Quick ride: 2017 Bajaj Pulsar NS160

Bajaj’s winning streak with small motors continues with the “entry sports” segment

We’re unabashed fans of Bajaj’s recent efforts in the small capacity space. Using customer feedback and their learnings with higher capacity products, their more modest offerings such as the V12, LS135 and Avenger 150 have been winners in our books. This time round, Bajaj is rejigging their product strategy to focus on the “entry sports” segment with a new product: the NS160.

What is “entry sports”

In Bajaj’s view, the “entry sports” segment sits above the basic 150cc exec commuter space and attracts a different sort of customer. Now Bajaj already has the Pulsar 150, which remains in the market and was originally sold as a “sporty” motorcycle. Over time, technology and customer demands have pushed it down into a segment below, and it does duty as a 150cc commuter now, at least in the company’s eyes.

The “sporty” customer demands a bit of extra style, performance and features. While on the one hand a traditional buyer may put emphasis on all-metal bodywork, a large seat and good mileage, the kind of buyer the NS160 appeals to is less interested in those things, and prefers something with a bit more street cred. Essentially, whether you can or cannot carry a gas cylinder on the back is not part of the buying decision.

Enter the 160

The Pulsar NS160 uses an air/oil cooled 160cc motor that generates 15.5PS and 14.6Nm. Bajaj pitches it against the likes of the Yamaha FZ-Fi, Suzuki Gixxer, Honda CB Hornet and TVS Apache RTR 160. The company is never shy of direct, spec-sheet comparisons, and the new bike appears to compare favourably with the target competition. Only this time, it’s not a landslide victory, at least in terms of numbers.

The Pulsar NS160 comes in at Rs 78,368 (ex-showroom) which is bang in the middle of the competition, so there’s no real advantage there. The specifications are also a mixed bag, with no massive gains over its peers. It is, however, based on the same basic chassis of the Pulsar NS200, so you still get the perimeter frame, rakish design language and a smooth, high-revving motor. The console has the in-your-face tachometer flanked by a digital display and idiot lights. If Bajaj is expecting some rub-off of the halo effect of the 200, we think they’ll be happy with customer reactions.

Where the NS160 will lose out is on items like the rear tyre, which at 110-section is the smallest of the competition. We never thought our market’s fascination with fat rear tyres was reasonable, and we hope buyers are getting over this ridiculousness. The NS160 is also the heaviest bike in this class, but this is less relevant once on the move.

The ride

Bajaj could have used a punched out 150cc motor to hit the 160cc number and sell some bikes. Their market research says that customers rely on the cubic capacity as a primary decision driver. However, to lend the sporty character to the bike, they chose to use the base of their new 4-valve engines in a 160cc capacity. The motor is very free-revving, but still makes generous torque down low. Over the past few years, we’ve always used the same locations for our Bajaj tests, and our experience with the NS160 was palpably different.

The bike is noticeably quicker than an average 150cc commuter on the highway. Overtakes are more quickly — and safely executed — and keeping up with traffic is also less of a chore. You tend to rely less on momentum to stay in the flow, and that’s a good thing. Bajaj officials claimed about 115kmph as the top speed, and we easily saw 118 on the clock with a bit more grunt to go. The engine is smooth and torquey enough for us to wonder if it could pull off a sixth gear instead of the provided five. The 10,000rpm redline is not just optimistic, but achievable, and the bike seems to get a second wind after 8,000.

While the NS160 is currently supplied with a front disc/rear drum combo, Bajaj intends to gauge customer feedback and may decide to supply a rear disc option in the future. Despite the drum, we had no complaints with the braking on this bike. There’s no ABS in this segment, but the 240mm front disc had good bite, was progressive and provided safe and quick stops. The tyres too — while being skinnier than the competition — made a good show on our wet, rainy ride. No squirming or loss of traction was felt.

Full points to Bajaj for the suspension on the NS160. To fit the target price and segment, the forks are thinner than on the NS200, as is the swingarm. The rear monoshock unit is also tweaked for the revised weight of the vehicle. The company claims a more plush ride in line with customer expecatioins, and we concur. The NS160 has a very good ride quality, and we did not have a single hairy moment through our test ride. It’s pliant and hardy and frankly, a surprise. We’ve been riding a 12 lac rupee motorcycle recently, and already feel like we need 4 lac rupees of physiotherapy to recover. Bajaj can teach some lessons here.

Around corners, the NS160 is quick to turn and fall into line. Almost too quick, we thought. If there’s one nit to pick with the bike, we’d say the front end feels a bit flighty at times. Almost like it would do better with some more weight on the front. Bajaj claims that the basic chassis is unchanged from the 200, so perhaps it has something to do with the geometry of the front. We also found the position of the knees to be cramped on the motorycle. While you do sit bolt upright, the pegs are high, so your knees stay quite bent.

Should you buy it?

We’ll admit to being somewhat disconnected from the burgeoning market for motorcyles between basic commuters and all-out sports bikes. There are more segments than we can pretend to fully comprehend, but our understanding of where the NS160 fits is pretty clear. Bajaj believes the Suzuki Gixxer is the product to beat, and their new bike is a solid contender. It’s relatively quick, good looking, and performs well. It may not have the segment-busting ability of other Bajaj products, but it forms a solid baseline for future products.

Perhaps at some point in the near future, we will finally see the phasing out of their storied 150 and 180cc Pulsars, now that they have a complement of 4-valve motors in different capacities.

The Pulsar NS160 is a good buy, but it’s not blockbuster value as we’ve come to expect from Bajaj. Is it better than the Gixxer? We’re not sure, but it has more ticks on the specsheet. But put the gas cylinder in a rickshaw, ok?