All three bikes come with different riding postures. The Achiever
and Unicorn share upright postures and taller handlebars, while
the Pulsar 150 DTS-i has lower 'bars and places riders in a
more weight-forward stance. The Bajaj uses a dual downtube frame,
while both Hondas employ a single downtube spine, with engines
doing duties as stressed members. All three use telescopic action
forks and rectangular swingarms, but rear suspension setups
are very different.
The Achiever’s hydraulic twin units are the most conventional,
while the Unicorn delights with a colourful adjustable monoshock.
Gas-charged dual struts do the job on the Pulsar.
The shorter wheelbase (1290mm) Achiever feels lighter than the
other two, and shares ride and handling traits only slightly
better than its cousin, the Ambition. Ride is too far on the
firm side, and although this does help handling feel sporty
and nimble, this Hero Honda neither delivers the plush ride
quality enjoyed on the Pulsar, nor the handling advantage of
the monoshock-equipped Unicorn.
Monoshock technology or a tyre thicker than its existing 3.00
x 18-inch size would have been ideal on this new bike. But the
Achiever does corner adequately and displays a decent level
of straight-line stability.
A thicker rear tyre will boost the Unicorn as well, but its
fantastic monoshock compensates for this shortfall, offering
a hard-to-match balance of good ride and sure-footed handling.
Both the Unicorn and Achiever come with 18-inch rims and puncture-resistant
rear tyres. On the Pulsar, riders are offered slightly smaller
17-inch alloy rims, and these serve to offer ‘quicker’
handling. The aforementioned lower handlebars mould riders of
this bike into a sporty posture, with more weight on the wrists
than on the other two bikes.
Its gas-charged rear suspension is set such so as to make it
the softest sprung bike of this test, and the one for those
with aching backs or seeking a comfortable ride.
A bravely thick 100/90 x 17-inch rear tyre is yet another high
spec bit we respect on Pulsars.
Brake bite from this Bajaj is brilliant—offering a lightning-quick
and powerful response, while the Unicorn has a far softer and
more progressive nature dialed into its equally potent front
disc. Our test Achiever came from Hero Honda sans a disc option,
and forced us to put up with a woefully inadequate drum that
feels surely out of place on a bike this fast.
|
December 2005
