Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS First Ride: Surprising Experience

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS is here in Nepal!

As we all know, Bajaj has been dominating every segment imaginable. The company has a strong foothold in almost all major segments from 125cc to 400cc.

Looking further into their inventory, Bajaj has been mostly focused on 150cc to 200cc segment.

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 seems to be lost in the crowd of successful siblings like the Bajaj Pulsar 150, Bajaj Pulsar 220F, and Bajaj Pulsar NS 200.

But, why? Why isn’t Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 just as popular as its other siblings? More importantly, is it an underdog in its segment?

Surely, it wasn’t perfect when it first launched. But the new variant comes with dual-disc braking, single-channel ABS, and so much more!

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS price in Nepal is Rs. 3,02,900. Theoretically, it should be a bargain for its price, at least in comparison with its predecessor, right?

We wanted to explore that further. So, we had a great opportunity to take it out for a ride today.

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS First Ride Review

Masculine Design

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 comes with the classic Naked Sports design.

We’ve already seen the design in Pulsar NS 200.

Pulsar NS 160 features the same muscular fuel tank, sleek headlamps, sharp edge design, sporty split seat setup, stylized alloy wheels, engine cowl, and attractive graphic offerings.

Additionally, the build and finish feel premium. Even the switches get an extra bump in terms of sleek styling.

I just love how solid the switches feel, especially the side indicators, horn, and electric start buttons.

So, the overall design element is pretty much the same as that one. It is the most aggressive and muscular street fighter around.

Compared to others in this segment, the Bajaj Pulsar NS design still attracts attention. It offers NS 200 design for the 160cc segment, which in itself is a selling factor.

You can differentiate between the two with the “160” and “200” sticker on the side panel.

ALSO READ: Bajaj Dominar 400, Mero Ride Experience: Plenty New Updates with Improved Performance!

Oil-Cooled DTS-I Engine

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 is powered by a 160.3cc, 4-stroke, 4-valve, Oil-Cooled, and Twin-Spark DTS-I engine.

It can generate a max power of 15.5PS at 8500rpm and max torque of 14.6Nm at 6500rpm. Moreover, it is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

On paper, NS 160 ABS should give enough punch for a power-hungry rider. But it should balance well enough to be a commuter as well.

Again, this is a reworked engine that has been carried over for the discontinued Bajaj Pulsar AS 150.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out in real-world scenarios.

During my initial impression of the Bajaj motorcycle, it was kind of felt like a “Expectations vs Reality” scenario.

The opening power and torque figures were not on par with my expectations. Again, this was just with a short hour-long ride. So, I do think my experience will be different for longer rides.

I guess, we’ll explore that for the Full Review.

Features

Unsurprisingly, Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS is packed with features.

Besides a few key elements, Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 comes with equivalent features as its bigger siblings.

Let’s take a quick look at everything offered in the new NS 160 ABS.

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS Highlights

• Perimeter Frame
• Telescopic Front Forks with Nitrox Rear Monoshock
• Twin-Spark 160cc DTS-I Engine
• Dual Disc Brakes
• Single-Channel ABS
• Sporty Naked Sports Design
• Twin-Projector Headlamp
• Twin-LED Tail Lamp
• Wider Tubeless Alloy Wheels
• Under Belly Exhaust
• Engine Cowl
• Clip-On Handle Bars
• Blue Back-lit Lights
• Analog Digital Instrument Cluster

What are the key differences between the Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 and Bajaj Pulsar NS 200?

You get a smaller Front Disk, Smaller Tyres, Yellow-Lit Instrument Console, and Smaller Performance Output.

Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 ABS: Surprising Experience

I’ll give you the rundown on how I felt riding the Bajaj NS Pulsar 160 ABS for the first time.

With its launch back in 2012, Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 has aged well.

After 8 years, Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 still looks rocking its masculine avatar! While it is a 160cc machine, the styling is 200cc at heart.

The riding position does feel ergonomic, despite the clip-on handlebars and rear-set footpegs.

I wouldn’t say 156kg is heavy per se. However, if you come from a lesser weight motorcycle, you might need a few days to adjust that additional mass.

Once you do, you feel more in control. Thanks to the perimeter frame, you become more confident.

The throttle is pretty light and the clutch is decent. It is a BSIV complaint Carburetor engine. So, Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 comes with both Electric Start and Kick Start.

Engine Feel

The engine is pretty smooth and refined with minimum vibrations.

As for the exhaust sound, it is sharp… like you hear in the KTM bikes. Most like it, some might not.

ALSO READ: Yamaha Fascino 125 FI First Ride: Peppy BS6 Engine and New Practical Features

Likewise, the experience felt like a mixed bag. I think I had too big of an expectation, due to the NS name tag. I didn’t get the expected lower down torque which is surprising, to say the least.

Anyhow, the engine does come alive past 4500rpm, where I got to feel the torque and the power.

Talking about the suspension setup, I took it for a brief spin around the street bumps. Surprisingly, it does absorb most bumps with ease.

Performance-oriented bikes come with a stiff suspension setup. However, that might not be the case in NS 160.

Bajaj NS 160 ABS is supposed to be more practical and more commuter-oriented.

We’ll try to test this out for the Full Review.

Moving to the braking performance, NS 160 ABS features Dual-Disc Brakes with a Single-Channel ABS on the front.

The brakes provide a good bite and the inclusion of ABS at this price point is pretty sweet.

Honestly, I am pretty excited to see what Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 has to offer. So far, I’m not quite sure whether I like it or not, but we’ll find out soon enough.

Also, watch our 2019 Bajaj Dominar 400 Review in Nepali!