Description
This document is about the Analysis of 150CC bikes and it compares with TVS Apache RTR Fi 160, Hero Honda Hunk, Yamaha FZ 16, Hero Honda CBZ X-TREME, 150cc Shootout GS150R vs Pulsar vs Unicorn vs Achiver.
TVS Apache RTR Fi 160
Born and raised for race track, TVS Apache RTR FI 160 is a very stylish and eye catching bike. Its smooth and flawless finish make this bike desirable to the market. This bike is like a must have for every biker and racer. Real supportive and safety features are provided for better control and excellent riding of this two wheeler. It simply render complete touch of perfection. Stylish characteristics:
• • • • • • • •
Split grab rails – Ensures optimum blend of design and functionality Silencer – Designed with details and sound engineering Rearset foot pegs – Light weighted, sporty and assure every riding experience like a track riding experience Racing GT stripe – Epitomize the RTR FI 160 racing pedigree Forged brake lever – Lighter in construction and deliver great looks Aerodynamic air scoops – Assure that the air is directed towards the engine unit to help better cooling efficiency Engine fairing – This feature basically function to save the RTR engine from elements and harsh riding conditions Black alloys – Light weight and can cope up with the toughest of surfaces and reduced weight
Salient features :
• • • • • •
Tail lamps Roto Petal Disc Digital speedo console Over square engine Poly shocks Clip on handle bars
Colors :
• • • •
Yellow Black silver Red Matt gray
Hero Honda Hunk
Price : Kick Start – Rs. 54000 58000 Self Start – Rs. 56000 – 60000 The newly launched Hero Honda Hunk is fully featured with all the essential factors which enables it to stand out from all other twowheelers. Hunk is a kind of bike for which all the bike lovers look for. With sharp, muscular toned body, this bike is extremely good looking. Hunk is the result of a new age technology that helps in low fuel consumption and improved riding. Some Salient Features :
• • • • • • • • •
Broad muscular Fuel Tank with capacity of 12.4 ltrs minimum. Engine – 4 stroke single cylinder OHC Glaring headlight with aggressive vision Powerful Disk brakes Telescopic hydraulic shock absorber Fiery ringed chrome speedometer Puncture resistant tubes Revolutionary inert suspension Sporty saddle
Available colors Hero Honda Hunk is available in the following five colors. 1.Red 2.Blue 3.Black 4.Panther Black 5.Silver
Yamaha FZ 16
Price range – Rs 60,000 to 70,000 Yamaha FZ 16 is a masterpiece born to revolutionize the era with its eye catching features and specifications. This bike is equipped with certain special features like :
• • • • • • •
Aircooled, 4stroke, singlecylinder 153cc engine featured by its heart stirring pick up and featuring an electric starter. Monocross rear suspension unit that assures fast running performance and handling. India’s first radial tyre with a 60% aspect ratio Good shock absorption and damping characteristics Multireflector headlight Steel fuel tank having capacity of 12 liter with uniquely styled plastic resin cover Full Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) meter
Specifications:
• • • • •
Starting method Electric starter Compression ratio 9.5:1 Maximum output 14PS / 7500 rpm Maximum torque 14 N.m / 6000 rpm Engine oil volume 1.2 liters
Colors : Various colors available in Yamaha FZ 16 are :
• • •
Lava red Midnight black Flaming orange
Hero Honda CBZ XTREME
CBZ XTREME from Hero Honda has rocked the nation with its cutting edge technology & sleek design. The latest & updated version of the old CBZ have created its own niche among the bike lovers with the many additional features making it an awesome bike perfect for a joy ride. Boasting of 150cc vertical engine and a single cylinder, its speed is one major feature which acts the bike's USP. Other Features
CBZ X TREME has many advantageous attributes which makes it different from its older version. Some of these are listed below :
• • • • •
Powerful windscreen Maximum power is 10.6 KW @ 8500 rpm Maximum torque id of 12.80 Nm @ 6500 rpm Self and kick start options Minimum 12.3 liters fuel tank capacity with 1.5 liters as usable reserve
from the consumer point of view Bajaj is the best bcoz its poducts are cheaper and offer good fuel efficiency then Honda.And who is concerned for bike’s performance after 5 to 6 years.Is there anyone ? No. Pulsar is very common on roads but this all due to its unbeatable performance in every respect.
