The Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon has been recently launched in India. The motorcycle has replaced the Pulsar 150 Neon to be the most affordable offering in the ‘Pulsar’ line-up. While these bikes can be differentiated by the badging on the rear panels, there are more significant differences which set them apart. We list down five of them.
Engine
As the name of bikes signifies, they are distinguished by engine displacement. The Pulsar 150 Neon is powered by a 149cc, air-cooled, carbureted motor which produces 13.8bhp and 13.4Nm. On the other hand, the Pulsar 125 Neon runs a 124.4cc, carbureted mill which churns out 11.8bhp and 11Nm. Transmission duties are handled by five-speed gearbox on both bikes. Targeted at the customers inclined towards frugal commuting, the Pulsar 125 should deliver better fuel efficiency with its smaller displacement motor.
Hardware
Besides the distinction in engine capacity, the Neon siblings also get different set of components. For braking, the Pulsar 150 comes equipped with a 240mm disc at the front and 130mm drum at the rear. Whereas, its 125cc sibling makes do with a smaller 170mm front disc while the rear drum size remains the same. Furthermore, the former features a single-channel ABS while the latter gets mechanical CBS (combined braking system) which helps Bajaj in keeping the costs in check. Notably, the manufacturer is also offering the Pulsar 125 with a more affordable drum brake (front) variant.
The motorcycles offer varied fuel tank capacities as well. While the 125 gets a smaller 11.5-litre fuel tank, the 150 Neon comes with a larger 15-litre unit.
Tyres
As a cost-cutting measure, the Chakan-based bikemaker has also skimped on tyres of the Pulsar 125. The 17-inch alloy wheels of the motorcycle come shod with Eurogrip tyres, as opposed to the CEATs on the Pulsar 150 Neon.
Colours
While both Pulsar siblings get the Neon styling, the available paint schemes are different. The Pulsar 150 comes with options of silver and red accents on gloss black while there’s also a matte black variant with yellow accents. As for the Pulsar 125, it also gets a matte black but with blue accents while the gloss black (base coat) model can be had either with solar red or platinum silver accents.
Pricing
The 150 Neon was previously the cheapest offering in the Pulsar line up with its price tag of Rs 68,250. Now, the Pulsar 125 Neon has come across as a more affordable alternative for budget-conscious buyers. While the front disc variant has been priced at Rs 66,618, the most affordable drum brake variant can be purchased for Rs 64,000.
(All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi)
