Bajaj Pulsar
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| Bajaj Pulsar DTS-i | |
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| Manufacturer | Bajaj Auto |
| Production | 2001-present |
| Class | Naked bike |
| Engine | 150 cc/180 cc/200 cc Air-cooled, four-stroke cycle, single piston, kick start / electric start 16.5 bhp(12.3 kW)@8000 rpm 15.22Nm(11.22 lbf·ft)@6000rpm |
| Transmission | 5-Gear |
| Suspension | Front: Telescopic fork, Teflon coated, 135 mm travel Rear: Dual shock, 100 mm travel |
| Brakes | Front: 240 mm (disc) Rear: 130 mm (drum) |
| Tires | 17" |
| Wheelbase | 1320 mm |
| Related | Hero Honda CBZ, Honda Unicorn / Hero Honda Karizma |
Bajaj Pulsar is a motorcycle brand owned by Bajaj Auto in India. The two wheeler was developed by the product engineering division of Bajaj Auto in association with famous Japanese design house Tokyo R&D.[1]
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[edit] History
Before the introduction of the Pulsar, the Indian motorcycle market trend was towards fuel efficient, small capacity motorcycles (that formed the 80-125 cc class). Bigger motorcycles with higher capacity virtually did not exist (except for Enfield Bullet). The launch and success of Hero Honda CBZ in 1999 showed that there was demand for performance bikes. Bajaj took the cue from there on and launched the Pulsar twins in India on November 24, 2001. The Pulsars excited segments of Indian youth, mainly due to an muscular shape and stylish design[2] as well as its powerful engine (in Indian context) at reasonable fuel efficiency and affordable cost. The Pulsars are believed to be greatly successful in redefining the market trend. Since the introduction and success of Pulsar, the Indian youth began expecting high power and other features from affordable motorcycles.
[edit] Market position
As of 2006, the Bajaj Pulsars arguably form the most popular motorbike product in the newly emerging 150+ cc class of Indian two wheeler market.[3] Bajaj Pulsar directly competes with several other Indian motorbikes in this class, such as, CBZ from Hero Honda, Apache and Fiero from TVS, Unicorn from Honda and a few models from Yamaha and Suzuki. To retain Pulsar's position of leadership in its class,[4] Bajaj Auto has been regularly making alterations to it to make the motorbike look fresh at all times.
[edit] Versions and features
[edit] 2001
The earliest Pulsar implemented an air-cooled, single cylinder, petrol powered, spark-ignited four-stroke engine. The early product offerings under the Pulsar brand name featured a single spark plug to ignite the air-fuel mixture fed from a carburetor, simple spring shock absorbers, round headlamp dome and a short wheelbase of 1235 mm. Both 150 and 180 featured disc brakes as standard equipment - something that was a novelty in Indian motorcycles of early 2000s. On the list of standard features were parking lights and an aircraft-type fuel-filler. The 180 cc Pulsar came with built-in Electric Start (ES) feature and twin tone horns while these two features were optional equipment on the 150 cc.
[edit] 2003
The second generation Pulsars featured Bajaj Auto's newly developed DTSi technology [5]. The technology resulted in increased power rating of both the Pulsars by 1 bhp each and a simultaneous increase in the fuel economy as well[6]. This version also sported a new headlamp assembly apart from the usual round headlamp, and the wheelbase also increased by 55mm[7] to make it 1290 mm. The longer wheelbase made the stability of the bike better than its predecessor. Other standard features to be added were twin-horn and a trip-gauge.
[edit] 2004
In 2005, Bajaj launched another upgrade of the Pulsar. This time it was more cosmetic than technical. The bike was offered with alloy wheels as standard option, and the stance was also lowered by about 12 mm to make it look meaner. It was the first time any bike maker in India had offered 17" profile wheels at the rear. The fuel tank, though remaining the same, now had a capacity of only 15 litres[8]. The power output was now further increased to 13.5 bhp @ 8500 rpm[9]. The rear shock absorbers were now gas-filled Nitrox absorbers.
[edit] 2006
In December 2006, Bajaj introduced another version of Pulsar, this time even more features were added to offer the customers. The list of new features inclulde: headlamp changed to separate the pilot lamps from the main headlamp; turn indicators feature clear lens glass with amber bulb; new self-cancelling turn indicator switch; a flush, lightweight, LCD screen, which offers a digital read-out of the key vehicle data; non-contact type speed sensor that feeds the wheel's speed data on to the display; non-contact type, backlit switches; a twin-stripe tail light unit that houses an array of light-emitting diodes; the body side panels altered to give a new, sharp, tapering-towards-the-rear look; the old engine's performance has been bettered with increased torque availability, reduced vibration and improved shift feel to the gearbox[10].
[edit] DTSi
It stands for Digital Twin Spark Ignition, which means usage of two spark plugs which are controlled by using a digital circuit. Two spark plugs (instead of the usual choice of one) provides for a faster and more efficient[6] combustion of the air-fuel mixture. The usual practice worldwide for spark ignition is to use a single spark plug which is located approximately at the center-top portion of engine cylinder. The DTSi technology, however, uses two spark plugs located symmetrically in the top portion of engine cylinder; both being a little farther away from the center of the top.
[edit] ExhausTEC
The second effects on torque delivery. Such exercises are known to the Indian and foreign automotive industries for several years before Bajaj labelled them as ExhaustTEC. Probably this fact has prohibited Bajaj Auto from obtaining stricter international patents for ExhaustTEC.