Market Share:
Pulsar : 43% Hero Honda : 59% Bajaj Auto : 17% TVS Motors : 15% Yamaha : 5%
Pulsar Vs Hunk
While Here Honda is world’s leading bike maker, Bajaj is leading Indian bike marketer. There certainly lies so much of a difference between the two. Honda has been there for long in the bike market and is known for service as well as reliability and Bajaj has been an innovator. Every now and then it comes with something new and innovative and no doubt Bajaj bikes have mass appeal as well. In the Indian roads 150cc segment motorbikes have gained popularity and is now established market
leaders in world of biking because of its awesome performance with reasonable pricing and ease of handling. It was Bajaj who introduced Bajaj Pulsar 150cc DTSi (Digital Twin spark ignition) powered engine with tagline of definitely male. Wonderful marketing caption as analyzed by pundits it created uproar in 150 cc bike segment as a whole. However, Bajaj Pulsar 150cc faced competition from the Honda’s Hunk model. There is some amount of confusion amongst bike buyers as to what they choose between the two. They can’t go for a marketing tagline and invest about 60k plus rupees on a bike. So, here is a brief comparison of the two bikes in terms of look, performance, reliability, pricing & more. Looks: Hero Honda Hunk model portrays a majestic look with its exquisite style and side skirt in the tanks. Available in four colors of black, blue, silver and red, Hunk has a thump and muscular look with its gold polished front forks and silver finished central section. Equipped with butterfly like headlight, Hunk reflects a sporty look with everyone stopping by to give a glance as it graces the Indian roads. However, it’s the look of the Bajaj Pulsar that has a unique appeal. The fuel tank is huge with muscle and the design of Pulsar has been tweaked in Japan to make it as one showstopper, and the telltale headlight and the razor edged tailend of the bike give it a fresh new look. Pulsar also has so many gadgets and hifi electronic gadgets to impress. Maybe looks wise, Bajaj pulsar 150cc DTSi seems to better the Hero Honda Hunk 150cc, but again looks are very much subjective, ain’t it? Performance: The 150cc engine of Hunk produces 14.2 Ps @8500 rpm and powers 12.98 Nm torque at 6500 rpm. It is here that the 150cc Bajaj Pulsar DTSi engine produces 14.09 Ps at 8500rpm and 12.76 torque at 6500 rpm. Thus the power delivery of Bajaj Pulsar is bit mild in comparison to other bikes in the 150 cc segment. Although the engine is smooth yet it makes noise and loses its smoothness when pushed hard. However, Honda Hunk model does not vibrate even at a speed of 80 kmph. The Bajaj Pulsar 150cc model has advantage of better throttle responsiveness with its feature of Digital Twin spark ignition. Similarly, The Honda Hunk model also responds with a slightest twist. In the Pulsar model clutch works perfectly but guess the gearbox needs some modifications. However, the Hunk model of Honda boasts of a 5speed gearbox and the clutch is extremely smooth and the gears can be shifted with slightest effort. Pulsar 150cc is known to have notchy gear shifting and the clutch is not as smooth as it is in the Hunk. Fuel Efficiency: Mileage wise Honda Hunk gives about 5560 km/L for the economy riding and 65 km/L on a long drive and Pulsar 150cc DTSi gives around 4550 km/L mileage on economy ride and about 55 on long drive (should it be driven smoothly). Brakes: What about the disc brakes of these two motorbikes? Pulsar is equipped with good disc brakes, but it needs to be applied carefully as the brakes of Bajaj Pulsar are extremely sensitive. With applying front brakes too quick in the Pulsar model, it has a tendency to topple over. However, the front wheel of Honda Hunk has a 240 mm disc brake and the rear wheel is equipped with 130 mm drum breaks and that by itself provides with enough stability in the Indian road conditions. Dashboard: If you are a fan of digital display panels, I am afraid that the Hunk may disappoint you a little bit. While the Hunk has nicely designed 3 dial dashboard displaying all the necessary details, Pulsar’s digital console is seductive for many Pulsar fans.
Quality & Handling: Pulsar 150cc DTSi generates more noise, as it gets older; say a 2yearold pulsar is noisier than a new Pulsar, but hardly there is any such difference in Hunk. However, if the rider is fond of speed drive, his Pulsar 150cc DTSi will get heated up when driven at 60kmph speed for sometime. Yowza! Hero Honda Hunk stays cool no matter speed driving for a considerable length of time. It also means a difference with maintenance. Pulsar 150cc DTSi warrants change in clutch plates more often than a Hero Honda Hunk. So speed handling, Hunk betters the Pulsar. Comfort: The riding position of Pulsar gives a sporty kind of feeling in comparison to the Hunk model. Pulsar can boast of a plush ride quality with great shock absorbers. There are a few who complain of awkward seating position on a pulsar and that a Bajaj Pulsar 150cc doesn’t make a pillion rider feel as comfortable, especially if it’s a female. The riding position of Honda Hunk is comparatively better with raised handlebars and neatly placed foot pegs. The innovative gascharged rear suspension gives a nice feeling as well. Additionally, the cushioned seats of Hunk model are extremely comfortable for long distance ride. The front seat of the Hero Honda Hunk model is separated by a step from the back seat and makes the pillion feel, male or female, quite comfortable. Technology: The digital technology incorporated into this highflying motorbike, Bajaj Pulsar that gives a great satisfaction of a rare and daring riding experience. The bike was developed to ride in any kind of terrain with its nitrogen assisted rear gas shockers; telescopic suspension, optimized and improved exhaust gas system. While again Hunk is also a new age technology driven bike with low fuel consumption. Digital console of Bajaj Pulsar could be no competition, as most new age bikes will have that feature. Again the Hunk is slightly heavier than the Bajaj pulsar 150cc as it weighs 145 kg. Hero Honda Hunk lacks the LED Tail lamps, digital meter and has slightly hard gearbox. Pricing: As regards price, Bajaj Pulsar 150 cc DTSi is priced competitively at Rs.59,190 (ex showroom Delhi) and coming to about Rs.68,000 on road. On the other Hero Honda Hunk is priced at Rs.55,000 (exshowroom) with auto start as optional and costing about Rs.65,000 on road. Verdict: But all said and done, in the 150cc segment on the marketing front Pulsar 150 DTSi kicked off Hero Honda Hunk, but in core biking (by which I mean quality, handling and reliability) Hunk kicked the butt of Pulsar and there is no debate to this. Still better I would say, ask an owner who owns a Hunk for 2 years or so, he is still a happy man to have spent very little on maintenance and the Pulsar 150cc DTSi owner would have changed clutch plates, shock absorbers and is already looking for an upgrade of Pulsar (if he is a diehard Pulsar fan) or some other better model. The spares of Bajaj maybe cheaper than Honda but even Auto Car India acknowledged that Bajaj as a whole suffers from quality problems.
