Bajaj Pulsar NS 160 reaches the showrooms silently

In a surprisingly silent move, Bajaj Auto India has launched a brand new motorcycle in the 150 cc commuter bike segment, Bajaj Pulsar NS 160.

The spotting of the camouflaged motorcycle a couple of times on the Mumbai-Pune highway hinted at an impending Indian launch. The launch of the bike in Turkey recently also suggested the strong possibility of the bike seeing light in India soon. However, with no formal launch, no media invite, Bajaj has introduced the bike which has already reached many dealerships across India.

There has been no official communication from Bajaj regarding the bike and a few scout visits to dealerships have confirmed that the bike is on sale, at least in Mumbai and Pune. While the bike has not reached the showrooms in New Delhi, it has been understood that the bookings for the same will commence from July 1st.

The Pulsar NS 160 is an interesting take on the Pulsar NS 200. It is based out of the steel perimeter frame much like its larger sibling but with a box section swing arm which is smaller than the one seen in NS 200. Conventional telescopic forks do the suspension duty at the front while the rear carries a gas charged mono shock. The wheels are 17 inchers at both the front and the rear with the front getting an 80/100 size while the rear has a wider 110/80 section. A 240 mm disc at the front and a 130 mm drum at the rear takes care of the braking.

Styling wise the Pulsar NS 160 looks very similar to the NS 200. It carries forward with its aggressive looks, a similar bodywork including the headlights, instrument cluster, a 12 litre fuel tank, split seats, tail section and tail light. The Pulsar NS 160 has an even identical wheelbase to that of the NS 200 at 1363 mm. With a kerb weight of 142 kg, it is lighter than the NS 200.

Powering the Pulsar NS 160 is a new 160.3 cc engine which gets oil cooling and is based on the 150 cc seen in Bajaj Pulsar 150. This mill produces 15.5 hp at 8500 rpm and 14.6 Nm torque at 6500 rpm.

While many dealers quote the price of the Pulsar NS 160 at Rs.82,400 (ex-showroom, Pune) they have also confirmed that this pricing is pre-GST and might go up from the 1st of July. The bike will compete against the likes of Suzuki Gixxer, Honda CB160 and Yamaha FZ v2.0

[Source: AutoCarIndia]