Hi, all my biker brothers, a warm welcome to my review. I am a passionate biker whose name is Saurabh. I am 20 years old living with my parents in Amritsar. I am pursuing Btech degree from Guru Nanak Dev University. And belong to middle class family.
My passion for bikes came to the surface when I was only 10 years old. At that time I didn’t know anything about bikes or didn’t noticed them. Then, suddently one day while watching TV I saw Pulsar ad which fascinated me and it was “definitely male” tag which thrilled me beyond measure.
When I actually caught a glimpse of it on road, it really captivated my senses. With its huge tank, unique design and exhaust sound it was the first bike ever which caught my attention after the RE which I hated then I don’t know why. It became the bike of my dreams and I even started convincing my dad to buy it “Papa kharid lo,bohat acchi hai pulsar” but he hardly paid any attention.
Eventually, I was scolded off due to my excessive persuasions. ”Pagal ho gya hai ye” were my dad’s words (he is a really strict and stern fellow). My dad had Bajaj Classic SL scooter then.
The Intermission
This was quite dull phase of life for my biker heart which was yearning for a bike. In this period I quenched my biking thirst only by looking at bikes and as a pillion rider. I didn’t know how to ride a bike till about 15. In 2006, my father bought Hero Honda Passion Plus which is a good bike for uncles (lol). My dad taught me to ride a bike on it.
I learned it with great zeal and enthusiasm. I used to took it for a ride when it was not in the service of my dad. This continued till 2007, when my father bought me a Honda Activa (really sad) without my opinion (he is a strict and stern fellow). When I resisted he said, ”tu +2 karke kisi aur shehar emgg ke liye jayegs to yeh active ghar mein kam aa jayegi”.
New Beginning
After clearing AIEEE engg exam, I opted Btech in my own city in GND university. So, I bwas left at home and it was a good opportunity at my disposal to demand for a bike as 3 years with Activa were more than enough for me. I started convincing my dad to buy me a bike which he accepted without any hiccups.
He told me decide the bike my eyes were fixated upon. I told him, “Pata hi hai apko”. He grinned and decided the date as 13 July 2010. I was very excited as we went to the Bajaj showroom. He told me about the budget limitations, ”55k ke budget mein honi chahiye bike”. I was shocked to hear Pulsar 150’s ex-showroom price at 63.212.
Those words were like a bee’s sting to my heart. I looked at my dad for mercy but to no avail. ”beta aur koi dekh le”, he said. Then, my eyes caught glimpse of the Pulsar 135LS which was looking very attractive in Passion red. Discover 150 was available at 6k discount to my budget. But I had decided that it was Pulsar I want to go for.
After paying about 58k on road the beast was finally mine. I was on cloud nine on my way to home, delighted by its looks and thrilled its amazing exhaust sound and acceleration. Till now, my Bajaj Pulsar 135LS has completed 6500km and has been serviced 4 times. Those 6500kms were very special to me. I consider it as my companion more than just a bike.
The bike has lived upto my expectations to a great extent but it’s a universal law that nobody is flawless hence is the case with my bike too. Right from the first dsay I took a great care of it. I wash it regularly and polish it at desired intervals. I do everything possible to maintain my Bajaj Pulsar 135LS at its best. I am in the habit warming it up in the morning before taking off and using kick starter.
Looks
I am really delighted by its looks and consider its design to be unique and fresh contrary to what is available in its category in the market. Its unique design resembles a ballistic missile when viewed from side parked on side stand. I like its design more than pulsar 150. It has got clip-on handlebars, freshly shaped headlight, good tail lamp and grab rails.
It has sporty rear with a separate mudguard.It will look like a true sports when its removed but I stayed away from such modifications as I love my Bajaj Pulsar 135LS. The only flaw is its turn indicators whioch don’t look good and the rear tyre hugger could have been better.
Engine
Pulsar 135LS’s real star is its engine. What a great engine I must say “awesome”. It never cries for mercy and is always in tremendous enthusiasm right from the word go. As you all know it has got 4 valves and 13.5 bhp power which is class demolishing for a 135cc bike.
The gearbox is quite smooth contrary to what I have heard of Pulsars. The engine is quite smooth in the beginning but as it heats up it lacks in refinement. The engine is the stressed member in this bike, but it is very powerful.
Performance
This is a very agile Pulsar variant and believe me its no.1 in its category, you have to ride it to believe me. Its 4 valve layout with 2 inlet and 2 outlet makes it engine very rev friendly and can be revved to eye-popping 10,500rpm witout any hiccups. Its 13.5bhp power coupled with a light frame (122kg) provide it with a class leading 111PS/tonne power to weight ratio which give it an insane pick-up that suits its name “LS-light sport”.
It doesn’t feel like a 135cc and can beat many 150cc bikes in outright acceleration and top speed. It takes only 5.1 secs for 0-60 dash and about 17 seconds for 0-100. I personally took it to speedo indicated 123kmph at about 10000rpm. It was a very awesome experience of my life. Its behaviour at high speed is worth appreciating and gives adrenaline rush. Good work by bajaj.
Handling & Comfort
Overall it has a good handling but not the best. Its seating position creates a lot of confusion as its neither sporty nor commuterish but somewhere in between which is not comfortable at all for long rides. I myself got back pain for first few days.
It attacks the corners with stability and agility of a cat. It has great maneuverability and city is its natural habitat. It not so suited for highways. The ride quality is a bit stiff for the sake of handling. The 17inch MRF tyres provide ample grip.
Fuel Efficiency
Now this is the most discussed topic when you buy a bike rather than the bike itself. To a true biker, mileage doesn’t matter, at least to me. As for getting good performance you cant get mileage. However, it has got excellent mileage of 50-55kmpl in city and 60-65 on the highways. It also depends on the riding style and place of use.
Overall
Pulsar 135LS is an engineering marvel from Bajaj which, however, is suffering from quality issues. This bike is really agile and suitable for young and aspiring racers who like to race and stunt. And this bike will be pocket friendly due to its mileage. This is a really fast motorcycle it feels fast right from the low revs upto its rpm limiter.
But he engine is most stressed out of the whole Pulsar series. And crucially it has vibrations,you can feel vibes right from 3.5k rpm and above 6k rpm its well established part of what you are doing on this motorcycle. My justifications is highly stressed engine which make a lot of power do vibrate. It goes really fast but has vibrations.
This bike is developed keeping the age goup of 18-30 in mind. According to me, Bajaj Pulsar 135LS is for a person who wants a good looking bike, requires a bike for daily commuting and also likes to race down the lane without burning a hole in his pocket. Goodbye! greetings friends and thanks for bearing my long review. Any queries are welcome.
Regards,
Saurabh Sharma
