[TusharK]

Mod Note: Our Bajaj Pulsar N160 Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

Bajaj has launched the new Pulsar N160 priced at Rs. 1,27,853 (ex-showroom, Delhi).



The 2022 Pulsar N160 is based on the new Pulsar platform, which was introduced with the launch of the Pulsar 250 last year. The bike features an aggressive design with a step seat and an underbelly exhaust. It comes with an LED projector headlamp, a semi-digital instrument cluster and a USB mobile charger.



Powering the Pulsar N160 is a 165cc, single-cylinder engine that makes 16 BHP and 14.65 Nm. The bike rides on telescopic fork front suspension and a monoshock at the rear, while the braking setup comprises a 300 mm front disc and a 230 mm disc brake at the rear. It also comes with dual-channel ABS.

Link to Team-BHP News

[Sarvodaya]

Pulsar 250 Single Channel ABS, Pulsar N 160 Dual Channel ABS Option, Who decides such dumb ideas ? Bajaj has already killed whatever is left in Pulsar Brand.

[Balaji31582]

I see from the website that Bajaj has mentioned - "A wide torque band offers 85% of peak power over a wider rev range - more than any other motorcycle in the segment." The same claim as similar to 250 twins. Even some of the captions are just bringing it on against Apache.
"Tractive Effort in all gears for Pulsar N160 are higher than competition. So, it’s time to ride by instinct, not by modes!"
All the best to Bajaj for their new Pulsar series.
FYI - i just bought a FZS 25 a month back. Very much contended

[SiLxNcE]

Originally Posted by Balaji31582

FYI - i just bought a FZS 25 a month back. Very much contended

Hi. OT discussion. Have you ridden the F250 also? Or considered it before getting the FZ? How well does it compare with the FZ25? I am in a similar hunt, looking to get a 250. Have shortlisted the FZ25, F250 and Gixxer SF 250. Will skip the Gixxer if the former two can deliver 90% of what the Gixxer 250 can do given the price and comfort difference. The F250's Eclipse edition is coming out. Should I hope that it comes with a dual channel ABS?

[Balaji31582]

Originally Posted by SiLxNcE

Hi. OT discussion. Have you ridden the F250 also? Or considered it before getting the FZ? How well does it compare with the FZ25? I am in a similar hunt, looking to get a 250. Have shortlisted the FZ25, F250 and Gixxer SF 250. Will skip the Gixxer if the former two can deliver 90% of what the Gixxer 250 can do given the price and comfort difference. The F250's Eclipse edition is coming out. Should I hope that it comes with a dual channel ABS?

Hi SiLxNcE, we can have the discussion offline, if you are ok? I will end up writing essays on my perspective which I everytime try to avoid

On a very short note, I reduced my filter to Japanese bikes and further to FZs25 due to various factors. You should try the all new black pulsar 250 also as it has got the dual ABS now which wasn't available when I looked out for my new bike.

[amvj]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Bajaj has launched the new Pulsar N160 priced at Rs. 1,27,853 ...

braking setup comprises a 300 mm front disc and a 230 mm disc brake at the rear. It also comes with dual-channel ABS.

Link to Team-BHP News

300mm disc at the front is just massive for a 160cc bike. Does it really require a disc of this size? The CB300R's front disc is slightly smaller than this at 296mm. Even R15 has 282mm front disc only.

That said, the pulsar brand is now diluted and TVS is doing a similar mistake with Apache as well.

[SiLxNcE]

Originally Posted by Balaji31582

Hi SiLxNcE, we can have the discussion offline, if you are ok? I will end up writing essays on my perspective which I everytime try to avoid

On a very short note, I reduced my filter to Japanese bikes and further to FZs25 due to various factors. You should try the all new black pulsar 250 also as it has got the dual ABS now which wasn't available when I looked out for my new bike.

Hi! Thanks for the reply. I am very new to the platform and I don't have enough posts to have the option to send you a dm. It would he great if you could write up your entire decision process here itself. It will give me and others in the same boat, some much needed clarity.

My requirements have been fluctuating since the start of my hunt for a 250-400cc bike. I had been looking at CB350rs, Himalayan, Dominars too. But then decided a 250 will be the perfect displacement to ride daily as well as tour on occasionally and also be relatively cheap on the pocket, overkill in the city and just about great on Indian highways. My basic requirements would be: a slightly sporty comfortable seat, highly tractable as a daily bike that can also go the distance and great reliability.

