In terms of styling, the new Pulsar 250 range is a considerable departure from the existing motorcycles. However, it still is recognisable as a Pulsar. Bajaj Auto themselves call the latest design an evolution of the Pulsar series instead of a revolution. The design brief was to make the motorcycles look lean, and the new Pulsar 250s indeed look and feel more compact than the existing Pulsar motorcycles.

Similar to the design, the feature list has received an upgrade too, but the new Pulsar 250s aren’t going to set benchmarks in the segment. Yes, there’s full-LED lighting as standard and there’s the new instrument cluster that uses minimum bezels for an infinity theme. But it still displays basic data and Bluetooth connectivity is given a miss. These features, or the lack of them, doesn’t ruin the ride experience, but they are becoming more common with new launches, and the display on the Bajaj Pulsar 250s would soon seem dated. Do note that Bajaj Auto may add the connectivity option if they see a sufficient demand but that isn’t on the cards yet.

Bajaj Auto has made several changes to the underpinnings, as compared to the existing Pulsar motorcycles. The chassis, for example, uses the engine as the stressed member. The hardware, too, has received an upgrade, and the new Pulsar F250 and the Pulsar N250 get a preload-adjustable rear mono-shock instead of twin-sided units on the other Pulsar (excluding NS series) motorcycles. The front uses telescopic forks to handle the shock absorption tasks. The suspension setup feels plush and the motorcycles glide over most of the undulations effortlessly – an ideal tuning for our road conditions. That’s one of the major reasons why both motorcycles felt comfortable on the streets than they did on the test track.

The biggest Pulsars yet come with a big list of upgrades that make them ideal for anyone wanting to move up the displacement ladder. The updated chassis and the new engine deliver a commendable response while the feature list, albeit not class-leading, is sufficient to appeal to buyers who are planning to step into the quarter-litre segment.