As reported earlier, Bajaj Auto has discontinued the Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS from the Indian market. The motorcycle, however, will be continued to be exported to select international markets. Now, reports suggest that the Indian two-wheeler brand might be working on a even smaller displacement for the Pulsar brand that we might see a new 125cc motorcycle enter the Indian market in 2019. But why is Bajaj planning a smaller, 125cc Pulsar?
Although there is no official statement about a smaller Pulsar, it is most likely due to the new safety norms which make it mandatory for all motorcycles above 125cc of displacement to have the safety net of ABS as standard. All two-wheelers below 125cc will need to have CBS. The installation of ABS on the Pulsar 135, which competes against the 125cc motorcycles in the Indian market, would’ve resulted in higher prices, thus affecting its value-for-money proposition and the sales.
The new 125cc Pulsar would be a more affordable option which would be placed against the current crop of 125cc motorcycles in the Indian market. The development cost might not be very high as Bajaj already has a potent 125cc engine which was previously seen on the Discover 125. The 124.6cc, 4-valve, twin-spark, air-cooled engine on the Discover 125 was tuned to deliver 13 hp of power at 9,000 rpm and 10.8 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm. In comparison, the the Pulsar 135 LS’s engine was tuned for 13.5 hp and 11.4 Nm of torque.
The new Bajaj Pulsar 125, as aforementioned, will be heading to India in 2019 (most likely by mid-2019).
Source: Autocar India
Note: Images for representation purpose only
