Bajaj Pulsar 150: Old Vs New — Still 'Definitely Male?'

'Definitely Male'  words that etched the Pulsar into everyone's minds! The Pulsar came in at a time when we did not have many performance bikes to speak of. Even though the CBZ began the 150cc performance segment, it was the Bajaj Pulsar 150 that turned this segment into a riot.

Today, the Bajaj Pulsar 150 continues to be on sale, and still rather popular with people who want a 150cc bike without compromising on fuel efficiency. Before taking a detailed look at the old and new versions, join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community to stay up-to-date with the latest automotive news with fellow enthusiasts!

Bajaj Pulsar 150 Design and Brief History

The circumstances around which the Pulsar made its debut were rather unique. There weren't many performance motorcycles to speak of, with two-stroke motorcycles being led to their final journey. Bajaj, still known majorly for its scooters was in a partnership with Kawasaki. That partnership was about commuter motorcycles till then.

Having learnt the art of making motorcycles, Bajaj launched the first Pulsars  the Pulsar 150 and the 180 in 2001, amid reservations from within the brand. The first Pulsars bore a classic, streetfighter design with a muscular stance, a beefy fuel tank, fat tyres, a round headlight, and twin-dial pods. Interestingly, this Pulsar got an all-up gear shifter instead of the conventional one-down-four-up pattern. A minor facelift saw the addition of the familiar bikini fairing, which would eventually define the DTSi UG-2 upgrade.

The UG-2 upgrade not only continued with the bikini fairing, but it also brought along some mechanical changes. Bajaj brought along the new DTSi technology in its engines, along with nitrox twin shock absorbers, and smaller 17-inch alloy rims.

The UG-3 upgrade came along in 2006, and the Pulsar 150 continues to live on in this guise even today. It got an updated design with sleeker, sharper body panels, wolf-eyed pilot lamps, and the twin-strip LED tail lights which eventually got synonymous with the Pulsar.

Also read: Honda Unicorn Old VS New - What Are The Updates?

Bajaj Pulsar 150 Powertrain and Hardware

The OG Pulsar 150 was powered by a 143cc engine producing 11.82bhp, while paired to a 5-speed gearbox. Like we mentioned earlier, this was the one that received an all-up gear shift pattern. With the UG-2 DTSi upgrade, the output figures bumped up to 12.8bhp.

It is important to remember that the 150 was one of the few street performance motorcycles available at the time. This engine had plenty of grunt for daily usage, with a decent spread of torque all around. However, refinement levels and the gearbox was not really perfect, and it was known to have false neutrals. With a slightly leaned-forward position, it felt like a proper 'big' bike to ride as well.

The UG-3 upgrade brought along not only a larger 149.5cc engine, but it also resolved three issues Pulsars were infamous for; false neutrals, poor seat comfort, and that irritating all-up gear pattern.

The current-gen Pulsar 150 is powered by a similar 149.5cc engine, churning out 13.8bhp and 13.25Nm of torque. Over the years, the Pulsar has also become more refined as well. The fact that it offers good fuel efficiency also works in its favour as a performance motorcycle.

Today, it comes in two variants; the single-disc and the twin-disc, and they can be differentiated by their hardware, apart from the disc brakes of course. The single-disc variant gets a slimmer 80/100-17 tyre up front and a 100/90-17 tyre at the rear. It also gets 31mm telescopic forks up front. Meanwhile, the twin-disc variant receives a 90/90-17 and a 120/80-17 tyre at the front and rear respectively, along with a 37mm fork. Both bikes get gas-charged twin-shocks at the rear.

Also read: Hero Xpulse 200 4V Key Features Explained: The 'Hero' Of Its Segment?

Bajaj Pulsar 150 Features

The UG-3 Pulsar 150 brought along a lot of new equipment, such as a backlit switchgear, a digi-analogue cluster, an engine-kill switch, and an RPM shift light. The backlit switchgear, in particular, looked rather cool and gave off a cool vibe when riding at night.

The current-gen Pulsar 150 replaces the digi-analogue cluster with a fully-digital reverse-backlit LCD screen, equipped with bluetooth connectivity, call/SMS alerts, phone battery level, gear position indicator, a clock, and a distance-to-empty readout. In terms of safety, it receives single-channel ABS.