Bajaj Pulsar 180 KMPL User Reviews

140 top speed 52 kmpl mileage I have my best bike

It was 2013, Me and my brother were looking for a 150cc bike for daily commute and and at that time all we had were Pulsar, Apache, Fz, Fazer, Cb Xtreme, Hunk and Unicorn. Moreover our commute was to college and we needed a snap...so i was convincing my brother and family for bigger bikes like pulsar 220, R15 and 200NS but effeciency was also concerned where petrol price hike was an issue back then and till now! lol So on keeping all factors...we were close with 3- Pulsar 180, Pulsar 220 and Apache 180 (hero twins were not sure on production and availability). And eyes closed we've rejected Apache for vibrations as soon as we first test ridden it as our daily commute was about 80-100 kms. So it was within the same brand and with efficiency concerned we had no further option rather than sticking with 180. We were already a fan of Pulsar for its looks and features. firstly illuminated switch gears, auto turn off indicators and DC lighting. which made it standout from the bikes back then. First Impression: From the first sight the naked styling with clip-ons , Fatter front and rear tires with chunky forks it looks kinda strong addition to twin pilot lamps(Wolf eyed) styling with Speedlines vinyl(half black) was quiet impressive.Build: The bike is slightly heavy as it's on 220s chassis and Metal fuel tank, heavy exhaust which makes hefty and the Fit and finish is average causing skeeching noises and till 3 years there were no rust signs but the paint of black parts like engine block, cylinder fins, exhaust, wheels were poor which is visible to naked eye itself. But other than that the metal body doesnt make any issues.. with proper maintenance the bike keeps on shining and its been 7 years haven't seen the paint peel off...infact paint quality is still great even on plastic panels. And the bike is quite silent in regular speeds without buzz,only in top end the foot pegs and seats get the buzz. Ergonomics: At the beginning i felt the bike was heavy for my age which is common but later was in love with the ergonomics, especially the comfortable not so low clip-ons and back slung pedals the position is spot on for long rides. Also pillion seat was big enough and equally as spacious like 150 and not bad. But fixation of ladies footrest(saree) is not possible as suspension is taller in 180. Only care to be taken is when pillion gets backpack, the extended plastic end gets scratched easily. Overall the position is good for both city and Highway conditions with upright torso and lean back pedals.Seats are a tad hard comparing to any bike. long rides were never delightful with these, hard cushion makes it sturdy in city conditions but for long rides sore b**t is for sure. And wind blast is vigorous at even 80 kmph which bike does it in ease and unless you tug in, doing high speeds is like a pullback! Performance: Having 180 is surely advantage where no 150 commuters messes around...overall performance compared to Apache 180, Pulsar 180 is not close to Apache 180 where the acceleration is better in apache with shorter gearing but pulsar shines in Topspeed and Highway cruising with ease maintaining triple digits without any vibrations. The additional weight of pulsar is also visible in acceleration. However the Torque spread is from 4000rpm above that which the bike pulls straight to 9000rpm and after that the juice fades which is limited with Cdi to 10000rpm. Transmission is something that was hectic in pulsars back then with sluggish gear shifts which usually makes you held up in neutral while shifting from 1st to second and engaging 5th gear from 4th was quiet a task. Clutch is not as light as japanese but still Lighter than any Royal Enfields back then. The Engine is air cooled and does the job with no issues but i havent risked it longer than 100 kms. Took a break for every 100kms in long rides. And the bike came up without any fuss even on topend. Clocked 52k kms till now and reached topspeed of 154 kmph.(not sure may be bajajs speedo error) haven't checked in GPS but sure that'll be close.Braking: one thing that im impressed is with the brakes.. with soft suspension in front and heavy front end makes the bikes brakes so confident inspiring without locking front wheels and bigger disc offers decent feel in the lever. One thing old pulsar 180 model missed is Rear disc. Mine got only Drum at rear which usually locksup in solo and not that confident inspiring with pillion. even on locking the wider tires(MRFs) gives enough confident to ride hard. the softer front suspension helps in not locking up front wheels but nose dive is heavy and unless you have straight roads for stopping surely needs skills. while cornering definitely Pulsar is not composed or even confident inspiring like Apache and 200NS , Pulsar 180 feels kinda bouncy and usually the exhaust scraps down in right and foot pegs in left. But where Pulsar shines is in highways with add on weight and long wheelbase the stability is unmatched, it can do Triple digits all day long without making the rider giving a shock unless you change the seat(bahoth hard)! Also the adjustable nitrox only softens and stiffens up rear end while the most important is front suspension which is miss. Milege: When ridden soft and not so aggressively the figures keepup above 40 kmpl and in highway it stretches to 45 kmpl and in average i get around 42kmpl, With Huge 15 litres tank the Range easily 500 kms. Overall: Pulsar 180 is a bike above 150cc commuters and does the work in its own style and 18 years of legacy in Indian motorcycling. Especially that snap over the 150s and 160 cc's like Apache 160, Fz and Fazer is definitely worth it. Now the Pulsar 180F is only available with semi-fairing and not in naked street, which is very much needed especially for that windblast in cruising speeds. Its the bike that's not for maniac riding and amature riding, its the one for city limit crossing commuters conquering both city and highway conditions, who rides like a commuter and want a bit fun occasionally. That brand and classic Wolf pack styling is always Nostalgic.

Bike is awesome... Rode it about 70000 kms done short rides... It joyously provides 42 kmpl on highway and 38 kmpl in city.... Engine is higly reliable I had owned this bike from 2013 till present.... Was the best bike for beginners..... If has a very good engine if maintained well... I can still top 137 kmph on my bike......