Bajaj Auto recently threw a shocker at us with the new Pulsar 125. The motorcycle is expected to bring in the numbers and take away some of the two lakh plus units sold by Hero and Honda collectively in a month. The Bajaj Pulsar 125 uses the tried and tested Pulsar 150 formula and looks more like a new wine in old bottle. However, it has worked for the manufacturer. The company’s dealers are saying that there are now more customers asking for the Pulsar 125 than 150. Notable facts remain that this is the smallest ever Pulsar made till now. Moreover, a Pulsar with a front drum brake was unheard of and subsequently because of the cubic capacity mandate, this one gets CBS – another first. The usual Pulsar virtues like a heavy frame, grunty engine and muscular design remains.
On the other end, Honda is quite happy with the way the Shine twins are doing. For the sake of comparison, we have taken the more modern CB Shine SP. It is a slightly bigger machine than the Shine, boasts a semi-digital instrument cluster and a 5-speed gearbox. The engine is the same unit that has been doing duty in the Shine since 2006. It is quite fuel efficient too and the Shine is the default choice for most 125cc shoppers. Hero recently got its all new Glamour in the market. This motorcycle too has picked up the pace, slowly and steadily – much like its performance on-road. It comes with a 4-speed gearbox but is the only bike here, ready for future emissions – it has a fuel injection in place whereas all others use a carb. Which one amongst these three will you choose is something you can see on the table. On paper, the Pulsar is the most powerful, stylish and cost effective while the CB Shine is the fuel efficient one whereas the Hero is future-proof.
Bajaj Pulsar 125 | Honda CB Shine SP | Hero Glamour 125 Fi | |
Engine Specification | |||
Type | Single cylinder, air cooled | Single cylinder, air cooled | Single cylinder, air cooled |
Engine capacity | 124.4cc | 124.73cc | 124.7cc |
Valvetrain | 2 valves | 2 valves | 2 valves |
Compression ratio | NA | 9.2:1 | 10:01 |
Max Power | 12PS@8,500rpm | 10.30PS@7,500rpm | 11.69PS@7,500rpm |
Max torque | 11Nm@6,500rpm | 10.30Nm@5,500rpm | 11Nm@6,000rpm |
Power/Weight | 85.71PS/tonne | 83.73PS/tonne | 93.52PS/tonne |
Dimensions | |||
LxWxH (mm) | 2,055X755X1,060 | 2,007X762X1,085 | 2,023X766X1,091 |
Wheelbase (mm) | 1,320 | 1,266 | 1,262 |
Fuel tank capacity | 11.5 litres | 10.5 litres | 10 litres |
Kerb weight (kg) | 140 | 123 | 125 |
Suspension | |||
Front | Telescopic | Telescopic | Telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers |
Rear | Twin gas shock | Spring loaded hydraulic type | 5-Step adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers |
Brakes | |||
Front | 240mm disc | 240mm disc | 240mm disc |
Rear | 130mm drum | 130mm drum | 130mm disc |
Tyres | |||
Front | 80/100-17 | 80/100-18 | 80/100-18 |
Rear | 100/90-17 | 80/100-18 | 90/90-18 |
Price (ex-Mumbai) | 66,586 | 70,026 | 70,150 |