Bajaj Pulsar N125

Bajaj’s portfolio has three 125cc Pulsars, each meant to serve a purpose. The one you see in these pictures, the Pulsar N125, is the newest member of this family and has been created to make city commutes easy and fun. One may argue that the NS125 falls in the same category, but the N125 is a more modern and accessible approach. Now, the question is how well the bike carries out those commuting duties. To answer that, we spent a couple of weeks with the motorcycle, using it for our daily office-home rides. Here’s what we think about it.

The BikeWale team has unanimously agreed that the N125 is the best-looking 125cc motorcycle. It looks modern, sporty, and eye-catching. While some might find it a little too compact, Bajaj has bestowed it with small elements that add to the visual mass, such as front fork covers, air intake-like fender sides, and protruding underseat panels. All in all, it looks quite stylish. It’s equally impressive on the quality front, with all plastic panels feeling sturdy and well put together. The overall fit and finish are also decent, with no paint smudges or uneven panel gaps throughout.

This is where the Pulsar N125 feels a little odd, but not really in a bad way. While hopping on the bike is easy, the seating position is strange with the fuel tank being too small, the handlebar narrow and too close to you, and the seat feeling too hard for a commuter. Also, the sense of being on top of the bike, rather than in it, is pronounced. It feels more like a supermoto than a sporty streetfighter. Having said that, the riding position is not uncomfortable by any means, and once you get used to it, it neither bothers you nor causes any discomfort.

The ride quality, meanwhile, is a bit on the firmer side. While the smaller rumblers or road joints are flattened out cleanly, the bigger speed bumps are where you feel an unpleasant kickback. It’s not outright uncomfortable but something that will keep reminding you of the bike’s sporty intentions. Agility is one of its strongest suits, and I’ll touch upon that shortly.

Powering the bike is a 124.58cc, air-cooled engine that produces 11.83bhp and 11Nm. When you combine this with its feather-light kerb weight of 125kg, you get a bike that feels fairly peppy for its displacement. There’s decent mid-range grunt, which means overtaking slow-moving vehicles is easy. Plus, commendable refinement means you feel some vibes only after crossing 80kmph. This engine is also tractable, and doing 30-35kph in fifth gear isn’t a problem. Moreover, the clutch is super light and the gears shift without a fuss. What I also like about this engine is the sound, which is bassy and gives it character, making the riding experience engaging.

The handling dynamics, as I mentioned before, are the N125’s strong trait. It feels extremely flickable and light on its feet, making filtering through traffic or navigating narrow lanes an effortless and fun affair. The handlebar is on the narrower side, which helps with squeezing through tight gaps. As for the brakes, they do a decent job of slowing the bike down, with the front disc delivering good bite and lever feel while the rear has optimum progression.

The Pulsar N125 features everything that has become a norm in this day and age. An LCD console with Bluetooth connectivity for answering calls? Check. An LED headlamp and tail lamp? Check. Auto start-stop function? Check. A USB charging port? Check.

What I missed having was a gear position indicator on the display and ABS. While it does have a combined braking system, which mildly applies the front brake when you apply the rear, the front still locks up if you go hard on the brake which might take new riders by surprise at times.

The Pulsar N125 didn’t fail to surprise us in regards to fuel efficiency. Although its fuel tank capacity of 9.5-litre isn’t much, we obtained a mileage of 61.8kmpl after riding the bike in low to moderate traffic. That translates to about 580km of range which is respectable for a commuter.

For someone who wants a handsome, easy-to-ride, and frugal 125cc motorcycle mainly for city commuting, the Bajaj Pulsar N125 is one of the best options out there. It looks sporty and stylish, the engine performance and character are impressive, the handling dynamics are sorted, and, it's comfortable, although unconventionally so. It also comes with modern features and the build quality is good for this class. The only area it could improve upon is the ride quality. A more absorbent rear suspension will certainly elevate the comfort.

With a starting price of Rs. 92,704, ex-showroom, the Pulsar N125 is marginally more affordable than its closest rivals like the Hero Xtreme 125R and the TVS Raider 125. Plus, Bajaj’s wide service reach and affordable spares add to the reasons to go for the N125.

Photography by Kapil Angane