Bajaj is celebrating 25 years of the Pulsar brand and they have updated the OG Pulsar 150 to keep it relevant yet classy
Story – Anvay Mahajan
Photography – Chirayu Gijare
Back in 2001, Bajaj decided to “dare” and enter the affordable performance motorcycle segment with the Pulsar 150 and 180. The first-generation bikes had that muscular design, round headlamp and twin-pod dials. They looked iconic and Indians loved it. It started a revolution. Personally, my earliest memory of the Pulsar 150 is of the later versions with the headlight cowl and DTS-i engine. And for most of the 1990-2000s kids, the Pulsar with the cowl is the image of the Pulsar printed in their minds thanks to those legendary advertisements. They were so good that the Pulsar developed a cult following of its own, with its fans proudly calling themselves ‘Pulsarmaniacs’.
Cut to 2026, and Bajaj has given the Pulsar 150 a major update. It now focuses on a newer generation of Pulsarmaniacs. Because it still looks familiar, but there is enough here to make it feel fresh. The silhouette immediately brings back the memories, it has that signature headlight cowl. While the new bits keep it relevant for today’s generation. The biggest design changes include a new fuel tank design, diamond-type frame, rear mono-shock, a new pentagon-shaped exhaust and a new 5-inch TFT display for the upper variants.
The Pulsar 150 is available in three variants. The base version gets a five-inch LCD dash, single seat and a rear drum brake. The mid-spec version, which we rode, gets a 5-inch TFT dash, belly pan under the engine and rear disc brake. The top-spec version gets a split seat and Wi-Fi-enabled Google Maps mirroring. The seat itself can be swapped, so buyers can opt for either a single or split seat as an accessory across Pulsar 150s.
Powering the new Pulsar 150 is a 149.5-cc, air-cooled engine with oil cooler producing 14 hp and 14.1 Nm. The engine is impressively refined. It also has a Crawl feature which was handy in traffic. There are four riding modes – Sport, Road, Rain and Tour – which Bajaj says alter the throttle response. However, I couldn’t really feel a noticeable difference between them. And accessing the modes is unnecessarily complicated. You have to enter the menu and go through three subsections before getting to the riding modes, after which it takes a few seconds for the mode to change. The Pulsar 150 also gets a switchable Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) or auto start/stop. It does make the engine start pretty silently. Personally, I switched it off as it turned a bit annoying while in traffic.
The Pulsar 150 also feels surprisingly light. I noticed this even before riding it, while putting it on the centre stand. Once on the move, that lightness becomes even more apparent. The bike feels nimble, changes direction quickly and has sharp handling. In fact, if you’re looking to get into stunting, this could make for a decent beginner bike because it can pop wheelies surprisingly easily. The riding posture is upright with a very slight lean forward. I felt comfortable riding it. Bajaj has reduced the front suspension travel by around 10 mm, while the rear now gets a mono-shock. I found the suspension setup to be pretty spot on. It is slightly on the stiffer side, but it never feels harsh. The brakes are good as well. With disc brakes at both ends and single-channel ABS, the Pulsar has plenty of stopping power.
The updated Bajaj Pulsar 150 starts at Rs 1.15 lakh ex-showroom for the single-seat, rear-drum variant. The mid-spec version we rode costs Rs 1.22 lakh, while the top-spec version with Google Maps mirroring is priced at Rs 1.23 lakh ex-showroom. Bajaj calls it the ‘Lovable Badass’, and honestly, the name grew on me. The Pulsar 150 still carries the character that made the original so popular, but this time around, Bajaj has refined the bike and added enough technology and features to keep the legend relevant for a new generation.
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