1 AUTOCAR INDIA SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 2018 PUBLISHING DATE 22ND EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH THRILL MACHINE PULSAR, THE MOTORCYCLE THAT CHANGED MOTORCYCLING IN INDIA A SPECIAL PROJECT FOR BAJAJ AUTO AUTOCAR INDIA SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 2018 PUBLISHING DATE 22ND EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH 2 A STAR IS BORN AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM, A NEW MOTORCYCLE WAS BORN. AND WITH IT, A NEW GENERATION OF BIKES AND BIKERS. THIS IS THEIR STORY. 2001: A BIKING ODYSSEY. Or at least, the CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION markets, the Pulsar is either No. 1, or a close start of one. The launch of the Bajaj Pulsar Bajaj did not stop there. It quickly took second. In Argentina, every second sports set-off a new era of motorcycling in India. the motorbike built with international bike sold is a Pulsar. It is also the bike that When the Pulsar twins arrived, they were benchmarks and improved it. It continued sports-bike enthusiasts favour in Peru. not just new motorcycles. They created a to deliver a number of firsts for the Indian whole new segment; One that Indian bikers market. From projector headlamps to had sorely missed – sport biking. The Pulsar twin-spark and then triple-spark elevated motorbikes from frugal commuters technology; the list is long. In fact, the to desirable, fun and sexy machines. For the second-generation DTS-i Pulsar had first time in India, there was a motorcycle over 40 features that had never been designed to deliver excitement. It was seen on an Indian motorcycle before. designed to stand out among a sea of Over the years, the Pulsar continued motorcycles being sold; and it did. Sculpted, to evolve and new generations of muscular, modern designs beautifully riders continued to fall in love with married to a round, retro headlamp. There the Pulsar. What never changed was was no missing the Pulsar. But it was its focus on performance. not all for show. The engines played their part, too. Both the 150cc and the 180cc THE PULSAR SHINES AROUND engines delivered power in a manner that THE WORLD made all other motorcycles seem dull. The The Pulsar even found fans in 30 countries competition was decimated and a new age across the world – after all, a star’s light had begun – the age of the ‘Definitely Male’. cannot be contained. In 15 of these key 3 AUTOCAR INDIA SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 2018 PUBLISHING DATE 22ND EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH CREATING A LEGEND POWER. PERFORMANCE. THRILL. THE PULSAR AND ITS ICONIC COMMERCIALS SHARE THE SAME TRAITS. A WHOLE NEW type of motorcycle had to featured two Pulsar 200 DTS-i bikes freebiking be sold in a whole new way. The ‘Definitely (the motorcycle version of parkour) through the Male’ line and the advertisement that went streets of Cuba. It was an unabashed display with it is remembered, even today. This was a of power, endurance and agility. 2008 saw motorcycle that would not be sold by numbers the release of another iconic ad and the rise on a sheet. It would be sold by appealing to of Pulsarmania. Watching a group of Pulsars the heart of two-wheeler enthusiasts. It would flawlessly execute coordinated stunts was a be sold with a focus on performance and the visual treat the likes of which had never been experience of riding a thrilling machine. seen in mainstream automotive advertising The positioning, combined with how before. From then on, Pulsars owned stunting revolutionary the Pulsar was, worked wonders. in India. In 2009, along came the Pulsar 220F, Riders all across the country were taken in by the fastest Indian motorcycle. Its position and the Pulsar Mania. Focusing communication on performance as ‘The Fastest Indian’ was put performance let riders know that this was the forth with a fun, bank heist commercial. When motorcycle they were waiting for. A few cheeky the Pulsar NS200 with the world’s first triple- moments in the ads let audiences know that the spark engine was launched, Pulsarmania 2.0 Pulsar was ‘Definitely Male’. Bajaj knew it had was on screen featuring three revolutionary hit the proverbial nail on the head. Pulsar 200NS bikes freeriding their way through But something changed. The Pulsar’s sport an amusement park. In 2016, Pulsar celebrated biking image gave birth to a new set of riders. 