150cc Shootout GS150R vs Pulsar vs Unicorn vs Achiver
The bikes in the Indian 150cc segment cater to a wide ranging audience like the executives, the youth and even the commuters. The past year witnessed a reshuffling in this segment as the Yamaha YZF-R15 and the FZ16 as well as the Apache RTR Fi took the performance game a notch higher. When the news of Suzuki’s ‘Lanza 150cc’ crept in, the crowd awaited eagerly to see what the Japanese manufacturer had in store. But contrary to the performance oriented expectations, Suzuki’s latest offering, the GS150R is an
executive commuter. Can the bike mark a mark for itself in the Bajaj and Honda dominated market?
As I rode the GS150R out of the Suzuki dealership to begin our extensive road test, I initially didn’t rev the bike above the 3,000rpm mark – not because I wanted to comply to the running in procedures but because the engine’s smoothness within this rev range had me bowled over. It felt utterly smooth and potent at the same time. The healthy low end torque of the machine made sure that I didn’t have to shift gears frequently while commuting through the city. But this short ride from the showroom to the office was not enough to jump to any conclusions especially knowing that the GS’s competition includes potent players like the Honda Unicorn, the Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTSi and the utterly soft and smooth Hero Honda Achiever. Without any biased opinions about any of the contenders, I got down to spending time backtoback with these four machines. Design and construction: When we posted the GS150R’s images on the BI website, many people including us, thought that the bike looked a lot like the Pulsar, especially the side profile of the headlight assembly. But that is where the similarity ends. Look at the bike in the flesh, and you will immediately notice that the GS is more muscular. The Suzuki’s beefy tank rises from the seat in a manner similar to bigger sports bikes, and feels higher than that of the Unicorn or the Achiever. But since the handlebars are higher too, the seating posture makes sure that the tank doesn’t brush against your body. The worst tank design out of the four bikes is that of the Pulsar due to its crotch unfriendly hump. However if you are comfortable with that, the tank looks muscular and appealing.
The GS’s headlight, stacked up LED taillight and body integrated blinkers aptly reflect the design clues taken from the K6 GSX-R1000. The two-tone stripes, which in recent times have become an integral part of all Suzuki sports bikes, are used on the GS’s bikini fairing, tank and body panels to further highlight the Suzuki DNA. Below the bikini fairing are two air vents which are just a design element and don’t serve any significant function except maybe reducing aerodynamic drag by a miniscule margin. Another distinctive design element of the GS is the swirled spoke design of the alloys as compared to the straight spoke wheels on the other bikes here. The wheels on all the four contenders are from the same production house Enkei and are equally strong and durable to take on the Indian road conditions. On the whole the design of the GS is distinctive in its own subtle way. It looks refreshing, without being too loud or pompous, it’s got a character of its own and won’t be lost in the crowd of dated commuters.
The build quality of the GS150R’s body panels looked robust at the first glance and there were no worrisome panel gaps either. No vibes or squeaks from the body throughout our testing further corroborated the bike’s immaculate build quality. But again, this is a brand new bike in consideration. A long term test will give us a better idea on its durability. The Unicorn’s plastics were known to be shabby and brittle at one point in time, but the third generation bike seems to have improved a lot in this regard. The GS and the Unicorn both feature chrome bits on the side panels housing the fuelcock. The treatment looks good against the two bikes’ black engines as compared to the grey mills on the Pulsar and the Achiever. Overall, I personally feel that the GS150R edges ahead of the competition in terms of design and construction with the Unicorn right on its tail. The Pulsar looks aggressive but is now dated and seriously needs a redesign, not a mere facelift. The Achiever is an underdog on the design front. It’s neither ugly nor outright aggressive but for a bloke looking for a subtly designed 150cc commuter, this bike surely makes the cut. Engine, performance and handling
Though the GS150R’s engine felt smooth initially, spending time with the Unicorn made me realize that the Honda was still overall the smoothest package of the lot. The GS150R further disappointed when I could distinctively hear the sound of valve clutter and a slight knocking from the engine. These sounds get amplified in higher revs and vibes kick in after the 7,000rpm mark. However, they are lesser than one would experience on a similar capacity Pulsar. Though the Honda has the least vibes, the Achiever with the same Unicorn mill is the smoothest of all. Where the Achiever loses out is the clanky gear shifts, especially in the first three gears. These clanks are comparable to the Pulsar’s, the only difference being the latter’s engine complements the shift clanks in making disturbing sounds. The Unicorn’s gear shifts are butter smooth as expected, but the GS comes quite close in this regard too.
