Bajaj Discover 150 DTSi Review

Congratulations on choosing ‘Bajaj Discover DTSi, unarguably the finest motorcycle in the country. That’s what Bajaj wrote on the first page of Discover’s owner’s manual, way back in 2004. Little did Bajaj knew that it would soon transform into one of the finest motorcycle brands in the country.

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Six years later, the launch of Discover 150 stands testimony to that fact. Its launch had added more to delight of buyers in 150cc segment where there are about 9 products on the offering. The stylish new Discover 150 DTS-I will be the tenth in this list.

The Bike: Discover carries forward its high reliability and better mileage image it always had in the past, but one may feel bored with the same monotonous and so called ‘Attractive Graphics’ which no longer attracts. But with a 1305mm wheelbase, the bike has a good built and provides enough stability. The bike is designed primarily keeping commuters in mind. So a rock-solid seat which may get little uncomfortable during long runs is a compromise. The Nitrox gas suspension works brilliantly on this bike. What’s even more surprising is that its kerb weight has been drastically reduced to 121kg from original 133 kg.

Technology: The proven Digital Twin Spark ignition (DTS-I) has made its way on this bike as well. It gives the bike an excellent combination of power and mileage through efficient combustion. For your info, Bajaj are World Leaders in Twin Spark Technology. The Discover’s mill is a144.8cc DTS-I, 4stroke natural Air cooled one. The exhaust TEC(Torque Expansion Chamber) gives you abundant latent power even at low rpms to squeeze out maximum from the engine. The Ride Control Switch is also one of the best you would want on a motorcycle. The function of ‘Ride Control’ is to make the rider to sense the economy zone of the throttle for better fuel efficiency. At opening the throttle at a particular position one will feel slight resistance to the rotation of the throttle. This indicates the end of fuel economy zone. However throttle can be rotated further to get higher speeds. It’s a very sensible idea from Bajaj Auto Ltd.

Other Features:

  • DC Ignition – Improves ignition timing.
  • DC Lighting – The headlamps glow continuously regardless of acceleration.
  • All Black styling with Attractive Graphics
  • Battery charging indicator which will indicate if the battery is low and requires charging.
  • Auto Chokes- Which needs no manual operation and starts up the engine in cold weather conditions.
  • A Disc brake cover- It is supposed to keep the disc free of dirt, but lowers the heat cooling time of the pads.
  • Maintenance free battery- No hassle of frequent topping up of electrolyte level.
  • Molycote Piston- Lowers friction and increases engine efficiency.
  • Anti Friction Bush- Used in front suspension for longer suspension life.
  • Flexible turn indicators for minimum chance of breaking.

L.E.D. Tail Lamps: They are the trendsetters in the market and are designed in a way to attract as much attention as possible from the rear. But the one seen on this bike may force you to think different. The chrome bits on the lamps are not that attractive and are a shame to bikes overall personality given the fact Bajaj designed such a successful LED Lamps for the Pulsar series. Nevertheless the LED’s won’t disappoint you since they take up less power from the battery unit and thus enhances battery life of the vehicle.

Survival: Even though Discover 150 is far better than the Discover 135, but how does it fare against its other 150CC competitors? Well the answer lies in its ‘Pricing’. The Bajaj Discover 150 DTS-I is priced at a eye catching price of just RS 46,000(ex-showroom Mumbai). Its closest competitor in terms of price and features is the Hero Honda Hunk at RS 65,000. Now we know how Bajaj manages to play smart tricks every time they come up with something new. Add to that its 63kmpl fuel consumption that is sure to please your pockets. Overall the bike lacks some serious work on the styling part. The absence of a new age Digital Speedometer is a huge turn-off considering its popularity these days. The bike doesn’t even feature a Tachometer. But still it is expected to record positive a sale because it’s a ‘Value for Money’ motorcycle. You would be more than happy to own it. So i hope that it ‘Creates Jadoo on the road’ once again.

– Varun Satyan