BikeIndia got their hands on the upgraded Pulsar 180 UG IV and have done a review of the upgraded Pulsar 180. Checkout the review below : -
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the Pulsar twins were responsible for changing the face of motorcycling in India. And I am not just talking from the performance point of view, but also the affordable ‘real’ biking that the Pulsar 150 took charge of. Its elder sibling, the good old classic 180, took care of enthusiasts who wanted raw power and macho looks at an affordable price. The 150, in the meantime, served the masses with performance that stood out in its segment and yet delivered exceptional fuel economy that is ever so important in the Indian motorcycling industry.
From time to time, Bajaj fought the competition hard, kicking out regular upgrades – alloy wheels, refreshed looks, modern engine technology and finally increased engine capacity. They are probably the best in business when it comes to spreading the biking spirit through advertisements – the ‘Pulsar Mania’ commercial being the best till date! The way they promote their bikes is in a different league all together.
All this it seems hasn’t been enough because with the launch of the Yamaha FZ16 last year, sales of the Pulsar 150 and the Pulsar 180 have taken a hit. For instance, in September 2008, combined sales of the Pulsar twins stood at 19,112 units. Within a month, with the FZ16 around, sales dropped 17.3% to 15,804 units. A month later, in November, volumes further decreased to 13,698 units – a drop of 28.3% as compared to September 2008 sales. Yes, these figures made it clear that Bajaj had to pull up their socks and come out with something more than just visual upgrades to get back the customers they made for the Pulsar twins.
Enter the 2009 Pulsar 180 UG IV (Fourth Upgrade). While rumours had it that Bajaj were ready with the updated 200 and 220, the reality is that the company first wants to concentrate on numbers and repeat the glorious days of the success of the Pulsar 150 and 180. While the elder sibling gets more serious upgrades, let’s talk about the Pulsar 150 first. As Bajaj puts it, the 150 gets a sporty refurbishment. It gets an all-black theme taken from the 180 and the 200. It also borrows the tank scoops from the 200 and gets a new 3D Pulsar logo on the tank. Mechanicals remain unchanged, however, a full DC system is now employed for the electricals. These are minor updates that go a long way in enhancing the sporty character of the smallest member of the Pulsar family.
The major change, however, is seen on the 180. A first glance, you can easily mistake it for the 200. It carries over the older all-black colour theme and gets more oomph in the form of visual goodies from the 200 and the 220. Fatter tyres, a split seat, tank scoops, clip-on handlebars, a 3D logo for the tank and thicker forks from the Pulsar 220 make it even more visually appealing than the Pulsar 200. The only thing that remains visually unchanged as compared to the older 180 is its exhaust, although, look closely and you can see the revised angle in order to give the bike a more sportier look. But these goodies also add another 4 kilos to the overall weight.
So, does that mean that the extra rolling resistance from the wider tyres and the additional weight hamper the bike’s performance? Hell no, because the engine gets more punch as well. The 178.6cc engine started its life in the classic 180 as a mere 14.9PS unit. Over the years, changes to the engine and other tweaks have seen the power rise to 17PS for the latest UG IV model. Yes, Bajaj engineers have worked on the exhaust intake, retuned the silencer as well as tweaked the valve timing to get more juice out of the unit. The maximum power comes at an additional 500rpm, i.e., at 8500rpm. At this point, most of you readers might doubt the high revving engine, but let me add that much work has also gone into making the engine smooth and feel less strained at high revs.
Gone are the characteristic Pulsar vibes when the throttle was wringed. In fact, when we got the delivery of the bike, the engine was brand new, having done just a hundred kilometers on the odo. However, the motor felt very refined and eager to spin hard. And that’s what we did, albeit after riding the bike for a couple of hundred kilometers and then logging in our test equipment. Naught to 60km/h came up in (surprisingly) under five seconds – that’s faster than most other Indian bikes today! Yes, the bike runs on wider and taller tyres, but re-sprocketing has been done to compensate for that. From the original 13/43 set up, the Pulsar 180 has moved to a 14/39 set up. Gun the throttle and the digital speedometer goes beyond the 100km/h mark slightly quicker than the older 180, slowing inching towards the magical 120km/h figure. Blame it on different test conditions; the maximum Adhish got from the bike was a true 114.5km/h with the speedometer showing 125km/h, however on a downhill stretch, it registered more than 130km/h! Shifting up the five-speed ‘box (now with a toe only shifter) is a fuss-free affair as the clutch has undergone further refinement.
But the new Pulsar 180 is not all about improving on performance. It gets a whole new character as well. Swing a leg over it and the new clip-ons, taken from the Pulsar 220, lend the new bike a sportier stance. Changes to the running parts have given a big bike feel, which is evident within a few seconds of riding. Wider front forks and tyres, taken from the Pulsar 220, completely change the riding character of this bike.
