Bajaj Auto’s latest motorcycle in India is the new Pulsar N125. The latest addition to the Pulsar family, the N125 is a completely new motorcycle from the ground up, built on an all-new engine and new chassis. It is currently the fifth 125 cc motorcycle in Bajaj’s portfolio, and is targeted at the premium commuter 125 cc sub-segment. More specifically, it joins the highly-contested 125 cc premium commuter segment, currently dominated by the likes of the TVS Raider and the Hero Xtreme 125 R. So how do the trio go up on paper? Let us find out.
Also Read: Bajaj Pulsar N125 First Ride Review: Is It The Best 125 cc Motorcycle?
The Bajaj Pulsar N125 is the latest addition to the 125 cc commuter segment
| Specifications | Bajaj Pulsar N125 | Hero Xtreme 125 R | TVS Raider |
| Displacement | 124.58 cc | 124.7 cc | 124.8 cc |
| Valvetrain | 2-valve | 2-valve | 3-valve |
| Max Power | 11.83 bhp at 8,500 rpm | 11.4 bhp at 8,250 rpm | 11.22 bhp at 6,000 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 11 Nm at 6,000 rpm | 10.5 Nm at 6,500 rpm | 11.3 Nm at 6,000 rpm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed gearbox | 5-speed gearbox | 5-speed gearbox |
On the powertrain front, all the motorcycles here come with a displacement of just under 125 cc, with the engines mated to a five-speed gearbox. The power figures of all the motorcycles are only slightly different from each other, by less than 1 bhp. The Pulsar N125 is only marginally more powerful than the Hero and TVS and comes with the highest power-to-weight ratio, which should make it the faster-accelerating bike here. But it's the TVS which gets a 3-valve head in this comparison. And even though with 125 cc engines, a freer breathing 3-valve head should offer a slight advantage in refinement and tractability. The real differences though can only be noticed on a back to back comparison. However, you can read about out comparison review between the TVS Raider and the Hero Xtreme 125R here.
Also Read: Bajaj Pulsar N125: In Pictures
| Specifications | Bajaj Pulsar N125 | Hero Xtreme 125 R | TVS Raider |
| Front Suspension | Telescopic front forks | Telescopic front forks | Telescopic front forks |
| Rear Suspension | Monoshock | Monoshock | Monoshock |
| Front Brakes | 240 mm disc brake | 276 mm disc | 240 mm disc brake/ Drum brake |
| Rear Brakes | Drum brake | Drum brake | Drum brake |
In terms of cycle parts, most of the components of the motorcycles are similar to each other such as the telescopic front fork/rear monoshock combination. While the Xtreme 125 R and the Pulsar N125 are offered with a front disc brake as standard, the TVS is not, and can also be had in a more affordable front drum brake variant.
Also Read: Bajaj Pulsar N125 Launched At Rs. 94,707
The Hero Xtreme 125 R is the heaviest motorcycle here, weighing in at 136 kg
| Bajaj Pulsar N125 | Hero Xtreme 125 R | TVS Raider | |
| Seat Height | 795 mm | 794 mm | 780 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 198 mm | 180 mm | 180 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1295 mm | 1319 mm | 1326 mm |
| Fuel Capacity | 9.5 litres | 10 litres | 10 litres |
| Kerb Weight | 125 kg | 136 kg | 123 kg |
The Pulsar N125 has the shortest wheelbase here, which should make it nimbler, and better-handling motorcycle here. It also has the highest ground clearance of 198 mm, in comparison to the Hero and the TVS which come with 180 mm of ground clearance. With a kerb weight of 125 kg, the Bajaj is right in the middle. The Hero with its 136 kg kerb weight is the heaviest motorcycle here, while the Raider, is the lightest. A downside of the N125 however, would be the fact that it has a slightly smaller fuel tank capacity of 9.5 litres, while the other two bikes come with 10 litre tanks.
Only the Raider gets a full-colour TFT display in this comparison
In terms of features, all the motorcycles are on par with each other. All of them get an LCD digital instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity, although only the Raider gets a full-colour TFT display in its top-spec variant. The TVS also gets the TVS SmartXonnect system, with more than 99 connected features including turn-by-turn navigation, notifications, ride reports and more. The bikes also come with USB charging ports.
However, in terms of safety, the Hero Xtreme 125 R has the upper hand as it is the only motorcycle here to get single-channel ABS.
| Model | Bajaj Pulsar N125 | Hero Xtreme 125 R | TVS Raider |
| Ex-showroom prices | Rs 94,707 to Rs 98,707 | Rs 95,000 to Rs 99,500 | Rs 84,864 to Rs 1.04 lakh |
In terms of pricing, the Bajaj and the Hero are similarly priced and are both offered in two variants. The TVS on the other hand, is available in six variants, with a much more wider price range of Rs 84,864 to Rs 1.04 lakh. (All prices,ex-showroom)
![Bajaj Dominar 400 [2019]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.carandbike.com%2Fbike-images%2Fbig%2Fbajaj%2Fdominar-400-2019%2Fbajaj-dominar-400-2019.jpg%3Fv%3D19&w=640&q=90 "Bajaj Dominar 400 [2019]")
