The new Bajaj Pulsar N125 recently went on sale in India. Priced at Rs 94,707 for the base variant and Rs 98,707, ex-showroom, for the top-spec. The Pulsar N125 is tasked with bringing in the youth who are looking for a modern , sport 125cc bike. One that is stylish, has decent performance and is frugal enough to keep the wallet happy. We rode the bike and found it to be all that and more. Its new, air-cooled engine is refined and has great mid-range punch. The ride and handling is also very good and on the whole, this is a bike that can hold a candle to the competition that we’ve listed below.
TVS Raider 125 (Rs 95,869, ex-showroom)
The TVS Raider 125 is the king of the segment. It was the first 125cc bike to break away from the mould of conventional 125cc commuters and that was one of the primary reasons why it was lapped up by the youth. The styling was fresh, the engine was peppy and entertaining while the ride and handling, in typical TVS fashion was great.
The Raider came out of nowhere and caught the competition napping. For those interested in numbers, the Raider is powered by a 124.8cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 11.2bhp and 11.2Nm. The bike comes with a long list of features with the top-spec bike featuring a TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity.
Hero Xtreme 125R (Rs 95,000 ex-showroom)
The Hero Xtreme 125R is one of the most impressive motorcycles to have rolled off the company’s production lines. With a 124.7cc engine that makes 11.4bhp and 10.5Nm, the Xtreme 125R packs enough performance but what is also notable is the refinement levels it offers. It’s an engine that doesn’t mind being revved and, perhaps, that’s what a lot of the young riders won’t mind. In our tests, we found that the engine delivers 56.4kmpl in the city.
What also catches your attention is the bike’s sporty design. It is a welcome departure from Hero’s traditional designs and looks attractive. The bike also has a lightweight chassis and the handling is one of its strong points. It is also the only bike in the segment to offer single-channel ABS and that makes it the more safer option among this trio.
