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.
