Bajaj Pulsar N125 first ride review | One for the money or one too many?

Fifteen. That’s how many Bajaj Pulsar models exist in the market right now. And now, there’s one more. Say hello to the new Bajaj Pulsar N125. The N125 is the third 125cc model in the ‘Definitely Male’ catalogue, but Bajaj promises that this is a ground-up new motorcycle, with nothing shared with the rest of the very large family. Was there a need for another Pulsar and how does this one fare? Who is it for and how is it like to ride? We spend a few hours with one to find out.

Bajaj Pulsar N125 design

The design of the Pulsar N125 is fresh and for a change, it actually looks like an all-new Pulsar. The overarching theme is that it belongs to the N family and to that end you get the infinity instrument cluster, the floating panels and the funky graphics. The headlight design is all-new and it reminds me of a few other motorcycles. The cowl that runs alongside the headlight is an interesting design element and the fact that it is colour-matched with the rest of the panels elevates its visual presence. The N125 also has fork covers that add to the visual bulk. The tank is sharp and chiselled and has shoulder blades that protrude all the way down. These panels on the tank are nestling a 9-5-litre fuel tank. Above the tank, you have a wide single-piece handlebar above which you will see a fully-digital instrument cluster. The cluster on the top-end variant we rode had Bluetooth connectivity as well. 

To sit on you have a split seat setup with a single-piece grab-rail for the passenger. The bike rides on 17-inch wheels and has a short 1295mm wheelbase. But despite that, in person the bike has the visual footprint of a larger bike. The N125 is available in three colours in the top-end variant — ebony black and cocktail wine red, pewter grey and citrus rush and ebony black with purple fury. The base variant is available in four colours — pearl metallic white, ebony black, cocktail wine red and Caribbean blue

Bajaj Pulsar N125 engine and performance

Powering the Pulsar N125 is, what Bajaj tells us, an all-new engine. It displaces 124.58cc and makes 11.8bhp at 8500rpm and 11Nm at 6000rpm. The engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox. Coming to the performance, the N125 is quite the peppy machine. Bajaj claims a 97kmph top speed and a 0-60kmph time of six seconds, all this while giving between 55-60kmpl. Thumb the starter, which in the case of the top-end variant is connected to an integrated starter generator unit, and the motor roars to life in silence. Once you get going, you have a pleasantly thrummy exhaust note keeping you company as your putter around town. The motor feels eager to rev and does so without introducing too many vibrations. It’s only when you really wring its neck that you start to feel some mildly uncomfortable vibrations begin to creep in around the footpegs and handlebar. The five-speed gearbox is tactile and slick and that in combination with the super light clutch lever makes the act of changing gears a very effortless affair.

The motor is plenty tractable and you can comfortably cruise down the motorway at 75-80kmph. We were riding around a small go-kart track before we got to the roads and here the gearing felt tall enough to not warrant making too many gear shifts. Even while barrelling down the motorway at 80kmph, the IFE was showing a consistent 55kmpl read out. While this is only indicative, I won’t be surprised if proper range testing yields similar results.
Coming to the matter of feel, the engine feels peppy and full of character, one that you can enjoy meandering the city in and one that will enjoy being thrashed as well. So to cut a long story short, it does feel like a Pulsar in that regard.

 Bajaj Pulsar N125 chassis, ride and handling 

The Bajaj Pulsar N125 is underpinned by a diamond frame that hangs off of 30mm telescopic forks upfront and a monoshock at the rear. The rider seat height is set at a comfortable 795mm making it accessible to a wide range of riders, irrespective of whether or not gravity is kind to them or not. Even a larger rider like myself didn’t feel cramped on the Pulsar N125 and that is a good thing. The handlebar is wide and offers good leverage over the machine. Despite the low seat height, the N125 still boasts a near ADV bike 198mm of ground clearance and that should make it very easy for the bike to handle our ‘superb’ roads. The rake is relatively sharp and the skinny 80/100-17 section front tyre makes the bike darty and agile. The top-spec variant we rode made use of a fatter 110/80-17 rear tyre whereas the base model will make do with a 100/90-17 rear tyre. These specs along with the super short 1295mm wheelbase make the N125 a very flickable motorcycle. It loves quick direction changes and this doesn’t come at the cost of stability. It does feel a little jittery every now and then, but I quite enjoy that characteristic of the bike, it lets you know that you’re riding a small skinny machine. That being said, a new rider will also feel at home on the bike, because when you take it easy, the bike is as stable as you want it to be. At 125kg (kerb) the N125 is also very light, adding to its fun handling characteristics. 

The ride quality is on the plush side with the suspension being set up on the softer side. This means that it goes over bumps and potholes without thudding too much and that in turn means you feel a lot more comfortable on the motorcycle. Braking on the N125 comes via a 240m disc at the front and a 130mm drum at the rear. The system gets CBS with no option of single-channel ABS. Braking performance is adequate and confidence inspiring, but you do need a little effort to pull the lever to access this stopping potential. As far as ABS is concerned, Bajaj tells us that its market research indicates that the demand for ABS in this segment of motorcycle is fairly limited and that if it gets enough demand, it can add ABS and introduce the bike to the market in very little time. 

Bajaj Pulsar N125 features and verdict 

Coming to the features, the N125 benefits from LED lighting as standard fitment, the top-end variant also gets three different, snazzier colour schemes, Bluetooth connectivity on a larger instrument cluster, the Integrated Starter Generator that also adds an auto start/stop function, a and a fatter rear tyre. That being said, I would have really liked to see a gear position indicator on the cluster and I feel like that is quite a miss in today’s day and age. 

So, answering the initially posed question, the Bajaj Pulsar N125 does a stellar job of differentiating itself from the Classic Pulsar 125 and the NS 125. It looks fresh, the engine feels different and has a nice character, it’s very light and in turn manageable and makes for a great first bike for a young individual looking to cut their teeth in the art of motorcycle. At ₹94,707 for the base variant and  ₹98,707 for the top-end variant we tested, the N125 offers very good value for money and proudly gives a fight to its rivals, the TVS Raider and the Hero Xtreme 125R. Which one wins? That remains to be seen.