Power may not be the priority for these bikes’ target audience but it deserves a mention. The GS took everyone by surprise with its short ratio six-speed gearbox which accounts for superior acceleration without significantly compromising the top speed. Its acceleration not only outclassed the Unicorn and the Achiever by almost half a second but was also on par with the Pulsar 150 – a bike known to be the quickest so far in the bunch of executive commuters. The GS’s 108km/h top speed, however, puts it in the same territory as the Unicorn and Achiever. The Pulsar’s 113km/h top speed makes the Bajaj the fastest of the lot.
The GS boasts of a very healthy power rating of 14PS. The Suzuki engine manages to extract close to 58kmpl and 65kmpl in the city and the highway respectively, thus matching the fuel efficiency of the Unicorn and the Achiever albeit with additional power. The Pulsar, thanks to its sportier engine, only manages to be close to 50kmpl.
City commutes Commuting in the city is where these bikes will spend most of their time. The GS150R’s seat, though visually sporty, is sufficiently wide and very comfortable. No butt aches were reported either by the riders or pillions even after hours of rigorous riding and testing. The back seat is not very high either which makes it easy for the pillion to get astride. The Unicorn’s seat though not as wide, is still very comfortable both for the rider and the pillion. The Achiever’s seat too doesn’t leave us with anything to complain about. The Pulsar’s seat, in its quest for being sporty, turns out to be too slim and for some odd reason quite hard too. The fact shouldn’t be a bother to commuters looking at a daily travel distance of 10-15km. For longer hauls, however, the other three bikes have an edge over the Bajaj when it comes to comfort. The only irritating aspect on the GS is its conventional yet imbalanced toe heel shifter. If you consider the toe section to be at sea-level, the heel section is as high as Mount Everest making it uncomfortable for the left ankle. This is not the case with the other bikes at all. To make matters difficult for all the bikes, I made sure I had a heavy pillion and rode them through bumps as well. The GS’s gas damped shocks offered excellent cushioning and did not bottom out even once. The chassis-suspension setup on the GS has been designed well, and works well for riding solo, as well as with a pillion. It was the same case with the Unicorn as well. However I would give the Uni’s monoshock an edge over the GS’s units. The Achiever’s soft suspension offers great comfort at low speeds and with an average payload, but try leaning it hard or loading it with some well fed journos, and it begins bottoming out at the slightest hint of an undulation. The Pulsar’s rear shockers too are quite well designed and don’t bottom out. But the same can’t be said about the front forks which love to dive every time they see a bump or a pothole.
Coming to the instrument console, the GS incorporates a digital readout for the speedo, odo, trip and fuel counters. The self check for LCD is slower than the Pulsar’s but has a funky fade in effect when checking all the display units. If you are the responsible type and wear your protection gear (especially gloves) even when commuting to office, then you would be happy to see the inclusion of a digital clock in GS’s console. Also on display are three modes – economy, power and ‘I know all’ (pun intended). In the economy mode, the white warning light blinks every time the engine revs exceed 4,500rpm, indicating that you are exiting the economy range. The light will remain on as you cross 6000rpm thus indicating that you are way over the economy range. The power mode will
simply switch the light on at 8,000rpm to indicate that you are going close to the redline. Selecting the third mode means that ‘you know what you are doing’ and hence will not bring on the light no matter what. Overall the unit is very well laid out and in spite of the large fonts for the speedo and tacho numbers it does not appear gaudy or offensive. The Pulsar’s unit is equally well laid out and the white fascia on the new bike looks classy. The Unicorn and the Achiever really need to pull up their socks in this department and upgrade to digital units in order to stay with the times.
CONCLUSION
The Achiever has the smoothest engine and the softest suspension of the lot and caters to a hardcore city commuter. The Pulsar, on the other hand, is still one of the highest selling 150cc bikes out there but needs to up its game in terms of engine refinement and gearshift to be on par with the new contenders. The Unicorn has been the undisputed king of this segment with the smoothest engine setup, great riding dynamics, good mileage and the Honda reliability. Though it is almost impossible to dethrone the Unicorn, the GS150R comes freakishly close to the Honda in all these departments and edges ahead with flashy styling and uptodate gizmos. But since the Unicorn is cheaper by Rs 1,500 and has proven its mettle times without number, it still retains the top spot. As a package, the GS is great and better than the rest of the competition. It will prove to be a thorn in the Unicorn’s arm in the time to come.
doc_462329731.doc
This document is about the Analysis of 150CC bikes and it compares with TVS Apache RTR Fi 160, Hero Honda Hunk, Yamaha FZ 16, Hero Honda CBZ X-TREME, 150cc Shootout GS150R vs Pulsar vs Unicorn vs Achiver.
