New Bajaj Pulsar NS160 Test Ride Review

• Aug 6, 2017
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When someone teaches us something he becomes a part of our lives and we cannot forget him at any aspect of our lives. Also he becomes so close to ourselves that we can never misses him through out our life. Exactly the same Bajaj has done to the Indian riders. It has taught and gratefully introduced the term speeding to the Indian riders. Also it has given a great competition to the other motorcycle manufacturing brands. The brand has launched en number of products in the Indian market and one of its products has become true love for the riders. Yes, we are talking about Bajaj Pulsar. Bajaj has launched its first Pulsar in the year 2001 and named it Pulsar Classic 150, against Hero Honda CBZ. Later on the Pulsar has ruled over the segments of 135 cc, 180 cc, 200 cc and 220 cc, the company was about to enter into 400 cc segment but had chosen different name for the product- Bajaj Dominar 400. Rider's Note:

Following the great success of Pulsar NS 200, Bajaj has stepped into 160 cc segment with a bang. Recently the company has launched its new Pulsar NS 160 and today we are going to bring you the Test Ride Review of the same, let’s find out if it is going to be the rider’s choice or not?

Design & Looks:

As the members of Pulsar family is increasing, the new Bajaj Pulsar ns 160 is too a part of it. Being a sibling of previously launched Pulsar NS 200 the NS160 looks absolutely identical to its elder sibling. It is really very difficult to differentiate between the two at a first glance, one need to take a good look to spot the difference.

The similarity between, both the Pulsar NS 200 and NS 160 is greatly due to their looks. Also we can say Bajaj has given its best to provide their customers the premium feel that they were seeking at lower price tag. The wolf face headlamp, wide fuel tank, sharp air scoops, rear set foot pegs, split seats, LED taillights, slim indicators are all similar to the outgoing Pulsar NS 200. It is only starring at the bike thoroughly it would let us know that the new NS 160 has got many differences in it like the bike is featured with an oil cooled smaller capacity engine (without big radiator upfront), a kick starter, slim front and rear tyres, smaller front disk brakes, only drum brake option at rear, puny front telescopic suspensions and on diet swingarm. These features define that this is a different bike and not good old Pulsar NS 200. Although, the current motorcycling scenario belongs to powerful motorcycles and most of the people are looking forward to get a powerful motorbike for themselves but still there is a huge group which is looking for fuel efficient motorcycles in 150cc class. Introducing a motorcycle with 160cc engine producing best in class performance sounds good idea to tap the market which is seeking for a product which has best of both worlds- fuel efficiency and performance.

Instrument Cluster & Switchgear: The new Pulsar NS 160 borrows same digital cum analog meter console from its elder sibling. The digital meter console which hoses speedometer, clock, side stand indicator, trip meter, and a fuel gauge on the right hand side. Besides this there is a big round Odometer in the middle and at the left side it has got, neutral gear indicator, side indicators light, upper headlight indicator, low battery and engine oil indicator and the logo of the brand. Below the Odometer there are two buttons to set the clock and to reset the trip. At the upper side of the digital meter there is a small indicator which glows when the rpm reaches above its limit. The infamous wolf faced headlamp is also carried from NS 200 and has got a small visor with two tiny lights which gets on as soon as we switch on the ignition, besides the headlamp there are two beautiful side indicators are placed. On the right side of the handlebar there is an engine kill switch and the self start switch is placed whereas, on the left side there is side indicator switch, horn switch, upper/ dipper switch, and a pass switch is placed. Bajaj has been working on the quality of its switchgear and it is visible in its latest offerings but still there is room for improvement. The switchgear are backlit and they glow by the blue LED lights which seriously looks beautiful. The two wide mirrors on the handlebar really helped in taking turns, they were swift to be used and turned according to the need. Moving ahead towards the taillight, the Pulsar NS 160 has got beautiful LED taillights followed by the rear indicators which are similar to the Pulsar NS 200. Below the taillight there is tiny white LED strip is placed which focuses on the registration number plate of the bike. In the front, behind the front wheel there are two leg guards placed at both sides which actually looks little short but strong enough for the safety of the bike. As the bike isn’t fuel injected so it has got a petcock/knob of the fuel in order to put the fuel on/off and it looks different from other regular carbureted roadsters.

