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Single-piece seat and grab rail will lead to unsuspecting onlookers taking it as a Discover in disguise!
Ergonomics – Commuter motorcycles are expected to provide a comfortable and relaxed riding position. Besides providing ample room for movement, the well-padded single piece seat is comfortable but the positioning of the footpegs and clip-on handlebars doesn’t allow for an exactly relaxed posture. The rider sits slightly leaned in but at no point of time does the position feel taxing on the wrists or lower back. At 805 mm, the saddle height would be a deal breaker for short heighted riders but swing a leg over and you’ll be greeted by a commanding view of the road ahead. Thanks to the single-piece sturdy grab rail, the pillion rider wouldn’t be complaining at all. For a stress-free experience in the urban jungle, Bajaj has provided a heel-and-toe shifter to ease shifting between gears.
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Power and torque figures remain unchanged after the BS4 update
Performance – In simple terms, the 4-valve DTS-i engine of the Pulsar 135 LS punches way above its weight. Fed by a carburettor, the 134.66cc air-cooled motor takes the motorcycle’s low kerb weight in its stride to outperform even some of the 150cc motorcycles out there (including the Pulsar 150) when it comes to power-to-weight ratio. In the BS4 compliant avatar, the engine utilises a SAI (secondary air intake), more ignition maps, fuel evaporation recovery system and a revised exhaust. Accelerating to 60 km/hr from halt in 5.1 seconds, the Pulsar 135 LS feels peppy in the low-end. The soft exhaust note at lower RPMs turns into a deep rasp as you approach the redline.
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Low kerb weight ensures quick acceleration in lower gears
Wide torque spread makes riding the Pulsar 135 LS a breeze in traffic
NVH levels are considerably lower and the engine doesn’t feel strained even at higher RPMs. Due to ample availability of torque lower down the rev-range, the motor has a tractable nature in city conditions which makes doing lower speeds at higher gears effortless. The lack of grunt is evident on highways as the motorcycle loses all its might near the redline where progress becomes painfully slow. At 53-58 km/litre, the fuel efficiency is pretty good but it doesn’t translate to a healthy range due to an utterly small 8-litre fuel tank. Only flaws in its commuter recipe are the notchy gearshifts and a clutch that requires extra effort.
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One has to account for the dangerously protruding side stand while taking sharp turns
Riding Dynamics – Sitting on a cradle frame with a traditional suspension setup (telescopic forks and twin-shock absorbers), the Pulsar 135 LS provides nimble handling by commuter-motorcycle standards. While the nitrox-filled rear shocks offer 5-step adjustment, the front end is so soft that it dives in in an intimidating manner. Then, there is the side stand that hangs so low (changed positioning due to heel-and-toe shifter) that one has to be watchful on sharp turns. The ride quality is compliant over bad roads but large undulations do unsettle the Pulsar 135 LS. Even though the slippery EuroGrip tyres are a letdown, braking performance (with the front 240 mm disc and 130 mm rear drum) is more than satisfactory.