TVS Apache RTR Fi 160
Born and raised for race track, TVS Apache RTR FI 160 is a very stylish and eye catching bike. Its smooth and flawless finish make this bike desirable to the market. This bike is like a must have for every biker and racer. Real supportive and safety features are provided for better control and excellent riding of this two wheeler. It simply render complete touch of perfection. Stylish characteristics:
• • • • • • • •
Split grab rails – Ensures optimum blend of design and functionality Silencer – Designed with details and sound engineering Rearset foot pegs – Light weighted, sporty and assure every riding experience like a track riding experience Racing GT stripe – Epitomize the RTR FI 160 racing pedigree Forged brake lever – Lighter in construction and deliver great looks Aerodynamic air scoops – Assure that the air is directed towards the engine unit to help better cooling efficiency Engine fairing – This feature basically function to save the RTR engine from elements and harsh riding conditions Black alloys – Light weight and can cope up with the toughest of surfaces and reduced weight
Salient features :
• • • • • •
Tail lamps Roto Petal Disc Digital speedo console Over square engine Poly shocks Clip on handle bars
Colors :
• • • •
Yellow Black silver Red Matt gray
Hero Honda Hunk
Price : Kick Start – Rs. 54000 58000 Self Start – Rs. 56000 – 60000 The newly launched Hero Honda Hunk is fully featured with all the essential factors which enables it to stand out from all other twowheelers. Hunk is a kind of bike for which all the bike lovers look for. With sharp, muscular toned body, this bike is extremely good looking. Hunk is the result of a new age technology that helps in low fuel consumption and improved riding. Some Salient Features :
• • • • • • • • •
Broad muscular Fuel Tank with capacity of 12.4 ltrs minimum. Engine – 4 stroke single cylinder OHC Glaring headlight with aggressive vision Powerful Disk brakes Telescopic hydraulic shock absorber Fiery ringed chrome speedometer Puncture resistant tubes Revolutionary inert suspension Sporty saddle
Available colors Hero Honda Hunk is available in the following five colors. 1.Red 2.Blue 3.Black 4.Panther Black 5.Silver
Yamaha FZ 16
Price range – Rs 60,000 to 70,000 Yamaha FZ 16 is a masterpiece born to revolutionize the era with its eye catching features and specifications. This bike is equipped with certain special features like :
• • • • • • •
Aircooled, 4stroke, singlecylinder 153cc engine featured by its heart stirring pick up and featuring an electric starter. Monocross rear suspension unit that assures fast running performance and handling. India’s first radial tyre with a 60% aspect ratio Good shock absorption and damping characteristics Multireflector headlight Steel fuel tank having capacity of 12 liter with uniquely styled plastic resin cover Full Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) meter
Specifications:
• • • • •
Starting method Electric starter Compression ratio 9.5:1 Maximum output 14PS / 7500 rpm Maximum torque 14 N.m / 6000 rpm Engine oil volume 1.2 liters
Colors : Various colors available in Yamaha FZ 16 are :
• • •
Lava red Midnight black Flaming orange
Hero Honda CBZ XTREME
CBZ XTREME from Hero Honda has rocked the nation with its cutting edge technology & sleek design. The latest & updated version of the old CBZ have created its own niche among the bike lovers with the many additional features making it an awesome bike perfect for a joy ride. Boasting of 150cc vertical engine and a single cylinder, its speed is one major feature which acts the bike's USP. Other Features
CBZ X TREME has many advantageous attributes which makes it different from its older version. Some of these are listed below :
• • • • •
Powerful windscreen Maximum power is 10.6 KW @ 8500 rpm Maximum torque id of 12.80 Nm @ 6500 rpm Self and kick start options Minimum 12.3 liters fuel tank capacity with 1.5 liters as usable reserve
from the consumer point of view Bajaj is the best bcoz its poducts are cheaper and offer good fuel efficiency then Honda.And who is concerned for bike’s performance after 5 to 6 years.Is there anyone ? No. Pulsar is very common on roads but this all due to its unbeatable performance in every respect.
