Contrary to earlier reports about the discontinuation of the Pulsar 135 LS, it is, in fact, still on sale in the country - as confirmed by its re-emergence on Bajaj's website. A slowdown on Indian sales charts, coupled with the Pulsar 150’s (unintended) re-positioning as a premium commuter, fuelled this speculation further. While the aforementioned reasons hold merit in the larger scheme of things, the 135 LS continues to perform well in certain regions within the country, justifying its availability. Meanwhile, Bajaj attributes the 135 LS’ temporary absence from its official website to scheduled ‘maintenance’ work.
The Pulsar 135 LS has been in production for export markets in any case, where it does enjoy its share of popularity. In India, the 135 LS hasn’t been the best-selling Pulsar (even in its heyday), although it attracts a slice of the audience that seeks practicality with a sporty design, while still keeping economy in the foreground. With the launch of the more premium Pulsar 150 Twin Disc, the 135 LS can justify its existence, positioned reasonably above the updated Discover 125.
While the Pulsar 135 LS started life as a sporty motorcycle, it was given a more commuter-like treatment with its last update, by replacing the split-seats with a conventional single-seat unit, offering subtle colour options, employing a conventional grab rail and adding a heel-and-toe shifter. The 135 LS is powered by a 134.6cc, air-cooled motor that develops 13.5hp and 11.4Nm of peak torque.
The Pulsar 135 LS, priced at Rs 62,528 (ex-showroom, Mumbai), continues to be sold in the same spec and will not get any updates (or require compliance with the new ABS norms) since it has been in uninterrupted production and has also been on sale in certain markets within the country.
Ved Janve
Vishal Venugopal
Dinshaw Magol