While the UG III bike was always eager to be flicked into corners, it also felt nervous when pushed really hard. This bike, however, feels confident as you lean it till the main stand acts as a spoilsport and starts digging in. Plus, the new Pulsar 180 feels more stable at high speeds and over broken roads – the change in the suspension (and switching to the Pulsar 200’s swingarm) makes the whole difference. Bumps and undulations are taken care of, however over long rides, you do miss the soft saddle of the earlier variant. Talking of long rides, the engine no more feels strained at around the 85-90km/h mark. In fact, the motor’s smooth character ensures vibrations are kept at bay and I for one wouldn’t mind riding this bike for an intra-city run across states. An increase in wheelbase is also largely responsible for the stable feel at triple digits speeds.
In the city, the Pulsar 180 loses out a bit to the old variant on flickability, closing in on gaps and making the most of a tight space. At first, the front does feel a bit heavy but you get used it immediately. The maximum torque has gone down by a Newton meter, but Bajaj boffins claim that the drop in torque is hardly noticeable. The bike still pulls cleanly from low revs – slotted in fifth with the speedometer showing 29km/h, it pulled without a protest from just 2000rpm. Going by the way the bike was popping wheelies (which needs torque rather than power) with Adhish on board, we do believe them.
Bajaj has moved the game ahead by shifting the electricals to a full DC system. The kick lever has also been junked and going by my previous experience with the long term Pulsar 220, which never had electric start issues even after being unused for weeks, this change is more than welcome. The new Pulsar 180 goes on sale very soon while the new 150 is already in the showrooms. The prices for the 150 will remain largely unchanged, but there will be a hike of around rupees three grand for the 180. That still makes it more than six thousand less than the elder 200.
So, is this a good move is the question we at Bike India have been asked umpteen times already by readers? The same question is also the centre of heated debates across biking forums. The answer is definitely yes. For those who always wanted the big bike feel and sporty looks of the 200 without paying so much now have the option of settling for the new 180 without compromising on performance. Needless to say, the smaller 180 engine also returns impressive fuel economy which is again important for youngsters with limited pocket money. Even for those who think that the new 180 looks like the 200, and hence the latter loses out on exclusivity, need to wait and check out the 2009 Pulsar 200 once it’s out.
To sum up, the fourth upgrade of the Pulsar 180 turns out to be the best yet – making the bike grow up with a matured feel. Even the choppy nature of the limiter on the earlier bike has been softened up. The exciting era of Pulsars is all set to be back, starting with these two models and that is exactly what Bajaj’s updated website (http://www.bajajauto.com) reflects.
2009 Bajaj Pulsar 180 Road Test Video : -
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August 24th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Roshin, check the original bulb and put a similar bulb of higher wattage. Ask the mechanic his views on the upgrade.
August 29th, 2009 at 11:38 am
what is the mileage of new pulsor 180
August 29th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
This Bike Is Super Fast Bike And Super Super Super Super Super
August 29th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Zeeshan, the new Pulsar 180 gives a mileage of 45kmpl.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
zeeshan, the average of new pular 180 cc ug $ model is 40 to 45km/l hai
September 12th, 2009 at 9:00 am
new p180 gives me a milleage of 55 km/l
September 21st, 2009 at 11:49 pm
i have purchased new pulsar 180 just three days back i m getting problem while starting the bike it won’t get started within one start the electric starter needs to be pressed 5 – 6 times after that it gets started i want to know whether there is a battery problem or the battery gets discharged quickly
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:52 am
Bajaj is back to business again, this time with p180 ug4
One liner…………….
P200 discontinued, the trash stacked on p180 and called p180 ug4
The p180 ug4 has the same chassis which put down the p200, with a slightly tilted swing-arm( to cover up the offset in the rear wheel)
Pity guys, who go by looks ………..
The p200 chassis was defective so is the p180 ug 4, both are running on same chassis……but with a tilted swing arm…
Dono which tech theory are they applying to have this running.
September 22nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Nitesh, contact Bajaj service center asap, there seems to be some defect in the starter.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
ya its very nice to ride 180.it is very comfortable sitting on the bike
December 10th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
hey its aweswome experience to ride it.. u wont be able to go slow even if u wish… then wat .. .. lets race!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 18th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I am from kolkata & purchase a 180 pulsar I fully enjoy his fast move at 85km/ph & milage it’s looking very quet…also Thank’s to bajaj to make it so simpale.