Ergonomics: As the bike is a roadster so it has to be comfortable and be a little sporty at the same time. As you throw your leg over the new Pulsar you would feel the perfect blend of comfort and control. Though it has got a small single handlebar but still it is compatible for rides even on the country side. We took the bike to a long country side road and it has actually served me with full comfort. The long and a bit wide rider seat was soft and firm enough for a comfortable ride and it remains like that throughout the journey. The footpegs are coated with soft rubber which protected my legs from stiffness. For the perfect riding posture the foot pegs are rear set and the overall posture is a little dedicated one. Also the gear lever and rear brake lever is coated with same quality of rubber, the rider’s foot pegs are coated whereas the pillion might feel some hard time due to the metal foot pegs. The split seat as mentioned earlier is comfortable and spacious enough for the rider but for pillion the rear seat might not be pleasurable. A hump given on the rear seat to give it an aerodynamic shape robs the show for the pillion.

The overall height of the bike is 1060 mm which is manageable for low heighted people too, whereas the bike weighs just 142 kg of kerb weight, so lifting it up for center stand parking isn’t a trouble. But lifting doesn’t mean you can have it on your shoulders, unless you are a heavy weight lifter (pun intended).

Engine & Performance: Bajaj has claimed that in 160cc segment engines the all new Pulsar NS 160 is the most powerful roadster till the date that means Honda’s CB Hornet and Suzuki’s Gixxer are going to face the trouble due to it. The bike is equipped with 160.3 cc single cylinder oil cooled DTSI engine which churns out the power of 15.5 PS @ 8500 rpm and 14.6 NM of torque @ 6500 rpm.

Well, this is what I can tell you that it is seriously a powerful roadster. The pickup of the bike is so convincing that is testifies being inherent of the popular sibling the Pulsar NS 200. The five speed gears were so easy to change and helped me to transmit the power according to the need. Although I felt the trouble of false neutral at couple of occasions, but that might because it was a brand new bike. Going through a long incline hilly road was a easy task for the new Pulsar. When I had a pillion along with me and the bike was on the top gear, without crossing the rpm limit it reached on the up hill with the average speed of 45-50 km/h. The all new Pulsar NS 160 has got such a butter smooth engine that we for once compelled to compare it with the Honda engines. Very limited or almost no vibrations was felt onboard, we can say a powerful engine with no vibrations (in this category). As we turn on the engine it offers a sound which is somewhat similar to the Pulsar NS 200, having the underbelly exhaust system. When pushed to its limits the bike didn’t show any signs of overheating though being a 160cc single pot the engine has got its limits.

Brakes & Suspension: For flawless and mesmerizing rides the bike must have worthy suspensions because the roads are never the same. The pleasure of riding a roadster didn’t decrease because of its suspensions which were soft for the riders but stiff for the roads. The all new Pulsar NS 160 has got telescopic front suspensions upfront which actually look little thin but seriously work hard. At the rear the bike has got adjustable Nitrox filled monoshock absorber. We have tested the bike on-road & off road the new Pulsar performed well in both conditions and didn’t trouble us. Also the suspensions help on the twist and turns making the ride planted and firm. We leaned the bike on a certain level and the suspensions, specially the monoshock performed the way that we were looking for. Talking about the brakes, the NS 160 has got 240 mm disk in the front and for the rear braking it has got drum brakes of 130 mm. When riding in city the mostly used feature of every vehicle is brakes. So the brakes must be effective and responsive for a safer ride. And the disk brakes of NS 160 as well as the rear drum brakes were soft and much responsive. They gave the confidence of riding the bike at more than the average speed. But we cannot only rely on the brakes; tyres too play a huge role in the safety of the motorcycle. So the NS 160 has got 80/100-17 tubeless upfront and 110/80-17 tubeless rear MRF tyres, the soft rubber of the tyres gripped the asphalt and helps controlling the bike according to the rider. Verdict:

Bajaj is the brand which has been serving to the Indian riders since past many decades and just not serving but also satisfying them on a great level due to its products and services. After so many successful years of manufacturing successful motorcycles it has never lacked behind in providing what today’s generation is looking for and this is actually the reason of its success.

By launching the new Pulsar in the segment of 160cc engine with full swing Bajaj definitely makes other giant brands run for their money. The cons we have discussed are not the big ones but still if it would be in the heading of Pros, the bike won’t be having any competitor in the market. As we have said before the bike provides the feel of riding a powerful and aggressive roadster at affordable price point. The all new Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 costs 78,368/- INR ex- showroom India. The question asked in the beginning that, whether this bike is going to be the rider’s choice or not? Well, the answer is YES, it can be and would definitely mesmerize the rider.
Review By: Haroon Mohd. Khan
Photographs By: Minhaj Ali