So I have shortlisted the FZ25. I rode one that a friend has. The monster energy one. (Quite a looker) And I rode it at night in a drizzle and was amazed by the torque, seating posture and the road grip.

I am also looking at the SF250 which is a small stretch on my budget, and not the Vstorm because it overshoots my budget by a long shot. I have ridden the SF150 and felt I was sitting on the bike rather than in the bike. The 150 felt underpowered. The 250 should be very very different from what I have heard. What bothers me is after sales services and parts. All service centers around me has very bad google reviews. So I talked to a few owners and they said a few are fine. Love the looks of the SF though.

I am only considering the Pulsar F250 black along with the Japanese ones because of the dual channel abs. It doesn't have the exclusivity and being a new gen engine from Bajaj, not sure of its long term reliability.

What should be the right way to find the right bike from these? Or should i try to stretch to Dominar 400 or the Himalayan? Not considering Dominar 250 or Scram since they are overshadowed by the better counterparts.

[Balaji31582]

Originally Posted by SiLxNcE

Hi! Thanks for the reply. I am very new to the platform and I don't have enough posts to have the option to send you a dm. It would he great if you could write up your entire decision process here itself. It will give me and others in the same boat, some much needed clarity.

Sure SILxNcE. Welcome to the group and my humble thanks for trusting the perspectives in this forum. Certainly I will share the process I went through and I am also aware it could probably help you in settling down on the options. Also, I am planning to write an ownership review as I just completed my first service with FZs25 and it won't feel OT there.

A Note to MODS:Is it possible to have a separate thread for SiLxNcE's request? All the bike lovers can contribute their perspective in that thread to clarify. If there is already one, please club this there. As individual perspectives could deviate the original thread.

[SoumenD]

Man the legendary pulsar brand is getting diluted now. Looking at this new range I feel bajaj should have just left it as it is to die a natural death rather than these new ones which really don’t even make you want to sit up and take notice. I haven’t seen any of these new range pulsars on road in Bangalore. Or maybe its so bland looking I never noticed. NS range was still decent but this? Damn!!!

Originally Posted by Sarvodaya

Pulsar 250 Single Channel ABS, Pulsar N 160 Dual Channel ABS Option, Who decides such dumb ideas ? Bajaj has already killed whatever is left in Pulsar Brand.

250 does get dual disc now.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

250 does get dual disc now.

Dual Channel ABS, you mean?

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Dual Channel ABS, you mean?

Oops typo. Ya I meant ABS.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by SiLxNcE

My requirements have been fluctuating since the start of my hunt for a 250-400cc bike. I had been looking at CB350rs, Himalayan, Dominars too. But then decided a 250 will be the perfect displacement to ride daily as well as tour on occasionally and also be relatively cheap on the pocket, overkill in the city and just about great on Indian highways. My basic requirements would be: a slightly sporty comfortable seat, highly tractable as a daily bike that can also go the distance and great reliability.

So I have shortlisted the FZ25. I rode one that a friend has. The monster energy one. (Quite a looker) And I rode it at night in a drizzle and was amazed by the torque, seating posture and the road grip.

I am also looking at the SF250 which is a small stretch on my budget, and not the Vstorm because it overshoots my budget by a long shot. I have ridden the SF150 and felt I was sitting on the bike rather than in the bike. The 150 felt underpowered. The 250 should be very very different from what I have heard. What bothers me is after sales services and parts. All service centers around me has very bad google reviews. So I talked to a few owners and they said a few are fine. Love the looks of the SF though.

I am only considering the Pulsar F250 black along with the Japanese ones because of the dual channel abs. It doesn't have the exclusivity and being a new gen engine from Bajaj, not sure of its long term reliability.

What should be the right way to find the right bike from these? Or should i try to stretch to Dominar 400 or the Himalayan? Not considering Dominar 250 or Scram since they are overshadowed by the better counterparts.

SiLxNcE, there is no perfect way to find the right bike from all the available options in today's market. My suggestion is to set a hard budget and test ride everything that you have within in. Based on your stated usage, a 250 cc motorcycle will do really well. I would suggest that you consider the Yamaha FZ25, KTM Duke 250, Suzuki SF250, Bajaj Dominar 250 and the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V. There are other options which are good but these are the more popular choices.