December 26th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
i want to purchase p180 but i have a dought some body told me that there is a problem with the engine of all pulsar’s that after a year or more engine use to give trouble means use to make a bad noice and all you have to go to workshop again and again
please help me out from this dought so that i may purchase pulsar p180
December 27th, 2009 at 9:31 am
hey fas, plzzz chk wat amit jain says is correct or not..?
m planning to buy pulsar180 up iv….
is it worth…aftr an year does it rellly…??
or it depends upon one’s riding..??plzz reply…
December 29th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Amit, there is no such thing that Pulsar engines are unreliable. They might not be the smoothest but they don’t suffer from engine trouble.
December 29th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Pansome, you can safely get a Pulsar. Nothing to panic, if you ride it and maintain it well, it won’t give problems.
December 29th, 2009 at 12:13 am
so sarcastic of u fas…
i knw u hate bajaj…
n i too..
the thing is i have good height n a muscular body..keeping it in mind..
apache or fz..doest go well with me..
unicorn cbz n hunk..doesnt seem so attractive..
i cant afford r15 or karizma…both in price as well as mileage…
pulsar 150 looks too cheap…
p180 gives power as well as mileage…wat say…looks too rockk..
wat say fas…???
December 29th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Sorry Pansome but I did not intend any sarcasm. The Pulsar is too common and not the most reliable machine around. Its better to settle for a Fazer then to have quality and niggling issues.
December 29th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
fazer…
looks wise its awesome fas…
what mileage it gives..?
is it competitive enough in 150cc category…
power..?how is it on high speeds…?
fas plzz advice me personally…
this time whatever u’ll say,.. ill buy…
December 29th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Pansome, Fazer is an awesome bike. Power is decent and high speed stability is better then Pulsars. I would say to test ride the Fazer before buying it to ensure it suits you.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
done…this time its final…
vrrrrooooommm…
hey fazer…welcome me to the yamaha family…
thanks fas…
so dats the reason u have kept ur name fas…
hehehe…
btw, wat does fas mean..?
December 31st, 2009 at 2:52 am
Pansome, fas is my pet name, LOL. Anyways congrats on your decision of the Fazer. The bike is one mean machine. Which colour are you getting it in?
December 31st, 2009 at 4:48 pm
thanks man..
btw, wats ur name..
whr u from…?
m from the biker’s city, pune…
December 31st, 2009 at 4:49 pm
blue…
January 1st, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Pansome, I am from Mumbai. My name is Faisal. Blue is a good choice. Make sure you maintain the bike well as Pune traffic is crazy.
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:40 pm
A spectrum analyzer separates the signal into two components: amplitude (displayed vertically) and frequency (displayed horizontally). On some low-frequency analyzers, phase information can also be displayed. Low-frequency analyzers are sometimes grouped under the heading “harmonic analyzers,” although this term is becoming less common.
February 10th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I have recently bought Pulsar 180 UG IV. From about 500 Kms I have been facing the problem with carburettor(as per the service center).The bike stops when I slow down and hold the clutch.
Is this problem common in Pulsar 180 or have I got a defective one.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Sanjayu…….u got a defective one piece or there is any problem in its carburettor
February 11th, 2010 at 12:11 am
Sanjay, all Pulsars have some problem or the other so don’t worry just get it repaired.
February 16th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
hi”’guys i want to buy new pulsar 180cc can any tell me how much the price on road ….
February 16th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Hi, Guys i just want to know about the services iam in DUBAi iam coming to india for a short vacation and after that nobody’s going to drive my machine 180 cc how can i manage the servicing is there any ways to pospond the seriving after 2 year can we complete the quota of servicing please let me know ,,if some knows please tell me iam waiting for u r responce
February 16th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Freetap – Rs. 68,000/-
February 16th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Freetap, you can’t postpone the free services.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Mr Fas, I have been viewing your review replies in many forums like this one. It’s very clearly visible to us that, u just don’t have any good or positive thing to say about Bajaj Pulsar, always a negative reply.
And almost in your every reply to anyone asking about a problem in Pulsar, you keep saying “its a common problem with Pulsar or its a known issue with Pulsar…blahhh….blahh….”
Well, it doesn’t look nice to me being a reader and you being answering to all the queries asked by the readers. If you can’t clearly explain about what the actual problem is and what are you trying to compare it with, then please, just don’t reply or just say you don’t know. But pleae don’t lie……
I hope you really understand what I’m trying to say here to you and don’t take my words too personal…….
February 27th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Kiran, I dont work for any bike company nor do I own any bike yet (sold off my Pulsar 150 UGIII soemtime back). I am clearly not against the Bajaj brand. What is the truth, is! I cant change it. I never hesitate to recommend a Pulsar 220 but I think its rather silly of not telling them what to expect. I know people who own Pulsars, Apaches, GS150s, FZs, R115s, etc and hence I am quite aware how the bikes behave in the long term. A Pulsar is a sweet machine till 10,000kms but after that everything starts going haywire.
