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 tail-end of the bike give it a fresh new
look. Pulsar also has so many gadgets and hi-fi 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 5-speed
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
55-60 km/L for the economy riding and 65 km/L on a long drive and
Pulsar 150cc DTSi gives around 45-50 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 2-year-old 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 gas-charged 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 high-flying 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 (ex-showroom) 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.
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