Bajaj Pulsar N160 First Ride Review: Likes And Dislikes

Does the sporty Pulsar have enough street cred to take the fight to its class rivals?

Bajaj’s latest Pulsar has arrived on the scene and it promises to be something quite important. You see, the new Pulsar N160 is meant to carry forward the legacy of the old Pulsar 180 and take the fight to the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and the Hero Xtreme 160R. We recently spent a day with this new Pulsar and heavy rain for company. So when everything around us was absolutely chaotic, we found out what caught our fancy on the new Pulsar, and what didn’t work for us.

Likes

Lively Engine and Punchy Performance

When you look at the power output of the N160 on paper, you’d notice that it produces less power than the NS160. However, despite a lower power output, this new Pulsar N160 offers more torque throughout its powerband, which makes for an exciting riding experience.

It was easy to pull from speeds of 27kmph in fifth gear without any shudder all the way to 95kmph, which allowed for stress free riding, especially in the city. Especially on a day where visibility was poor, and the road inundated with rainwater, the super tractable motor ensured I could dedicate my concentration on the road, rather than planning my gear changes. 

Oh So Smooth

The engine refinement too has dramatically improved, and it does not have that ‘Pulsar vibe’ anymore. The older Pulsars were notoriously vibey, but the N160’s motor stands out with its impeccable refinement. The cruising experience is plenty enjoyable as it has just the right kind of pulse to build a connection with the motorcycle. Throw in a peppy exhaust note as you zoom past 5,500 rpm, and the Pulsar N160 ticks all the right boxes in the engine department.

The cherry on the cake is the N160’s ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 48.5kmpl, making it even more frugal than the workhorse that is the Pulsar 150. 

Riding Posture and Ergonomics

Bajaj has absolutely nailed the rider’s triangle on the N160. The seat is plush. You sit in an upright street-friendly posture that’s not only comfy on commutes but also sporty enough for weekend thrills. The shape of the tank, just like the N250, is perfectly chiselled to provide a generous area to lock your thighs firmly.

Despite the N160 being the heaviest bike in its segment, this optimised riding position and comfort ensure minimal physical stress, even after spending a day on the saddle, absolutely drenched in rain.

Engaging Handling

The above mentioned two points about the peppy engine and ergonomics, combined with the handling, left me grinning ear to ear. The bike loves being thrown into corners, and is quite forgiving even when you feed in jittery directional inputs. It feels stable and potent, which was quite a boon on a rain-soaked day of riding. The front suspension soaks up undulations really well, while instilling confidence to push harder into the bends. 

The brakes too are sharp, despite the front brake lever having a certain degree of play. You might feel the initial bite to be a bit lacking but once you go past that point, it doesn’t take much effort to bring it to a halt. Plus, the system is very predictable and so is the intervention from the dual-channel ABS. 

Dislikes

Firm Ride Quality

While the front suspension is nicely tuned to take on any bumps and thuds that pop up on our roads in the monsoons, the rear suspension tune has a firm edge to it. The rider does get tossed off the seat over the sharper bumps, making it a bit irritating. The ride isn’t jarring but you do feel that if Bajaj engineers had made some tweaks to the spring rate of the monoshock to make it more absorbant for commutes, it would’ve made the bike so much better. Riding with a pillion did tone down this rear suspension behaviour considerably, though.

Lack of Features

While the bike is a good package overall, it’s still disappointing that the Pulsar N160 misses out on features that have become common on 125cc scooters these days. A full-digital dash, Bluetooth connectivity and stuff are becoming more common on motorcycles nowadays. The only nifty addition to the Pulsar is the tank-mounted USB charger and the LED face. While the cluster does look well made, buyers might feel short-changed for missing out on smartphone connectivity, even if all the app does is read back ride-related data.

Lack of Unique Styling

This is a bit of nitpicking here but the Pulsar N160 doesn’t have a unique identity of its own. There’s no doubt that the Pulsar N160 is a good-looking motorcycle, however, if it is parked beside a N250, they would look absolutely identical at first glance. Had Bajaj made some tweaks here and there to the package to give it its own identity while following the same design language, it would’ve made the bike feel a bit unique. But the Pulsar range has always been this way, Bajaj being the masters of platform sharing. And it has worked out well in the past. So, Pulsarmaniacs might not complain. 

Verdict

The entry-level 160cc sporty segment has been cutthroat, and the Apache RTR 160 4V has been the bike to beat. Well, the Pulsar N160 is a promising contender to take the fight to the Apache. While the firm monoshock tune is a sour point, the peppy refined motor, optional dual-channel ABS and impressive handling left us massively impressed with the N160. Not to mention, Bajaj has managed to offer both the variants of the Pulsar N160 at a competitive price.

What does this imply for the Pulsar NS160 though? Well, we had this exact question on our mind, and Bajaj did reveal that the NS160 will continue to coexist with the N160, as it enjoys immense popularity in certain parts of the country. Will the NS160 be able to retain this popularity, given the promise the N160 packs? Only time will tell.

Though we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves piloting the Pulsar N160, it would be absolutely mega if we could conduct a head-to-head test between the Pulsar N160 and Apache RTR 160 4V.