Bajaj Pulsar N125 Vs Hero Xtreme 125R: Image Comparison

Bajaj has recently launched the all-new Pulsar N125. Prices for the bike start from Rs 94,707 and go up to Rs 98,707 (ex-showroom). Being a sporty and premium 125cc bike, the Pulsar N125 competes directly against the Hero Xtreme 125R, which is priced between Rs 95,000 to Rs 99,500 (ex-showroom). We compared both bikes to find out how they compare against each other:

Design

The Bajaj Pulsar N125 comes with a sharp and sporty design. Its unique LED headlight and ‘Z-shaped’ LED DRL (daytime running light) stands out. The sharp fuel tank extensions further enhance the bike’s sporty appeal. Even the headlight has pointy extensions on the sides. The fork has plastic covers, giving it a slightly muscular look. The tail section is slim and the bike has an underbelly exhaust. It is available in a total of 7 different colours.

The Hero Xtreme 125R also has sporty looks. It has a slim LED headlight with DRLs and sleek indicators. The fuel tank has a dual-tone finish. The Xtreme 125R has plastic panels on both sides, just below the tank, that look like tank extensions. At the rear, the tail section of the bike looks sleek and sporty too. It is available in three paint schemes.

Engine

The Bajaj Pulsar N125 is powered by a 124.58cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that produces 12PS at 8,500rpm and 11Nm at 6,000rpm, paired to a 5-speed gearbox. Whereas, the Hero Xtreme 125R is equipped with a 124.7cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes lesser power and torque of 11.4PS at 8,250rpm and 10.5Nm at 6,500rpm. The engine is paired with a 5-speed gearbox.

Features

The Bajaj Pulsar N125 comes with an LED headlight, DRLs, and tail light, but the indicators are bulb-type. The base LED Disc variant of the Pulsar N125 gets a smaller LCD console. The top LED Disc BT variant has a bigger LCD console and comes with Bluetooth connectivity for call and SMS alerts. The top-end variant also gets ISG (Integrated Starter Generator) providing a silent start feature and has an automatic engine start/stop feature. It gets both a push-button start and a kickstarter. 

The Hero Xtreme 125R also gets a full-LCD instrument cluster but misses out on smartphone connectivity. It gets an all-LED lighting setup including an LED projector headlamp. The 125cc Hero bike also gets a hazard light feature. The Xtreme 125R also comes with the Hero i3S function that saves fuel by turning off the engine when it idles for a while.

Underpinnings

The Pulsar N125 comes with a telescopic fork and a preload-adjustable monoshock. Braking is managed by a 240mm front disc and a 130mm rear drum brake, with CBS (Combined Braking System) as standard. The bike has 17-inch alloy wheels on both ends. It is fitted with 80-section front and 100-section rear tubeless tyres on the base variant. Whereas, the top variant gets a 110-section rear tyre. It has a smaller 9.5-litre fuel tank. The Pulsar N125 has a 795mm seat height, a generous 198mm ground clearance, and a 125kg kerb weight.

The Xtreme 125R has a lightweight diamond frame. It gets a 37mm telescopic fork and a 7-step preload adjustable monoshock from Showa. It uses a 276mm front disc brake on the ABS variant and a smaller 240mm disc brake on the IBS variant, the rear gets a 130mm drum brake. The ABS variant has a single-channel ABS, and the IBS variant gets a CBS as standard. It has a slightly bigger 10-litre fuel tank and a similar 794mm seat height. The Xtreme 125R has a 180mm ground clearance and weighs 11kg more at 136kg kerb.

Verdict

Both Bajaj Pulsar N125 and the Hero Xtreme 125R are competitively priced under the Rs 1 lakh ex-showroom mark – the Xtreme has a cheaper starting price. Both bikes are quite impressive and offer good packages for their respective prices.

While the Hero Xtreme 125R offers more safety by offering a single-channel ABS as optional, the Pulsar N125 offers more features like smartphone connectivity in the higher variant. So, if you want better brakes, then you should get the Xtreme 125R. If you want your bike to have more features, then you can go for the Bajaj Pulsar N125. However, if you want both modern features and better braking, then you should also consider the TVS Raider 125.