Just tested the Hunk recently, and also pitched it against the Pulsar. And that I was disappointed with the Hunk would be an understatement. Now don’t get me wrong, the Hunk a good bike – it looks fabulous, and even though it doesn’t come with the fancy add ons like the digital console and the LED tail lamps, one doesn’t mind too much.
The Hunk’s also better endowed dynamically; it goes around bends with precision and stability that’s seriously missing on the Pulsar. The Pulsar wallows and flexes through same bends at slower speeds.
But overall, considering performance, engine, ride quality etc, the Hunk isn’t miles ahead of the competition, in fact it lags behind in a lot of aspects. And if I were to give a verdict, it would be a tie; for the price conscious buyer too - the Pulsar returns better fuel efficiency but is more expensive than the Hunk.
The point I am trying to make here is, when a new product sees the light of day, it ought to take the game by the scruff of its neck and move it ahead instead of playing catch up. Outperforming the competition in just one or two aspects is worth nothing really.
A new product should set new benchmarks, and in every respect. Every iteration ought to count, cause if that does not happen the Indian motorcycling isn’t going anywhere.
I am not a Bajaj fan in this regard either. I mean it has gone through countless iterations of the Pulsar, and yes the final one is better then the first, but by how much. The Pulsar is still found lacking in areas it always lacked; be it on the limit handling or the vague, irritating gearbox.
Today, if I want to buy a motorcycle, there’s nothing that I would settle for without a big crib. And that’s not a life I want…
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