Pulsar gets makeover

The high-end version of Bajaj Pulsar, fitted with a 180 cc engine, has got an image makeover with an expectation that it would help the company maintain its leadership position in this particular segment.

Priced at Rs 58,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), the 180 cc bike has been re-introduced in the market as Bajaj Pulsar Black.

Bajaj Auto's head of marketing S Sridhar the company has made some cosmetic corrections in the looks of the bike and also they have come up with fresh television commercials.

The performance bike segment, with a sale of 55,000-60,000 units a month, is dominated by Bajaj Auto with its Pulsar range accounting for close to 55-60 per cent market share. Honda Unicorn, Karizma, CBZ and Achiever from Hero Honda account for the rest of the market.

"Currently we sell about 1,800 to 2,000 units (a month) of the 180 cc version of Pulsar. Though we do not expect any major change in this, the new image of this bike will definitely have a rub-off effect on the 150 cc version," Sridhar said.

He added that while the segment itself has been growing at 10-15 per cent on a monthly basis, the Pulsar brand has been reporting a growth rates closer to 40 per cent. The 180 cc version of Pulsar is currently sold only in select outlets under the Probiking umbrella of Bajaj Auto.

The recently launched 150 cc bike, Apache from TVS Motor is expected to give serious competition to other motorcycles in the this segment. It is priced at around Rs 53,000, a notch below the 150 cc version of Bajaj Pulsar.