Bajaj Pulsar N160 Decoded Through Detailed Images

Bajaj pulled the plug on the age-old Pulsar 180 thanks to its declining popularity. But in return, it gave us the brand-spanking-new Pulsar N160 which shares the same design, chassis and most of its underpinnings with its elder sibling, the Pulsar N250. 

But, it gets an all-new engine, at least that’s what Bajaj claims. So, is the younger sibling of the N250 any better than its elder brother?

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Thanks to Bajaj’s platform engineering, the new N160 looks and feels a lot like the N250. 

 The overall design, features and even the colours on offer are also the same. 

The only distinguishing features, apart from the bulb indicators and the smaller engine are the ‘N160’ stickers.

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The engine may be small, but it packs some serious punch. It’s an all-new unit, so it doesn’t share a single component with the N250.

And the performance numbers speak for themselves. It’s among the highest amongst its 2-valve brethren. The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, which features a 4-valve mill is the only bike in its class that’s more powerful than this Pulsar.  

The motor’s tractability will leave you speechless. It offers a torquey and street-friendly riding experience.  Simply slot the bike in fifth and it will pull away smoothly from speeds as low as 25kmph. The flat torque curve of the Pulsar ensures that you have nearly all of the 14.7Nm almost all the time. 

The new engine’s refinement levels are almost on a par with the RTR 160 4V, which, in our opinion, is the smoothest engine we’ve ever experienced in this segment. So that says a lot. We’d even go as far as saying the new N160 engine is easily the most refined unit to have rolled out from the Chakan plant.  

An ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure of 48.5kmpl should tell you a thing or two about how efficient the motor actually is. It’s in fact more frugal than its commuter-oriented Pulsar 150 as well as the RTR 160 4V. 

The motor feels engaging and packs enough oomph to reach 100kmph in a fair amount of time. But, it feels more at ease sitting between 85 and 90kmph. While it could exceed these speeds, it would require you to string the motor, at which point it gets a bit shouty. 

The new motor is housed in the same tubular steel frame as the Pulsar N250. It features the same 37mm telescopic fork, gas-charged, pre-load-adjustable monoshock, brakes and tyres. So, the feeling from the saddle is pretty familiar. 

Thankfully, the N160 hasn’t lost out on its handling prowess. Show it some bends and it tips in without much effort. The chassis enables you to carry a lot of speed with good lean angles. Mid-corner stability is phenomenal too, to say the least.

 The grippy MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres do play a huge part here as they provide loads of grip and never feet jittery even in wet conditions. 

The braking performance isn’t shabby either. The initial bite could be a bit more fierce, but the N160 comes to a halt quite nicely. The feedback from the lever is precise, which allows you to modulate just how much braking force you’d want to exert.  

But, the icing on the cake is the Pulsar N160’s dual-channel ABS. It’s a segment-first and the extra safety aid is a welcomed addition. The system’s calibration is done neatly with the ABS intervening in a very predictable manner.

 On the flip side, the N160 isn’t able to absorb the bumps and thuds of our roads with as much finesse as we’d hoped. Since it’s the same unit as the N250, the monoshock isn’t tuned for the lighter, more compact N160. 

So, without the extra heft on offer, it tends to be a bit too sensitive when riding over the sharpest of bumps, tossing the rider off the seat if he or she isn’t too careful.

It tends to settle down with a pillion on board though. While the ride doesn’t get jarring, we hope Bajaj soon finds a slightly different spring rate or suspension tune for this bike. 

 This little Pulsar is a breath of fresh air in the 160cc segment. It's a bike that's going to take the 160cc segment by storm. Its smooth riding experience and tractable engine characteristics are exactly what you want on those crazy rides back from work. 

So yes, it’s a promising Pulsar, one that carries forward the legacy of the Pulsar 180 quite well.