Bajaj Pulsar N160 First Ride Review: Pulsarmaniacs Rejoice

Remember the ‘Definitely Male’ advert? It changed the way Indian motorists looked at motorcycles in the 21st century and perfectly captured the essence of the Bajaj Pulsar 180 and the Pulsar 150. After decades in service, the Pulsar 180 finally bit the dust this year. The declining popularity of the 180cc class along with the growth of the sporty 160s led Bajaj to pull the plug. So, while the Pulsar 150 still soldiers on, it needs its brother. And that’s where the new Pulsar N160, a Pulsar that has evolved to meet the needs of current times while keeping its core identity intact, steps in. 

We got to spend a few hours with the new Pulsar on a day where the rain gods unleashed their entire fury on us. And still it didn’t faze this little Pulsar. So, just how good is it?

Platform Engineering

Bajaj has mastered the art of platform engineering. Just like it did with the previous generation of Pulsars, the new N160 looks and feels just like the N250. The face, body work, features and even the colours on offer are the same. You find the new Brooklyn Black shade on the dual-channel ABS variant of the N250 and the Pulsar F250 as well now.

The only distinguishing features are the ‘N160’ stickers, bulb indicators (not LEDs) and the smaller engine. Will that be enough to keep the N160 buyer happy? Or more importantly, will the N250 buyer feel sad? That’s something to find out in a couple of months.

What A Motor!

The numbers don’t do justice to just how delightful the new 165cc Bajaj mill is. No, it isn’t derived from any Pulsar that has ever been made, including the current N250’s quarter litre mill. It doesn’t share a single component or dimension. And the numbers are the highest amongst its 2-valve brethren. Only the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is more powerful than this Pulsar and that bike has a 4-valve mill.

Unlike TVS, Bajaj has gone for a more torquey and street-friendly riding experience. The motor’s tractability will leave you speechless. Simply slot the bike in fifth and it will pull away without any concern from speeds as low as 25kmph. The lovely flat torque curve of the Pulsar ensures that you have nearly all of the 14.7Nm almost all the time.

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It doesn’t quite dart away when you open the tap. What it does well is aim to keep you in a pretty chill zone, and that was a blessing during all the chaos that ensued during our shoot duration. 

This effortless riding ability is complemented well with an ultra-refined experience. The refinement levels on offer are almost on par with the RTR 160 4V and that’s saying something. Bajaj engineers have worked wonders with this new motor and it is easily the most refined bike to have rolled out from the Chakan plant. 

When you factor in these two brilliant aspects as well as take into consideration that Bajaj claims of the N160 having the best 3rd, 4th and 5th gear roll-on acceleration times, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that its fuel efficiency numbers are fantastic. Bajaj has received an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency score of 48.5kmpl for the N160, which is higher than the commuter-oriented Pulsar 150 as well as the RTR 160 4V.

And don’t mistake this motor for being dull. It feels sprightly for the most part, reaching 100kmph in a fair amount of time. It feels at ease sitting at 85-90kmph and can sustain slightly higher speeds as well. But at said higher speeds, the motor feels shouty.

Solidly Sporty

The new motor is housed in the same tubular steel frame as the Pulsar N250. The variant on test uses the same 37mm telescopic fork, gas-charged preload-adjustable monoshock, brakes and tyres. So, the feeling from the saddle is pretty familiar.

Pulsars have been all about the joy of easy and sporty handling and this N160 is no different. Show it a bend and it feels very easy to pick the right line around it. It isn’t fussy around a bend, the chassis feeling extremely capable to carry with a lot of speed and good lean angles. Mid-corner stability is phenomenal, especially in the treacherous conditions that we were riding in. 

Credit must also be given to the MRF Nylogrip Zapper tyres here. They held up their end of the bargain quite well, never breaking traction or feeling too jittery. 

The braking performance, too, isn’t shabby at all. The initial bite could be a bit more fierce but the N160 comes to a halt quite nicely. The lever feedback is precise, and you can modulate just how much braking force you want to exert. 

And then there’s the Pulsar N160’s trump card: dual-channel ABS. We are glad that Bajaj has taken the initiative to set the way forward for this segment and offer the extra safety aid. The system’s calibration is done neatly with the aid intervening in a very predictable manner.

And even though it has dual-channel ABS,you can still be a Pulsarmaniac and pull in small but heart pleasing stoppies.

The Downside Of Platform Engineering

By employing the same components as the N250 in an identical trim, the N160 isn’t able to absorb the bumps and thuds of our roads with as much finesse as we had hoped. Blame the monoshock setting here as it is tuned to carry out its duties well on the 250. So without the extra heft on offer (even though it is still the heaviest bike in its class by a solid margin), the monoshock isn’t in its ideal operating zone. It tends to be a bit too sensitive when riding over the sharpest of bumps, tossing the rider off the seat if they aren’t too careful.

With a pillion, this bouncy tendency is controlled to a great degree. So, while the ride doesn’t get jarring, we hope that Bajaj finds a slightly different spring rate or suspension tune soon for this bike. Currently, it just gets a bit irritating when riding solo over our roads that put the surface of Mars to shame.

A Pulsar Worthy Of The Legacy

This little Pulsar is a breath of fresh air in the 160cc segment. It's a Pulsar 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 office. It is a very promising Pulsar, one that carries forward the legacy of the Pulsar 180 quite well and is also very fit to take on its segment rivals. So, time to call TVS and Hero and get the comparison sorted out soon, then.