15 years of thrilling India with another action- Motorsport was always considered to be out packed ad that featured every version of the of reach for most Indians. But the Pulsar broke Pulsar sold in the country. The thrilling ‘Make that barrier by bringing sporty performance Life a Sport’ ad featuring the RS200 and the from the track to the streets. It gave rise to a 200NS carries on the connection and pushes fringe group of riders who started something riders to take it to the next level. After crossing iconic — stunting. The power, build quality and the 1-crore-unit sales mark, Bajaj released the balance of the Pulsar lent itself naturally to this ‘Pulsar City’ ad – a place where fantasy becomes sport. A new era had begun. reality, gravity is a guideline and every aspect of In 2007 Bajaj released a commercial that the city is tuned for stunting. AUTOCAR INDIA SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 2018 PUBLISHING DATE 22ND EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH 4 2015 PULSAR The sharp, aggressive Pulsar RS200 launched. It would MILESTONES be the fastest Pulsar in the 2017 family and was soon known The entire Pulsar line-up to be an effortless, nimble and receives BS-IV-compliant addictive motorcycle to ride. engines and AHO (Always Headlamp On) 2018 2001 as well as a new Laser Edge colour scheme. 2018 The Pulsar streaks past the one-crore-unit sales mark 2017 globally and Bajaj celebrates with 2001 the Pulsar City campaign that The birth of the Pulsar Twins created a invites riders to join the tribe. whole new segment called sports biking. 2016 2016 2003 The Pulsar celebrates 15 years 2003 The revolutionary of undisputed leadership in the 2015 DTS-i technology was Indian sports category with introduced. The Pulsar a mega 15-year campaign. twins quickly ruled the hearts of bikers across the nation, 2014 outselling competition Following the popularity of by over three times. the Pulsar 200NS, the other 150, 180 and 220 Pulsar 2004 variants were soon dressed 2004 to thrill in an all new look. The Pulsars got 17-inch 2014 alloy wheels, Nitrox suspension and the patented ‘ExhausTEC’ technology. Styling was 2013 made more cutting edge 2013 with an ‘all black’ Pulsar The devil got even more sportier featuring a broader rear with attractive decals. No wonder tyre and tyre huggers. millions of fans get their daily dose of pride as they ride the Pulsar, 2006 India’s No.1 sports bike. For the first time in any sports bike in India, a digital 2006 2012 speedometer, back-lit switches, The revolutionary Pulsar 200NS self-cancelling indicators was introduced featuring patented and LED tail-lamps were DTS-i triple-spark technology to introduced. Pulsar sales 2012 power the class-leading Pulsar crossed the one-million mark. and establish a new performance Pulsarmania had begun. benchmark in sports biking. 2007 Pulsar roared through the 2007 2011 200cc barrier creating a India’s No.1 sports bike new generation of bikes 2011 got sportier with stylish and bikers. The 200cc speedlines that took the total Pulsar with a meatier number of Pulsars on road exhaust and aggressive close to five million. looks, followed later by the 220cc DTS-Fi, set the pulse of bikers racing. 2009 2009/10 Saw the birth of a new 135cc Pulsar 2009 powered by a four-valve DTS-i engine. As sales crossed the three- It introduced more bikers to the thrill 2009/10 million mark the Pulsar twins of biking and took the number of got more power and more Pulsars on the road to over four million. features. The Pulsar 220cc carb version was introduced, aptly called ‘the Fastest Indian’. 5 AUTOCAR INDIA SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 2018 PUBLISHING DATE 22ND EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH TWIN DESIRE PULSAR 150/180 THE PULSAR TWINS stormed into the Indian – all premium features in 2001 – were talk of market in 2001 and things have never been the biking community. Even the Indian Army 2001 the same since. The Pulsar brought with it believed that these stunning machines were that ‘X Factor’ that was missing from Indian tough enough and ordered 1,500 units. bikes. The masculine, sculpted tank, the bold Then there was the 180cc Pulsar that retro headlamp and overall dimensions of the churned out 15.2hp. This was a bike for Pulsar made it a real head-turner. enthusiasts. There were two things that Powered by a 150cc, four-stroke, air-cooled, helped tell the 150cc and 180cc Pulsar apart. single-cylinder motor that produced 13.2hp, One was a discreet sticker on the rear flank the motorcycle was an instant hit. Features which indicated the engine displacement like the side-stand indicator, aircraft-type fuel- and the other was the dual-tone horn seen tank lid, tachometer, optional electric starter only on the 180cc. A PULSAR FIRST The Pulsar was the first bike equipped with a front disc brake as part of its standard equipment. This offering not only made the Pulsar safer, but showed customers that it was possible for a motorbike to be very exciting and safe at the same time. AUTOCAR INDIA SUPPLEMENT SEPTEMBER 2018 PUBLISHING DATE 22ND EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH 6 A NEW SPARK PULSAR DTS-i THE PULSAR MOVED quickly, both on the as well – a piece of equipment welcomed by 2003 streets and with the times.