Pint-sized performance wallop!
That’s the new Pulsar 135LS for you, Bajaj Auto’s four-valve wonder.
It is a hard nut to crack, this small sporty single, but that hasn’t deterred Bajaj Auto from being the first one to bring Pulsar power to the masses. And to do that it has used the usual smart thought (which has clearly defined Pulsar DNA since the brand’s inception in 2001) to come up with a motorcycle that is small visually but superbly proportioned, that has a small engine but with enough new technology to shock bikes of a higher cubic capacity, is fuel efficient enough to make established economisers get a fright, is stylish to keep in sync with the performance it offers and to round this off with a price tag which registers top class value for money.
Made at the firm’s hi-tech Chakan facility, the new Pulsar LS (the model suffix stands for Light Sports) is not just a scaled down version of the bigger Pulsars, but a clean-sheet approach to deliver more from less. While many will be taken in by the new bike’s looks, it is the substance within that should make everyone scream in delight. Take the engine for instance — it is the
first ever four-valve engine from any bike maker in India. The new 135cc engine marries Bajaj Auto’s patented DTSi dual spark top end tech with four valves and this along with many other high-tech applications within the crankcase makes for a rev-happy engine.
Where present-day motorcycle engines in the Indian way of biking have loads of low and mid-range torque, the new 135 Pulsar has a linear torque curve with a very steep rate of climb when you take in the power curve and the combination of these two plus the rate at which the engine screams away to its 10,500rom red line marks a new way forward for Indian motorcycling. Much of this is to also get the Pulsar range ready for the international markets in the way the Europeans like their bikes to deliver the power and the first such Indian effort is sure to be most pleasing to all those who swing their legs across the stylish saddle and hit the roads.
The engine makes
13.5PS of power at
9000rpm and a meaty
11.4Nm of torque at
7500rpm, figures which make many 150cc contenders run for cover. The bike is staggering though not just for these absolute power and torque outputs but for the way it stands steadfast to delivering the best power-to-weight ration in the business, a figure that is another nail in rivals’ coffins. The 110.6PS per tonne power-to-weight ratio is fantastic and this has been made possible thanks to an all-new frame which is a departure from those which underpin the larger Pulsars. The new Pulsar LS has a single downtube chassis into which the engine is hung as stressed member and while this does make for a solid structural entity, the gains in slashing the mass plus weight (kerb weight of just 122 kilos) result in stupendous acceleration and top speed plus also endow the bike with great agility plus stability which in turns reflects in loads of fun when you hit the roads.
A zero to 60km/h time of 5.4 seconds makes it the quickest bike in its class and it also snips at the heels of the 150cc class heavyweights with a
112km/h top whack. However what is truly outstanding is that this is a bike with both (stunning) show accompanied by (matching) go and this delectable combination should have many youngsters drooling in delight.
The visual appeal is intoxicating and the proportions plus the detailing are worthy of an European motorcycle. I think even the best imagery doesn’t do the Pulsar LS justice and to see it in the flesh is the best way to appreciate its lithe fine toned makeup and the sporty accents it has.
The Pulsar LS is the first in a series of new bikes which promises not just a new avenue for Indian biking to take to but also for the portents of things to come from Bajaj Auto courtesy its next range of larger Pulsars. I just can’t wait for the next 220 (or even larger) Pulsar which would have the four-valve set-up and the word is out that all Pulsars would gradually be getting this added new top end treat. While these are yet sometime away, the first four-valve Pulsar treat is there for the taking at
Rs 51,000/00 (ex-showroom Delhi) and if one needs to match initial outlay with operating costs, how does
56.5kmpl sound to you? Especially with yummy acceleration, top speed and all-round driveability from a small revvy engine? Taste that and you’ll be wanting more!