17th May 2007, 02:13
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| Team-BHP Support   | Bajaj PULSAR 180 DTSi @ 50 Months and 30k kms- Detailed Report  My pulsar has clocked 10,256 kms as of now… and being a bhp’ian (If I deserve to call myself that), the figure meant that its time for a long term ownership report… Was very much tempted to write a long term report before. But, personally, I don’t think there is much sense in writing long term report after covering 1000 odd kms. As for me, I was hoping of writing the report every 10,000 kms. So, starting of with the first one of the series. Owning the P180 DTSi the past one year has been a delightful experience, with some bitter moments thrown in. There is no doubt that the bike has been an absolute delight, but then, there are some really bad things to pen down in this long term report… to give you an idea of what the long report is going to be about… It’s about a fantastic bike let down by poor dealership and service… Some figures first- Date of purchase- 28/04/07 Price- 64,000 Mileage- 10,256 kms Fuel economy (What I got)- Best- 56 kmpl (during completion of run-in with speeds of around 50 kmph). Worst- 34 kmpl. Average is around 38- 42 depending on riding conditions. Maximum speed attained- 114 kmph (with pillion, never got to try more than that) Why I chose the P180 DTSi? Well, I am a college student, doing automobile engineering. The options I had were P180 DTSi (black scheme had just been introduced), HH ZMA, Honda unicorn and P150 DTSi. ZMA was too expensive, and the mileage figures my friend was getting were pathetic. Unicorn, another friend had. Lacked any fun-factor, although it was a real nice bike. Then, saw the new colour scheme of the P180 DTSi. Fall in love with the red and black, and the rest is history (not exactly). So… The buying experience… is given in the second letter featured in the June issue of the OVERDRIVE magazine. The dealer took the full payment, and then made me wait one and half months for the bike. The magazine editor contacted Rajiv Bajaj who called up the dealership, and I got my bike in a week. The wait was really bad, but, I was amazed at the pace with which the company took care of things. The dealership also returned the interest amount and a free watch too… hehe… The bike was finally in my hands on 28/04/07. Picture taken on that date...  First service- Nothing special to mention, except that it came within a week of the purchase. Was totally satisfied with the bike. Run-in period is supposed to be very critical for the bike, and I took care of my bike like a new born child. Used to ride below 50 kmph, and towards the end of the run-in, bike was giving 50+ kmpl consistently, with the maximum being 56kmpl for a litre of BP speed 91 octane petrol. Now. Second service. Bike admitted in ICU- Not a joke. Bike ran about 20 kms without engine oil, due to the fault of the service centre guys. On taking delivery of the bike, I asked them to check if they changed oil. But, in fact, they only removed the oil, never filled it. I noticed this only after reaching home. Now, before you guys start throwing stones at me for not killing the service guys- Had taken up the issue with the dealership. They gave in writing that they made such a fault and that any damage shall be their responsibility. Couldn’t push them any further cause, my father didn’t have much interest in going further with the issue. I was hurt more than anyone else. So, please try to understand my situation. And the sad news continues- I met with an accident on the 20th of November. Not major one. Was forced to brake hard on sandy surface, and had a fall. Helmet took the impact of the crash as I hit the ground head first. But, nothing major happened, except for some bruises and wounds. Bike was ok, crash guard got bend but protected my legs perfectly, headlamps was all scratched. But the bike is now almost as new.  Third service was also routine service. Now, the bike I having some vibrations issues, and is not as smooth as it used to be… Specially past 7k rpm, the vibrations filters into the footpegs (Not there in my friends’ bikes) because of the oil issue mentioned earlier. XBhp GIR- Those were two days of heaven. Chasing the CBR and riding the pulsar to its limits. Memories that can go easily. in the pic, my bike is the first.  Fuel economy- I wasn’t too concerned about FE when I bought the bike. Just wanted it to be manageable and not like the 23- 25 figure my friend was getting for the ZMA. But the p180 has exceeded my expectations… The best I got was during the run- in with the bike returning 56kmpl. And the worst I have got is 34 kmpl, on the highway, at around 100 kmph, with rider and pillion (total weighing around 170 kilos load). Usually, in the city cycles of some spirited riding, I get around 38kmpl… Power- Awesome and always brings a smile to the face. I actually have no words to describe it. The only time I felt it needed more power was when following the XBhp GIR Honda CBR fire blade, on the highway. I was doing 110- 115 kmph, when it just took off, in second gear (!!!) as if I were standing still. Maximum speed- I have taken the bike to 114kmph (speedo, as told by my pillion). Never got to push it above that. Felt like it could do 120 with single rider. Handling- the MRF zappers do a good job and the pulsar can really take corners at insane angles. The stiff suspension also helps, however, the apace is a better handler, although I have felt that its suspension is too hard and pain for the back over a long ride. Chain- Wonder why this is given an importance? The pulsar has an issue with the chain. Its needs to be tightened after 1000 kms. Paint quality- Very good and very bad, both comes together. The painted parts of the bike have superb finish and shine beautifully after a wash. I also use a bit off polish on it regularly, to give it that extra shine. But, the black coated mechanicals of the bike are troublesome, specially the silencers and the foot pegs that are prone to rust.  Brakes- fantastic. So much so that I have difficulty riding non- disc brake bikes now. Am so used to the fantastic stopping power of the pulsars. Well… I guess I should go sleep now. Will update this as I get more and more points in my mind. Hope this could prove useful to anyone looking at the p180 DTSi as an option. To sum it up, this bike has exceeded my expectations, and is such a wonderful product, although the service guys can cause real trouble if not treated cautiously. (Sorry for poor pics... I dont have any good photographic equipment... some pics are from friends, and some using my ordinary cams and VGA camphone) Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 17th May 2007 at 02:20. |
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17th May 2007, 03:26
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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17th May 2007, 03:29
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| Senior - BHPian  | Quote:
Godfather | |
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17th May 2007, 03:33
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| Senior - BHPian | |
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17th May 2007, 08:46
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| Team-BHP Support | Quote:
 My first love... hehe... Yaa.. even i thought of changing the front, since my headlamp is scratched. However, i dont think the service guys here can do a good job of fixing the digital metres to perfection. am checking out for any cases where they have already done that... Quote:
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17th May 2007, 10:18
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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17th May 2007, 11:27
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| Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Pune
Posts: 13
Thanked: 3 Times
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17th May 2007, 22:49
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| Team-BHP Support | Quote:
I feel the new Nitrox suspensions are very good on the pulsars... So... back pain is not as much of an issue... However, shoulder pain might come in after riding for an hour, cause of the riding stance. For long distance touring, Unicorn should be a better bet... I guess.. it has comfortable riding postures Quote:
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18th May 2007, 01:08
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| Senior - BHPian  | Quote:
Good review, this inspires me to write a 4 year, 42000kms review on my workhorse, HH Ambition. | |
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18th May 2007, 01:31
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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18th May 2007, 02:56
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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18th May 2007, 03:27
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| Senior - BHPian | |
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18th May 2007, 03:38
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| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
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18th May 2007, 09:37
| #14 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 211
Thanked: 0 Times
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Excellent review Crazy Driver. Its a well kept bike. | |
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18th May 2007, 09:47
| #15 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 188
Thanked: 84 Times
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