Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS First Impressions

After the success of the Suzuki Gixxer and the Honda Hornet, Bajaj has got into this segment with its all new Pulsar 160 NS. The new bit about this bike is its engine. It is a new engine and is used first time for the Indian market. The Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS is sporty and has the same design language like the 200NS. But there are some subtle differences. We have even done a detailed comparison between the Hornet and the Pulsar 160 NS.

The bike had made its first appearance earlier this year in Turkey. The Turkish market even has the 150 NS too. There was an opportunity to see the 150 NS in India, but it seems that the company changed the decision to get the 160 instead. This makes it compete with another segment itself. The 155-160cc bike segment has seen heating up, with more performance oriented bikes. These are naked bikes and Bajaj will not want to miss out on this opportunity.

This bike comes with a 160cc engine that has triple-spark plug, single cylinder that is air-cooled. In terms of power it produces close to 15.2bhp and 14.6Nm of maximum torque. This comes mated to a five-speed transmission. The bike doesn’t get ABS and there are subtle changes in the bike over the 200 NS. The same black alloy continues on the new 160 too. The chiselled tank too is a continuation.

Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS Price in India

The price of the new Pulsar is about Rs 95,000 after all the taxes in Mumbai. This is similar to that of the Hornet without the CBS. The Gixxer and the Yamaha FZ aren’t too different in the pricing. Bajaj is offering the smallest NS in its category. For those looking at a sporty bike, all of them are good options to consider.

Bajaj Pulsar 160NS Specifications

The Pulsar 160 NS comes with a 160cc engine that churns about 15.2bhp of power and close to 14Nm of torque. This engine comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The Pulsar doesn’t offer ABS. The engine has good performance and it is one of the most fun bikes to ride. There is more than sufficient torque even at low speeds, which makes it easy to ride for daily use. The need to shift gears is minimal too. The performance for city and highway is good enough. The engine has sufficient power and the transmission is smooth. The clutch has light action making it easy and comfortable to ride on a daily basis.

Also Read: Suzuki Gixxer SF with Fuel-injection and rear disc 

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 Dimensions

Bajaj Pulsar 160NS (NS160) Top Speed

In terms of power, the new Bajaj Pulsar 160NS should have a top speed of about 115 km/hr. Where the Pulsar 160NS excels is better power delivery over the 150cc cousin. This a little better in top speed than the other bikes, but not much different. This is more than sufficient to ride even on the highways.

Also Read: Yamaha R15S Reliability Report

Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS Competition

The Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS shall be competing with the Suzuki Gixxer, Honda Hornet and the Yamaha FZ as well. These are its direct competition for the Indian bike market. There are other bikes too that can come into this segment, as it has caught the attention of many people. The Gixxer was a good seller in this segment, but Honda seems to have taken the lead here. Bajaj as a brand needs to add more numbers to its list.

Also Read: Honda Hornet Review

Bajaj Pulsar 160NS Design

In terms of styling, there isn’t much of a difference between the Pulsar 160 NS and the Pulsar 200 NS. The tyre profile for the front is 100/80 and the rear is 110/70 with R17 for both, this is slimmer than those found on the 200 NS. The bikini fairing is same as the 200 NS, which looks aggressive. The instrument pod is also identical, which is a combination of analogue and digital. The speedo and the odo meter is digital. It also gets a clip-on type handle, same as the 200 NS.  The new Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS differs in the graphics from the 200. The tank shrouds have 160 written on them, however in the similar pattern as the 200 NS. This looks just superb and adds to the overall appeal of the bike. 

The Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS gets a split seat and also a two piece grab handle. The exhaust is tucked away at the bottom and is not visible easily. The rear wheel has full mudguards, which is a boon in monsoon riding. There are minor differences in the two bikes and one does need to come closer to see the differences.

Bajaj Pulsar NS160 Colours

• Black
• Yellow
• Blue
• Red
• Grey

The Pulsar 160 NS will have five colours on offer. One of them is the grey that we have reviewed. Bajaj has done a good job with this bike colour options as there are trendy options for those looking at an exciting bike.

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 Features

• Digital/Analogue instrument pod
• Electric Start
• Engine Kill Switch
• Split rear Grab-rails
• Switchgear with back lighting
• Clear-lens indicators
• Auto-cancelling indicators
• Tank Protector
• Tubeless Tires
• 12-litre Fuel Tank
• Tank shrouds
• Front 240mm disc brake

Bajaj Pulsar 160NS Ride and Handling

We are yet to do a detailed review on the Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS. As of now, we bring you only the first ride impressions. We will do a detailed ride review when the company invites us for an official ride. However, the initial feel tells us that this is a very sorted bike, to say the least. First and foremost, the vibrations a well controlled. The bike feels smooth and quiet at idle. Even in motion the engine noise is minimal and the engine feels refined even at higher revs. The power is pretty good and the bike sets off briskly.

Suspensions of Bajaj have always been impressive and this continues with the Pulsar 160 NS too. It rides over potholes with ease and stays on the road with aplomb. Now this bike is lighter and you can feel it. It is nimble around corners and sudden direction changes.

Bajaj Pulsar NS160 Suspension & Braking

The Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 comes with a 240mm front disc and the rear is a 130mm drum. There is no combi-braking or even ABS on offer on this motorcycle. The suspension duties performed on this bike are by a 130mm telescopic fork ahead and 120mm monoshock with coil-over spring at the back.

Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS Tyre Size

The front tyre size on the Pulsar NS160 is 17-inch with 80/100 and the rear gets 100/90-17. This is thinner than the 200 NS. The alloy wheel colour and design are the same on the 160 too.

Verdict

The Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS comes across as a very promising bike. Our initial impressions are that this bike is worthy enough to give some serious competition to the Honda CB Hornet 160R, Yamaha FZ and also the Suzuki Gixxer. We are quite impressed by the refinment levels of this bike. Pricewise, it will be competing with these 3 as well. Here is another attractive package you can buy, at under a lakh.