Which 160cc Bike Has The Best Features?

We compare five models and see which one wins in terms of features, and comfort levels

We recently took out five of the best 160cc commuters: Bajaj Pulsar N160, Hero Xtreme 160R, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, Suzuki Gixxer 155 and the Yamaha FZ-X, and put them through their paces on the winding roads of Lavasa. And in the process, we discovered a lot about the bikes, especially about the comfort levels, features and practicality each one has to offer. Here’s which one impressed us the most in each segment: 

Comfort

Comfort is arguably the most important thing for a commuter. If you’re gonna be riding a bike almost every day of the week, you’d obviously want it to be super comfortable. So we decided to fill up a one-litre jug with water and put our poor testers through a bumpy road. Here’s how much water was left in the jug on each bike: 

Our man Manaal's goal was to maintain a speed of 40kmph, while Ishan was going to…get tossed around. The FZ-X, with its supple ride, proved to be the best performer in terms of minimizing water spillage. The Xtreme, with its pliant ride quality, secured the second position in the test. The bike's suspension was able to absorb bumps and undulations reasonably well, contributing to a less turbulent ride for the pillion.

The Apache, saw Ishan constantly bobbing up and down on the bike, causing some water spillage. That said, the amount of water spilled was still less compared to the Pulsar and Gixxer. The stiffer suspension on both the bikes transmitted more road imperfections to the rider and pillion, leading to a lot more water spillage. For more details about the same, you can check out the video from 5:14. 

Features

As 160cc bikes continue to evolve, manufacturers are incorporating more advanced features to enhance the riding experience. While some features may not have a significant impact on the overall ride, they are still appreciated by riders. 

But features like a radial rear tire, USB charger, and turn-by-turn navigation contribute to the overall convenience and functionality of the bikes. Among the bikes compared, the Apache, unsurprisingly, stands out as the most feature-packed option. 

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On the other hand, Bajaj has taken a slightly more traditional approach with the Pulsar, resulting in it ranking last in terms of the number of features provided. For more about the features, check out the video from 7:45.

Headlight

*The bikes are arranged in a descending order. 5 = best headlight & 1 = worst headlight 

While all the bikes here come equipped with LED headlights, there are notable differences in how each one performs. The FZ-X, unfortunately, ranks as the worst in terms of headlight performance, an issue that’s been persistent with Yamaha's FZ series of bikes for some time. 

On the other hand, Bajaj has consistently excelled in making brilliant headlights for their bikes and the Pulsar N160 is no different. Its headlight illuminates dimly lit roads superbly, ensuring better visibility for the rider. 8:20 is the time stamp as to when Jehan talks about the bikes’ headlights in the videos. 

All in all, it was the Pulsar N160 that impressed us the most in this shootout. A peppy-yet-frugal engine, good brakes, looks and handling, it ticks all the boxes when it comes to this segment. But most importantly, it has something that no other bike here has: dual channel ABS.

That said, the Apache RTR 160 4V and the Xtreme 160R were not too far behind the N160 and you wouldn’t go wrong purchasing any of them. The bikes that disappointed us though, were the Japanese ones. Both the Gixxer and FZ-X are a bit too thanda and just lack the fun that you’re looking for in this segment.