ZigOpinion: Bajaj Pulsar 180: Definitely Male With Middle Child Syndrome

Just a year after the turn of the millennium, Bajaj Auto revolutionised the Indian motorcycling segment when it launched the Pulsar 180 along with the Bajaj Pulsar 150. The OG Pulsars gave several enthusiasts access to a fairly affordable, performance-packed, motorcycle - something that was much sought-after amidst the sea of senile commuters. 

Fast-forward to now and the Pulsar 180 is no longer on Bajaj Auto’s official website. According to our dealer sources, the motorcycle has been (silently) discontinued several months ago. You may find a few at select dealerships depending upon how old their inventory is, but the venerable Pulsar 180 is truly no more. A lot of us enthusiasts are in two minds about the 180cc Pulsar’s passing. We analyse why it would’ve made sense for Bajaj to keep the Pulsar 180 alive and why the motorcycle is better off staying in oblivion.

Two Peas In A Pod:

The Bajaj Pulsar 150 and the Pulsar 180 have always been like two peas in a pod ever since the launch of the first-generation bikes. Bajaj knew the inner workings of Indian audiences, and gave them exactly what they needed: a versatile package at two different price points to cater to two different kinds of customers with different budgets and performance requirements. The overall design was the same, just that the Pulsar 180 was powered by a comparatively bigger engine offering a wee bit more performance to those who craved extra grunt. This formula worked and how! 

The twins raked in consistent sales over the years, and as the market matured, more advanced offerings came to the fore, including the Bajaj Pulsar NS200, Pulsar NS160 and the like. However, these new-age Pulsars commanded a premium price tag, and this is where the Pulsar 150 and the 180 shined like a beacon of hope for the budget-conscious consumer. Moreover, the Pulsar’s arch nemesis, the TVS Apache RTR 180 got new features such as a low-rpm assist when it was upgraded to comply with the BS6 norms. However, the Pulsar 180 was kept unchanged except for the ‘greener’ engine. With the new-generation Pulsars incoming, we think it’d be prudent for Bajaj to launch the next-generation Pulsar 180 to restore its old glory. There is still merit in the idea that certain customers, even today, wouldn’t mind paying a little over the price of the 150 to get a decent bump in capacity and some extra performance rather than going for a premium 160cc bike. As they say, “There’s no replacement for displacement”. So in that sense, it still makes sense to continue the Pulsar 180. But…

It’s A fast-fading segment:

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The 180cc segment had its own niche back then. However, with the advent of newer bikes catering to the 160cc segment as well as the 200cc segment, the 180cc space started losing its sheen. That’s because modern 160cc motorcycles (like the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V) offer performance close to a 180cc bike, while retaining the fuel efficiency expected of a 160cc motorcycle. 

Moreover, a lot of customers equate bigger displacement with lower fuel-efficiency, which tips the scales again in favour of 160cc bikes. Besides, modern 160cc motorcycles offer tonnes of tangible, practical features, and it’s always easier for companies to sell tangible features than 1-2 horsepower gain, so this segment slowly began to fade away into irrelevance. At the end of the day, a feature-packed 160cc motorcycle was always more attractive to the customer than a dated (yet powerful) 180cc offering.

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Those who want better performance were able to easily go for kitted-out, reasonably priced 200cc motorcycles. Street riders have the best-in-segment TVS Apache RTR 200 4V armed with segment-first riding modes whereas those who like to kick some dirt have the Hero XPulse 200. There’s even the Bajaj Avenger 220 Cruise for the laid-back mile-munchers.   

 

When customers are spoiled with such feature-loaded, modern offerings both above and below the 180cc segment, the Pulsar 180 really feels like the middle child that nobody pays attention to anymore. Summing up, the Pulsar 180 just felt like it was muddling the whole line-up. With Bajaj discontinuing the motorcycle, it’s best the bike rests in peace now.