Bajaj New Pulsar 180
Maxabout Review
Bajaj's Answer To Apache RTR 180
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pulsar has been a major hit in the market; it comes in four variants: Pulsar 150 DTSi, Pulsar 180 DTSi, Pulsar 200 DTSi & Pulsar 220 DTSi. Bajaj Pulsar DTSi comes with a throttle actuated ignition-control system that works in conjunction with a chip-controlled digital capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) system for accurate ignition timing under all conditions. Now Bajaj India has unvieled the upgraded model of the of the Pulsar 180 in response to the TVS Apache RTR 180. Bajaj India claims a little increase in power - The new model of Pulsar 180 generates maximum power of 17 Bhp at 8500 rpm with maximum torque of 14.5 Nm at 6500 rpm.
The new model borrows swingarm from the 220/Avenger, the kerb weight has gone up to 147kgs from an earlier 143kgs. The wheelbase has also increased by 25mm to 1345mm. The bike has let go of the kick-start option and the rider will have to rely on battery power for ignition. Visually, this bike looks strikingly similar to the Pulsar 200 but a trained eye can quickly spot the difference. Bajaj have once again mixed and matched a lot of components from its portfolio to make the 180 appear even more muscular. The new model is likely to retail for around Rs. 3,000 more than the previous 180 model.
Following Changes has been made in the New Bajaj Pulsar 180:
- Front Suspension: The bike now gets the 37mm fork assembly from the Pulsar 220 and promises more stability in corners. The bottom pipes are finished in matte black unlike the silver used on the 220.
- Steering Tee: The steering tee is lifted straight from the 220’s chasis again. The new 180 also gets the clip-ons from the 220 which should aid handling and wrist comfort to an extent.
- Rear Suspension, Tyre and Sprockets: The swingarm for the new 180 comes from the 220/Avenger and is finished in black. The rear sprocket and the O-ring chain come from the 200. The rear tyre is wider with a 120 section width similar to the 200/220.
- Seating: The outgoing models single step seat unit has been traded in for split seats from the 200/220. The pillion seat gets th same grabrails as the bigger Pulsars.
- Body Panels: While the majority of the body panels remain similar to the outgoing 180, the new bike gets the tank extensions from the 200. The ‘Pulsar’ monogram on the tank is more pronounced with a metallic finish unlike the rubberized one on the 200/220.
Bajaj has also upgraded the Pulsar 150 & Pulsar 220. Similar to Pulsar 180 the changes are merely cosmetic. Click here for more details of New Pulsar 150 & New Pulsar 220.