highway problems.
Engine of this bike performs better than its older versions. No vibrations even when you are nearing 100 kmph. Thats the best of all the enhancements this new version of the bike has got. Safety has improved with the introduction of tubeless tyres. This does not mean that they wont get punctured, but they are more balanced and do not burst when they get punctured. Other changes in the bike only improve the look factor…and hardly have any effect on the performance.
The best thing about this bike is that it is a great performer everywhere…city…highway…power…cruise…and still does not eat up your money as the mileage is decent enough. This bike is a survivor, as you all might be aware that production of Pulsar 200 has been stopped and prices of Pulsar 220 had to be slashed, but this bike has already been the first love of occasional power riders. And, with so many improvisations in the bike…it is the right time for bike hunters to go for the kill.
Rating: 8/10
Recommended.
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