Market Share:
Pulsar : 43% Hero Honda : 59% Bajaj Auto : 17% TVS Motors : 15% Yamaha : 5%
Pulsar Vs Hunk
While Here Honda is world’s leading bike maker, Bajaj is leading Indian bike marketer. There certainly lies so much of a difference between the two. Honda has been there for long in the bike market and is known for service as well as reliability and Bajaj has been an innovator. Every now and then it comes with something new and innovative and no doubt Bajaj bikes have mass appeal as well. In the Indian roads 150cc segment motorbikes have gained popularity and is now established market
leaders in world of biking because of its awesome performance with reasonable pricing and ease of handling. It was Bajaj who introduced Bajaj Pulsar 150cc DTSi (Digital Twin spark ignition) powered engine with tagline of definitely male. Wonderful marketing caption as analyzed by pundits it created uproar in 150 cc bike segment as a whole. However, Bajaj Pulsar 150cc faced competition from the Honda’s Hunk model. There is some amount of confusion amongst bike buyers as to what they choose between the two. They can’t go for a marketing tagline and invest about 60k plus rupees on a bike. So, here is a brief comparison of the two bikes in terms of look, performance, reliability, pricing & more. Looks: Hero Honda Hunk model portrays a majestic look with its exquisite style and side skirt in the tanks. Available in four colors of black, blue, silver and red, Hunk has a thump and muscular look with its gold polished front forks and silver finished central section. Equipped with butterfly like headlight, Hunk reflects a sporty look with everyone stopping by to give a glance as it graces the Indian roads. However, it’s the look of the Bajaj Pulsar that has a unique appeal. The fuel tank is huge with muscle and the design of Pulsar has been tweaked in Japan to make it as one showstopper, and the telltale headlight and the razor edged tailend of the bike give it a fresh new look. Pulsar also has so many gadgets and hifi electronic gadgets to impress. Maybe looks wise, Bajaj pulsar 150cc DTSi seems to better the Hero Honda Hunk 150cc, but again looks are very much subjective, ain’t it? Performance: The 150cc engine of Hunk produces 14.2 Ps @8500 rpm and powers 12.98 Nm torque at 6500 rpm. It is here that the 150cc Bajaj Pulsar DTSi engine produces 14.09 Ps at 8500rpm and 12.76 torque at 6500 rpm. Thus the power delivery of Bajaj Pulsar is bit mild in comparison to other bikes in the 150 cc segment. Although the engine is smooth yet it makes noise and loses its smoothness when pushed hard. However, Honda Hunk model does not vibrate even at a speed of 80 kmph. The Bajaj Pulsar 150cc model has advantage of better throttle responsiveness with its feature of Digital Twin spark ignition. Similarly, The Honda Hunk model also responds with a slightest twist. In the Pulsar model clutch works perfectly but guess the gearbox needs some modifications. However, the Hunk model of Honda boasts of a 5speed gearbox and the clutch is extremely smooth and the gears can be shifted with slightest effort. Pulsar 150cc is known to have notchy gear shifting and the clutch is not as smooth as it is in the Hunk. Fuel Efficiency: Mileage wise Honda Hunk gives about 5560 km/L for the economy riding and 65 km/L on a long drive and Pulsar 150cc DTSi gives around 4550 km/L mileage on economy ride and about 55 on long drive (should it be driven smoothly). Brakes: What about the disc brakes of these two motorbikes? Pulsar is equipped with good disc brakes, but it needs to be applied carefully as the brakes of Bajaj Pulsar are extremely sensitive. With applying front brakes too quick in the Pulsar model, it has a tendency to topple over. However, the front wheel of Honda Hunk has a 240 mm disc brake and the rear wheel is equipped with 130 mm drum breaks and that by itself provides with enough stability in the Indian road conditions. Dashboard: If you are a fan of digital display panels, I am afraid that the Hunk may disappoint you a little bit. While the Hunk has nicely designed 3 dial dashboard displaying all the necessary details, Pulsar’s digital console is seductive for many Pulsar fans.
Quality & Handling: Pulsar 150cc DTSi generates more noise, as it gets older; say a 2yearold pulsar is noisier than a new Pulsar, but hardly there is any such difference in Hunk. However, if the rider is fond of speed drive, his Pulsar 150cc DTSi will get heated up when driven at 60kmph speed for sometime. Yowza! Hero Honda Hunk stays cool no matter speed driving for a considerable length of time. It also means a difference with maintenance. Pulsar 150cc DTSi warrants change in clutch plates more often than a Hero Honda Hunk. So speed handling, Hunk betters the Pulsar. Comfort: The riding position of Pulsar gives a sporty kind of feeling in comparison to the Hunk model. Pulsar can boast of a plush ride quality with great shock absorbers. There are a few who complain of awkward seating position on a pulsar and that a Bajaj Pulsar 150cc doesn’t make a pillion rider feel as comfortable, especially if it’s a female. The riding position of Honda Hunk is comparatively better with raised handlebars and neatly placed foot pegs. The innovative gascharged rear suspension gives a nice feeling as well. Additionally, the cushioned seats of Hunk model are extremely comfortable for long distance ride. The front seat of the Hero Honda Hunk model is separated by a step from the back seat and makes the pillion feel, male or female, quite comfortable. Technology: The digital technology incorporated into this highflying motorbike, Bajaj Pulsar that gives a great satisfaction of a rare and daring riding experience. The bike was developed to ride in any kind of terrain with its nitrogen assisted rear gas shockers; telescopic suspension, optimized and improved exhaust gas system. While again Hunk is also a new age technology driven bike with low fuel consumption. Digital console of Bajaj Pulsar could be no competition, as most new age bikes will have that feature. Again the Hunk is slightly heavier than the Bajaj pulsar 150cc as it weighs 145 kg. Hero Honda Hunk lacks the LED Tail lamps, digital meter and has slightly hard gearbox. Pricing: As regards price, Bajaj Pulsar 150 cc DTSi is priced competitively at Rs.59,190 (ex showroom Delhi) and coming to about Rs.68,000 on road. On the other Hero Honda Hunk is priced at Rs.55,000 (exshowroom) with auto start as optional and costing about Rs.65,000 on road. Verdict: But all said and done, in the 150cc segment on the marketing front Pulsar 150 DTSi kicked off Hero Honda Hunk, but in core biking (by which I mean quality, handling and reliability) Hunk kicked the butt of Pulsar and there is no debate to this. Still better I would say, ask an owner who owns a Hunk for 2 years or so, he is still a happy man to have spent very little on maintenance and the Pulsar 150cc DTSi owner would have changed clutch plates, shock absorbers and is already looking for an upgrade of Pulsar (if he is a diehard Pulsar fan) or some other better model. The spares of Bajaj maybe cheaper than Honda but even Auto Car India acknowledged that Bajaj as a whole suffers from quality problems.