Some problems with the Pulsars : -
Poor engine refinement
Engine starter stops working
Gear shift fee;s heavy and clunky
Rear disc acts funny
Inconsistent quality
Infact every Pulsar has some problem or the other and maybe Bajaj tries to price the Pulsar very aggressively there is a compromise on quality.
And please go about reading my old comments and posts in which I have cleared listed the positives of the bike like mileage (150), performance (180), looks, features, projector headlights, performance and value for money.
Nothing personal buddy but if a problem exists I cant hide it
February 28th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
his explanation on it tells all…
no offense fas..
as i know mb is the 1st one to give all the updates…
however, u shud chk out the new generation pulsars once again.
February 28th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Mr. Pansome, I have checked out the new generation Pulsars as well. Last one I checked out was the Pulsar 220S and just before that the Pulsar 220F. Though the bike is very good some niggling issues keep coming up. I am not writing off Pulsars or saying they are bad but they have some reliability issues so you should accept it too. Or maybe you should experience the a few bikes yourself before commenting.
March 1st, 2010 at 9:12 am
hi pansome,
did u buy fazer hz d bike??
March 1st, 2010 at 10:42 am
@ rohith..yes…bought it..lekin, its just a show piece…
just looks..n nothing else…mileage is 38 after 1st servicing…
m regretting of buying it…
pick up is pathetic…sorry to say but my buddy’s p135 beats it in short run..dats y fas i said..bajaj is working hard on its machines…
talking abt the reliabality i have many friends who have p150 round light as well as pulsar upII, and let me tell u abt these friends…who crash these bikes somewhere within a quarter..who have no time and money fr servicing, one bike faces a riding of at least 5 people…some of them are professional stunt men…still they get a mileage of 45…
Yamaha isn’t a bike customized fr Indian needs…
the only good thing abt ma bike is that it is an eye candy…
m waiting fr p220 4valve…then may be ill gift my fazer to my younger bro..
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:15 pm
thanks pansome,
im frm hyderabad and fazer costs around 80k on road
after u said its just a show piece i too feel its a big amount for a 150cc bike..
but fas is also saying pulsar has prblems after 10,000kms
so which to buy cbz or p180 or fazer my dad had already given me money a week ago but i did not decide which to get..can u guys help me
i want pick up,40 mileage dats enough for me
u said fazer is waste just only looks,,,
pulsars r common 150 not 180
cbz is a reliable machinf rm HH
so finally which bike???????????????
March 3rd, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Rohith, get the Apache 180. That is a bike which is worth the money.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:28 pm
@ Rohith , Fas and all others…..Hi guys….i’ve decided to buy a P180 (After 2 months research and dilemmas),
Believe me Rohith, if “Bajaj” bikes were not reliable or so(as sm guys say) Then the total sales world wide wud’nt have crossed 3lac mark !!
The p135 alone clocked 50000 units in 75 days !!
It’s not the buyer who chooses the bike, its the Bike which chooses the Biker !! And believe me , just have a test ride on the P180, u’ll forget all others !!
)
In the end, it’s your money and u are gonna take final verdict, all we can do is tell our opinion, I myself gonna buy P180 next week(And the only dilemma left is the COLOR, i’m stuck between Black and blue!!
Just love ur machine and maintain it well….u won’t be dissapointed !!
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Ajay, the Pulsar is an awesome bike to ride. Test ride one and not falling in love means there is something wrong with you (hehe) but after a few years, things start going crazy with stuff not working and niggling issues popping up. Don’t ask me, ask fellow Pulsar owners who have done in excess of 10,000 kms.
March 3rd, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Rohith, even i agree with fas…
go for apache 180…its one mean machine…
the only reason i dint took it is that i have a big muscular look with height.so once, i captured myself on it..n trust me it was looking weird…
so guyzz, with short or medium height n bulk..go for it…
its one bike u will fall in luv with…
it actually depends on prioratisations.
mine was how i luk on the bike as well as l’il bit power…
ajay, even m nt a very big fan of bajaj…but just wanna say that i like the efforts these guyzz take to be number 1…
March 4th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
my friend had taken recently p150(ug4) and hz very much satisfied
he adviced me only thing pulsar=power …
so im getting tensed by comments dat after 10,000 kms its waste…
i dnt like apache bcoz its d tvs company
so i want to choose between cbz,fazer and p180
March 11th, 2010 at 9:10 am
cbz xtreme is really good, 2nd mosts power bike in 150cc, 1st r15 but its 153cc.
March 11th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
@sportbike wats d mileage of cbz dude does it hav any vibrations if so at wat speed??