Bajaj Pulsar N125 first ride review: Another day, another Pulsar!

The Pulsar has been the bread and butter for Bajaj Auto for over two decades. The name Pulsar is associated with sporty city-friendly performance at an affordable price. With easily over a dozen Pulsars available for sale presently, it has become hard to keep an exact count on the number of models available in this range.

In recent times, Bajaj has broadly categorised into three categories: the Classic range, the N range and the NS range. After updating the flagship end of the Pulsar range earlier this year with the facelifted N250 and the all-new NS400Z, Bajaj has now launched a brand new entry-level Pulsar in the 125cc category. The new Pulsar N125 is the latest Pulsar offering bridging the gap between the classic Pulsar 125 and the more spirited Pulsar NS125.

Financial Express Online also got a chance to interact with Dinesh Thapar, Chief Financial Officer, Bajaj Auto at a recent roundtable conference about future roadmaps to the Pulsar range. He said, “If I look at our national share, our national share is, let me say, closer to 18 to 19%. Within that, the share of 100cc, 110 cc would be closer to about 10% and for 125 cc upwards, our share is anywhere between 25 – 28%. Pulsar really plays in the 125 CC upwards, which is, I would call the top end of the market. And the only other brand which is there of any size, is really Domino in the domestic market.”

The latest Pulsar sticks to the design language of the new-gen Pulsars— sporty and youthful. Up front, it gets a bi-LED projector headlamps nestled inside a V-shaped cluster. The profile of the bike is enhanced by its muscular fuel tank and extended shrouds. The faux carbon fibre panels lend the bike a premium appeal. Other visual highlights include split seats, signature split headlamps, an underbelly exhaust, and a rear tyre hugger. 

Bajaj is offering the Pulsar N125 in a total of seven colour options— the base variant in Pearl Metallic White, Ebony Black, Cocktail Wine, and Caribbean Blue; whereas the top-spec trim comes with the options of three dual-tone shades— Ebony Black with Cocktail Wide Red, Pewter Grey with Citrus Rush, Ebony Black with Purple Fury. The overall design is titled on the sportier side which will attract a younger set of buyers.

The Chakan-based bikemaker has offered a decent amount of features with the new 125cc Pulsar which includes a fully-digital LCD instrument console, LED headlights and taillights, and USB charging port. The top-spec trim we rode also benefits from an integrated starter generator that allows automatic start system and a silent ignition, and Bluetooth connectivity for calls and text alerts.

In terms of dimensions and ergonomics, the Pulsar N125 stands out with a class-leading ground clearance of 198mm, ensuring effortless navigation over varied terrain. The saddle height is pegged at 795mm, and the bike weighs 125 kg (kerb), making it an accessible and manageable ride.

Powering the Pulsar N125 is a reliable 124.6cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine. This engine produces 11.8 bhp at 8,500 rpm and a peak torque of 11 Nm at 6,000 rpm. Transmission duties are carried out by a 5-speed manual gearbox. Hardware setup comprises telescopic front forks, a rear mono-shock, a 240mm front disc brake, a 130mm rear drum brake and combi brake system. 

We started out by experiencing the Pulsar N125 on the busy streets of Noida. The bike was a breeze to ride even in the tight city traffic of a Thursday morning. Even with the small cubic capacity, the 124.6cc engine has plenty of grunt at low end, Bajaj claims almost 80 percent of the peak torque is available around the 2,000 rpm mark. This results in a super tractable motor which is able to do speeds as low as 20 kmph in the 4th gear without breaking a sweat.

Mated to this torque engine is a very smooth 5-speed gearbox which doesn’t come into play very often. Even the shifts of this gearbox are fluidic courtesy of a light clutch that doesn’t put any major strain in your left arm. That said, vibrations from this mill are very prominent and creep in the handlebar, and foot pegs as the speed crosses 75-80 kmph. While Bajaj claims a top speed of 97 kmph in this new Pulsar, the amount of vibrations this engine throws out, will dissuade the rider to attain any speed above 90 kmph for a sustainable duration.

Coming to its ride quality, the telescopic front forks and the rear mono-shock are tuned on the softer side that offers a fairly comfortable experience on smooth tarmac and is willing to gobble up any average-sized potholes or speed breakers that we usually encounter during our daily commutes. While handling is never the top priority for any commuter focussed primarily for the urban jungle, the short wheelbase of the N125 lets you change direction very swiftly, which makes manoeuvering through congested traffic super easy.

We then took out the Pulsar N125 on a Go-Kart track which provided more insights on its handling capabilities. For a city commuter, the Pulsar N125 managed to surprise on its track with its impressive handling prowess. Despite a high centre of gravity, the bike was fairly stable and very eager to lean over in the corners. However, its aspirations were kept well under check thanks to the narrow profile of the MRF tyres which provided just an adequate amount of grip on the track.

The front disc brake and rear drum brake provided a progressive stopping power although a little more feedback at the lever and the pedal would have been welcome. Also, the lack of even a single-channel ABS in today’s time is not acceptable, given the focus on road safety.

Bajaj has pitched its latest 125cc Pulsar against other 125cc sporty commuters from its Indian counterparts. Priced at Rs 94,707 and Rs 98,707 (both ex-showroom) for LED Disc and LED Disc with Bluetooth variants, respectively, the Pulsar falls slightly short in comparison to its immediate rivals, at least on paper. 

Although in isolation, the new Bajaj Pulsar N125 is actually more than a decent bike since it offers ample amount of usable power and torque, fulfilling the need of an ideal commuter. At the same time, the performance isn’t dull as a 100-110cc bike since acceleration is brisk. However, cruising at high speeds in the highways should not be on its “To Do” list. If seen purely as a city commuter with slightly sportier intent, the Pulsar N125 will surely prove its worth and not disappoint its target buyers.

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