150cc Shootout GS150R vs Pulsar vs Unicorn vs Achiver
The bikes in the Indian 150cc segment cater to a wide ranging audience like the executives, the youth and even the commuters. The past year witnessed a reshuffling in this segment as the Yamaha YZF-R15 and the FZ16 as well as the Apache RTR Fi took the performance game a notch higher. When the news of Suzuki’s ‘Lanza 150cc’ crept in, the crowd awaited eagerly to see what the Japanese manufacturer had in store. But contrary to the performance oriented expectations, Suzuki’s latest offering, the GS150R is an
executive commuter. Can the bike mark a mark for itself in the Bajaj and Honda dominated market?
As I rode the GS150R out of the Suzuki dealership to begin our extensive road test, I initially didn’t rev the bike above the 3,000rpm mark – not because I wanted to comply to the running in procedures but because the engine’s smoothness within this rev range had me bowled over. It felt utterly smooth and potent at the same time. The healthy low end torque of the machine made sure that I didn’t have to shift gears frequently while commuting through the city. But this short ride from the showroom to the office was not enough to jump to any conclusions especially knowing that the GS’s competition includes potent players like the Honda Unicorn, the Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTSi and the utterly soft and smooth Hero Honda Achiever. Without any biased opinions about any of the contenders, I got down to spending time backtoback with these four machines. Design and construction: When we posted the GS150R’s images on the BI website, many people including us, thought that the bike looked a lot like the Pulsar, especially the side profile of the headlight assembly. But that is where the similarity ends. Look at the bike in the flesh, and you will immediately notice that the GS is more muscular. The Suzuki’s beefy tank rises from the seat in a manner similar to bigger sports bikes, and feels higher than that of the Unicorn or the Achiever. But since the handlebars are higher too, the seating posture makes sure that the tank doesn’t brush against your body. The worst tank design out of the four bikes is that of the Pulsar due to its crotch unfriendly hump. However if you are comfortable with that, the tank looks muscular and appealing.
The GS’s headlight, stacked up LED taillight and body integrated blinkers aptly reflect the design clues taken from the K6 GSX-R1000. The two-tone stripes, which in recent times have become an integral part of all Suzuki sports bikes, are used on the GS’s bikini fairing, tank and body panels to further highlight the Suzuki DNA. Below the bikini fairing are two air vents which are just a design element and don’t serve any significant function except maybe reducing aerodynamic drag by a miniscule margin. Another distinctive design element of the GS is the swirled spoke design of the alloys as compared to the straight spoke wheels on the other bikes here. The wheels on all the four contenders are from the same production house Enkei and are equally strong and durable to take on the Indian road conditions. On the whole the design of the GS is distinctive in its own subtle way. It looks refreshing, without being too loud or pompous, it’s got a character of its own and won’t be lost in the crowd of dated commuters.
The build quality of the GS150R’s body panels looked robust at the first glance and there were no worrisome panel gaps either. No vibes or squeaks from the body throughout our testing further corroborated the bike’s immaculate build quality. But again, this is a brand new bike in consideration. A long term test will give us a better idea on its durability. The Unicorn’s plastics were known to be shabby and brittle at one point in time, but the third generation bike seems to have improved a lot in this regard. The GS and the Unicorn both feature chrome bits on the side panels housing the fuelcock. The treatment looks good against the two bikes’ black engines as compared to the grey mills on the Pulsar and the Achiever. Overall, I personally feel that the GS150R edges ahead of the competition in terms of design and construction with the Unicorn right on its tail. The Pulsar looks aggressive but is now dated and seriously needs a redesign, not a mere facelift. The Achiever is an underdog on the design front. It’s neither ugly nor outright aggressive but for a bloke looking for a subtly designed 150cc commuter, this bike surely makes the cut. Engine, performance and handling
Though the GS150R’s engine felt smooth initially, spending time with the Unicorn made me realize that the Honda was still overall the smoothest package of the lot. The GS150R further disappointed when I could distinctively hear the sound of valve clutter and a slight knocking from the engine. These sounds get amplified in higher revs and vibes kick in after the 7,000rpm mark. However, they are lesser than one would experience on a similar capacity Pulsar. Though the Honda has the least vibes, the Achiever with the same Unicorn mill is the smoothest of all. Where the Achiever loses out is the clanky gear shifts, especially in the first three gears. These clanks are comparable to the Pulsar’s, the only difference being the latter’s engine complements the shift clanks in making disturbing sounds. The Unicorn’s gear shifts are butter smooth as expected, but the GS comes quite close in this regard too.
