Bajaj Pulsar 125 and 150 review, first ride: Bringing back the classics

Twenty-five years after the original changed Indian motorcycling, the Pulsar 125 and 150 get new engines, gearboxes, chassis, suspension and technology. But have they evolved enough?

There are motorcycles that sell well, and then there are motorcycles that become part of a country’s motorcycling culture. The Bajaj Pulsar is firmly in the latter category. When the original Pulsar 150 arrived in 2001, it gave Indian riders something that was still relatively unusual: performance with attitude, without making the motorcycle inaccessible. Twenty-five years later, Bajaj says more than 20 million Pulsars have found homes across more than 40 countries. That is a serious legacy to carry forward.

For 2026, Bajaj has decided that the 125 and 150 need more than another cosmetic refresh. These are substantially reworked motorcycles, with new engines and gearboxes, a new frame, monoshock rear suspension and a much more sophisticated electronics package. There is also a five-inch TFT with Google Maps mirroring, ride modes and Crawl Tech on higher variants. In other words, these are not simply the old Pulsars wearing new clothes.

That is important because the Pulsar has always had a very specific brief. It needs to be fun enough to make the daily commute interesting, comfortable enough to live with every day and efficient enough that performance doesn’t become an expensive hobby. The new 125 and 150 attempt to push that formula forward without abandoning the character that made the nameplate successful in the first place.

What’s changed on the Pulsar 125 and 150?

The biggest changes are underneath. The Pulsar 125 now uses a 124.58cc engine, while the 150 gets a 149.5cc motor. The 125 makes 12 PS and the 150 produces 14 PS, with both using five-speed gearboxes. More importantly, Bajaj has reworked the gearing to improve the amount of tractive effort reaching the rear wheel in the lower gears.

That should be particularly relevant in the environment these motorcycles will spend most of their lives in. Bajaj’s data says 85 per cent of peak torque is available from 3,000rpm, while the revised gearbox can deliver up to 12 per cent more tractive effort at the wheel. The intention is clear: stronger initial acceleration and better response when you’re repeatedly moving away from traffic lights or squeezing through gaps.

The chassis has undergone an equally important transformation. Both motorcycles now use a diamond-type frame, with the engine acting as a stiffness member. Bajaj’s technical material says the new frame is 20 per cent lighter and 60 per cent stiffer than the previous structure. The old rear suspension arrangement also makes way for a nitrogen gas-charged emulsion-type monoshock, aimed at improving stability and cornering composure.

Then there is the technology. The new five-inch TFT can display Google Maps mirroring, call and message alerts and music controls, while riders can also store documents such as their registration certificate and insurance details. Higher variants get three riding modes - Road, Rain and Sport - along with Crawl Tech for low-speed traffic. Integrated starter-generator technology is also available on the top three variants and brings automatic start-stop functionality.

The design, meanwhile, remains recognisably Pulsar. The muscular tank and familiar stance haven’t been thrown away in favour of something completely new. The wolf-eye headlamp has been redesigned with larger optics, giving the motorcycle a sharper face, but the overall approach is evolutionary.

Do they feel any different in terms of performance?

This is where the new motorcycles have the most to prove. The 150 produces 14 PS, while the 125 makes 12 PS, and Bajaj’s performance data puts their 0-60kmph times at 5.7 seconds and 6.4 seconds, respectively. The claimed top speeds are 106kmph for the 150 and 99kmph for the 125. Those numbers suggest that neither motorcycle is about chasing outright speed; instead, they are built around usable performance.

The revised gearing should be one of the more noticeable changes in everyday riding. More tractive effort in the lower gears means both motorcycles should feel more eager when leaving the line, while the broad torque availability from 3,000rpm reduces the need to constantly work the five-speed gearbox. For a motorcycle that will spend plenty of time in stop-go traffic, that is arguably more useful than adding another few kilometres per hour to its top speed. The 150 naturally has the advantage when speeds rise. Its larger displacement gives it more headroom for faster roads and highway use, while the 125’s lower output and lighter overall proposition make it better suited to riders whose lives revolve around urban commuting. Bajaj’s own WMTC figures point towards around 50kmpl for the 150 and 55kmpl for the 125, although real-world consumption will inevitably depend on riding conditions and throttle use.

The new frame should also change the character of both bikes. A lighter, substantially stiffer structure combined with the engine acting as a structural member should give the chassis a more cohesive feel. Add the monoshock at the rear, and the Pulsars have moved away from the traditional commuter-bike hardware that previously defined this part of the range. The stated aim is better straight-line stability and greater confidence when cornering. The suspension is particularly interesting because this is where everyday usability can make or break a motorcycle. The new nitrogen gas-charged emulsion monoshock is intended to combine better control with comfort, while the telescopic front fork continues to handle suspension duties at the other end. The 125 gets 125mm of front suspension travel, and the 150 gets 130mm.

The dimensions also give both motorcycles a useful amount of ground clearance. The 125 sits at 184mm, while the 150 offers 186mm. That should leave enough room for the usual speed breakers and broken sections of Indian roads, while the 795mm seat height of the 125 and 805mm figure listed for the 150 should keep both reasonably accessible for a broad range of riders. On the highway, the 150 is naturally the motorcycle I would pick between the two. The extra displacement and longer overall footprint should make it the more comfortable choice when maintaining higher speeds for longer periods. The 125, meanwhile, makes a stronger case as an urban all-rounder, particularly for riders who value running costs but don’t want to give up the Pulsar’s performance-oriented character.

The braking hardware also reflects their positioning. The technical data lists a 260mm front disc and 230mm rear disc for the 150, while the 125 uses a 240mm front disc and 130mm rear drum. The 150 also gets single-channel ABS, while the 125 uses CBS. Then there are the features you will notice every day rather than once during a test ride. The TFT, navigation, connectivity and ride modes make these considerably more feature-rich motorcycles than the Pulsars of old. Crawl Tech is particularly interesting because it addresses something genuinely relevant to Indian riding: controlling the motorcycle smoothly when traffic barely moves.

Ultimately, that is what makes these two motorcycles interesting. Bajaj hasn’t tried to turn the Pulsar 125 and 150 into entirely different motorcycles. It has taken the basic formula of performance, usability, and attitude, and attacked the areas where the older bikes were beginning to show their age. The result is a pair of motorcycles that look familiar, but have substantially more sophisticated engineering underneath. And perhaps that is exactly how a 25-year-old icon should evolve. The Pulsar doesn’t need to forget what made it successful. It simply needs to make sure that the same reasons people loved it in 2001 still make sense in 2026.

Verdict

The new Pulsar 125 and 150 matter because Bajaj has finally moved beyond cosmetic evolution. Both get new engines, revised gearing, a stiffer frame and monoshock suspension, while the technology package brings the range properly into the present. The 125 is the more appealing urban proposition, combining strong performance with better claimed efficiency, while the 150 brings extra performance and greater highway ability. The TFT, navigation, and ride modes add useful everyday functionality rather than technology for its own sake. Most importantly, the Pulsar character remains intact. These are familiar motorcycles underneath, but substantially more modern where it counts.

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