[edit] Extension of the Pulsar range
The Bajaj Pulsar range was expanded with launch of 220 cc model on November 24, 2006. This recent entry features tubeless tires, LCD speedometer and several other features from Pulsar 180 cc model.
[edit] Future developments
[edit] DTS-Fi 220 CC
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This article contains information about a scheduled or expected future product. It may contain preliminary or speculative information, and may not reflect the final version of the product. |
Bajaj Auto is expected to launch a fuel-injected variety of Pulsar by April 2007. With this introduction, Bajaj Auto would achieve a close second rank in the race of offering microprocessor based fuel injected motorbike to Indian customers after honors of the first rank went to Hero Honda's 125 cc motorbike, Glamour FI.[11] Acronym DTS-Fi stands for Digital Twin Spark ignition cum Fuel Injection. The DTS-Fi Pulsar will be powered by a more powerful 220 cc engine and is expected to hit a top speed of 135 km/h. Going by the version showcased by Bajaj Auto in the Delhi Auto Expo' of the year 2006, the forthcoming Pulsar would exhibit a longer wheelbase, factory-fitted rear and front disc brakes and several digital meters. The LCD speedometer on the DTS-Fi is likely to be orange in color and the entire speedometer display would be beautified. This new Pulsar will return a maximum power of 21 bhp (16 kW) and a maximum torque of 1.95 kgf·m (19.1 N·m). Also it would the first two-wheeler in India to employ a hydraulically actuated 230 mm rear disc brake. The motorcycle would be 2,035 mm in length, 750 mm in width and 1,140 mm in overall height. The curb weight would be about 140 kg.
[edit] Fuel injection
[edit] Fuel injection technology worldwide
As opposed to the carburetor, the fuel injection mechanism usually improves the engine startability, offers a brisker torque response to throttle changes and diagnostics features. It is possible to establish accurate closed-loop control of air-fuel ratio by using the fuel injection mechanism (as an actuator) and utilizing feedback information from an exhaust oxygen sensor (as a sensor). These two components require sophisticated manufacturing practices and therefore a closed-loop fuel injection system forms a costly proposition. It was discovered in late 1970s that accurate closed-loop control of air-fuel mixture encourages efficient destruction of exhaust pollutants in a three-way catalytic converters thereby enabling a gasoline engine to produce substantially low exhaust emission quantities as demanded by the emission standards worldwide. It is for this reason that microprocessor based fuel injection technology has been implemented widely in gasoline powered four-wheelers since early 1980s. In early 1990s, several global two-wheeler OEMs also began downsizing and adapting the fuel injection technology for use in two-wheelers; the most notable efforts[12] have perhaps been those from Honda.
[edit] Fuel injection technology in India
In India, all four wheelers since late 1990s feature microprocessor based closed-loop fuel injection technology in place of traditional carburetor to meet the Bharat emission standards imposed by the Government of India.[13] Indian two-wheeler companies have been little sluggish in comparison, however since early 2000s, they too have initiated developing the fuel injection technology to meet the emission standards of the future (early 2010s) and for customer appeal of a high-end technology. The relatively late entry of fuel injection technology in Indian two-wheelers is mainly attributed to the following two factors: higher cost sensitiveness of the Indian two-wheeler market in comparison with the Indian four-wheeler market, and, relatively loose emission standards that the Indian government has set for Indian two-wheelers in comparison with that for Indian four-wheelers. It is for these reasons, introductions of fuel-injected motorcycles such as Glamour FI, Pulsar 220 into Indian market are often considered as bold, aggressive moves. However, the early fuel injected two-wheelers in India are not expected to implement the aforesaid closed-loop control of air-fuel ratio in view of the consequent cost implications. Rather they are likely to implement the less costly option of "open-loop" or feed-forward regulation of air-fuel ratio thereby avoiding usage of (costly) exhaust oxygen sensor. Automotive experts argue that such a scheme, in comparison with the aforesaid closed-loop scheme, is often significantly less effective in reducing exhaust pollutants (see Catalytic converter#Rich Burn Spark Ignition Engines). As a result, the early fuel injected Indian two-wheelers are not likely to be more environment-friendly than their carburetted counterparts. However, these fuel-injected two-wheelers are expected to outdo their carburetted counterparts in the areas of pickup, mileage, durability, dashboard diagnostics and the customer appeal of a high-end technology.
[edit] Criticisms
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Due to the shape of the fuel tank, many Sri Lankan youngsters refer the Bajaj Pulsar as "The Nut Crusher". Unfortunately, even in the upcoming model, the Pulsar DTS-Fi 220cc, the manufacturers have failed to change the way the fuel tank is constructed, leaving the problem unrectified. Newly released 200cc pulsar has colored plastic coverings of oil cooler to change the shape of the tank.
[edit] References
- ^ Asian technological entrepreneur
- ^ Pulsar design. Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
- ^ Bajaj: Back to the future
- ^ Revving up in the fast lane
- ^ Bajaj Auto claims that they are in the process of obtaining a patent for DTSi
- ^ a b DTSi Technology. Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
- ^ Wheelbase. Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
- ^ 2004 design upgrades. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ 2004 power upgrades. Retrieved on April 7, 2007.
- ^ 2006 Pulsar features. Retrieved on April 9, 2007.
- ^ Fuel-injected rivalry to spill on to the roads soon
- ^ Honda: The newly developed PGM-FI (electronic fuel injection) system for small motorcycles
- ^ Twelfth Chapter of the Auto Fuel Policy Report published by the Government of India