Power may not be the priority for these bikes’ target audience but it deserves a mention. The GS took everyone by surprise with its short ratio six-speed gearbox which accounts for superior acceleration without significantly compromising the top speed. Its acceleration not only outclassed the Unicorn and the Achiever by almost half a second but was also on par with the Pulsar 150 – a bike known to be the quickest so far in the bunch of executive commuters. The GS’s 108km/h top speed, however, puts it in the same territory as the Unicorn and Achiever. The Pulsar’s 113km/h top speed makes the Bajaj the fastest of the lot.
The GS boasts of a very healthy power rating of 14PS. The Suzuki engine manages to extract close to 58kmpl and 65kmpl in the city and the highway respectively, thus matching the fuel efficiency of the Unicorn and the Achiever albeit with additional power. The Pulsar, thanks to its sportier engine, only manages to be close to 50kmpl.
City commutes Commuting in the city is where these bikes will spend most of their time. The GS150R’s seat, though visually sporty, is sufficiently wide and very comfortable. No butt aches were reported either by the riders or pillions even after hours of rigorous riding and testing. The back seat is not very high either which makes it easy for the pillion to get astride. The Unicorn’s seat though not as wide, is still very comfortable both for the rider and the pillion. The Achiever’s seat too doesn’t leave us with anything to complain about. The Pulsar’s seat, in its quest for being sporty, turns out to be too slim and for some odd reason quite hard too. The fact shouldn’t be a bother to commuters looking at a daily travel distance of 10-15km. For longer hauls, however, the other three bikes have an edge over the Bajaj when it comes to comfort. The only irritating aspect on the GS is its conventional yet imbalanced toe heel shifter. If you consider the toe section to be at sea-level, the heel section is as high as Mount Everest making it uncomfortable for the left ankle. This is not the case with the other bikes at all. To make matters difficult for all the bikes, I made sure I had a heavy pillion and rode them through bumps as well. The GS’s gas damped shocks offered excellent cushioning and did not bottom out even once. The chassis-suspension setup on the GS has been designed well, and works well for riding solo, as well as with a pillion. It was the same case with the Unicorn as well. However I would give the Uni’s monoshock an edge over the GS’s units. The Achiever’s soft suspension offers great comfort at low speeds and with an average payload, but try leaning it hard or loading it with some well fed journos, and it begins bottoming out at the slightest hint of an undulation. The Pulsar’s rear shockers too are quite well designed and don’t bottom out. But the same can’t be said about the front forks which love to dive every time they see a bump or a pothole.
Coming to the instrument console, the GS incorporates a digital readout for the speedo, odo, trip and fuel counters. The self check for LCD is slower than the Pulsar’s but has a funky fade in effect when checking all the display units. If you are the responsible type and wear your protection gear (especially gloves) even when commuting to office, then you would be happy to see the inclusion of a digital clock in GS’s console. Also on display are three modes – economy, power and ‘I know all’ (pun intended). In the economy mode, the white warning light blinks every time the engine revs exceed 4,500rpm, indicating that you are exiting the economy range. The light will remain on as you cross 6000rpm thus indicating that you are way over the economy range. The power mode will
simply switch the light on at 8,000rpm to indicate that you are going close to the redline. Selecting the third mode means that ‘you know what you are doing’ and hence will not bring on the light no matter what. Overall the unit is very well laid out and in spite of the large fonts for the speedo and tacho numbers it does not appear gaudy or offensive. The Pulsar’s unit is equally well laid out and the white fascia on the new bike looks classy. The Unicorn and the Achiever really need to pull up their socks in this department and upgrade to digital units in order to stay with the times.
CONCLUSION
The Achiever has the smoothest engine and the softest suspension of the lot and caters to a hardcore city commuter. The Pulsar, on the other hand, is still one of the highest selling 150cc bikes out there but needs to up its game in terms of engine refinement and gearshift to be on par with the new contenders. The Unicorn has been the undisputed king of this segment with the smoothest engine setup, great riding dynamics, good mileage and the Honda reliability. Though it is almost impossible to dethrone the Unicorn, the GS150R comes freakishly close to the Honda in all these departments and edges ahead with flashy styling and uptodate gizmos. But since the Unicorn is cheaper by Rs 1,500 and has proven its mettle times without number, it still retains the top spot. As a package, the GS is great and better than the rest of the competition. It will prove to be a thorn in the Unicorn’s arm in the time to come.
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