From what you have listed,
- I dont recommend Bajaj motorcycles because they usually dont age well. The new Pulsars arent proven commodities.
- The Scram is actually a better version of the Himalayan, for most urban buyers. Had it been launched a few years earlier, it would probably have been a big hit. For your usage, you should be looking at the Scram and not the Himalayan.
- The Yamaha FZ25 is a solid option. From what I hear, it could be better suited to the urban environment, which is where you would anyways do most of your riding.
- As for the SF250, it has a very linear power delivery and is deceptively comfortable. Having ridden it for quite a while, the SF250 is my new favourite option in the segment.

You cant go wrong with any of these bikes. Test ride all of them with an open mind and let us know your feedback. Happy hunting!

[Balaji31582]

Adding to the above SiLxNcE, since there is no separate thread, I will take the opportunity to hijack a little on my decision process. I wanted to highlight that the below details are peculiar to my needs and usage.
The parameters I deduced also based on my continuing ownership of RE thunderbird for over 14 years or so are as follows

A Bike that

• is not overweight
• is consistent quality wise. [this is very abstract and relative term that I can explain with my perspectives in detail]
• has tubeless tyres
• has dual channel ABS with good brakes
• is not built with all advanced engine configurations but still can do what I require it to do. For my use case USD forks, 6 gears, oil/liquid cooled, slipper clutch, quick shifter are all optional parameters and nice to have.
• is from a manufacturer who has decent service backup
• is easy to manoeuvre without requiring much acquaintance and makes me feel comfortable (for instance, I added a center stand for FZs25 just to get the chain clean and lube easily )
• can hold the pillion rider for few kms if not longer journey
• can rapidly respond to my input (yeah i am little crazy)
• is cost effective (i don't want to use the term VFM as it is very relative for each individual)
• is not RE (I have my own reasons for this, which I can document in few lines in my ownership review when I Pen it down)

Some or most of the above parameters are derivatives of my 14 year ownership experience of RE TBTS. [I am still owning it]

I went through KTM, Bajaj, Hero, Classic legends. The combinations of above parameters strike out the options with these manufacturers.

With Japanese, I started with Honda CB300R. It was mind-blowing experience after driving a 14 year old RE I simply loved it. One thing that wanted me to explore beyond was the cost factor, as I felt 3.22L onroad after localisation is not agreeable. I appreciate the agility of the bike, but there were other factors like fuel tank capacity, cramped space for pillion rider to stretch while being seated, etc were also adding to the reasons. CB350 was not considered because of the combination of weight, drivability in city speeds, more like a roadster.

I moved towards Yamaha. I wanted to get the MT15 given that it will tick most of the boxes. I thought the version 2.0 will get the dual channel ABS and I was little greedy to think that even they might elongate the seat little bit. Nothing of these happened and it got strike down. But I like the drive-ability and efficiency aspect of it. Certainly the cost factor is a let down.

Then I checked the FZ25. Got a TD and was convinced 80 percent of what CB300R does can be provided by FZ25. At 154kgs, the seat comfort for both rider and pillion, the 0 to 80 in quick time and solid confidence when you drive with nice brakes, the dual channel ABS, the unique new headlamp cluster (yes i liked it !) and the overall cost factor just got me to take this one. Had the CB300R would have cost a 50K less and with a little more space to stretch the leg for pillion, it would have been my choice. I mention this because certainly the budget was not the constraint but what I value out of the bike made me to move towards FZ25.

Suzuki was ruled out with the combination of parameters like our family's prior bad service experience, the cost factor (it came in after I TD FZ25), the pillion rider comfort. If none of these are a concern in one's considerations, they should consider looking the SF250 or the Gixxer 250.

Just to mention, I drive in weekdays for my commute to office (to and fro 40 to 45 kms based on the route I take). It is semi-urban as I live in outskirts of chennai. In the weekends typically I hit highways as I visit temples at remote villages. For me the speeds I prefer is 0-80 in quick time, consistently do 100kmph when required (read it as open roads) and not always. I strongly feel a two wheeler is safely driven at less than 80kmph (to get the brake in control when required) unless it is a closed environment specifically devoted for driving higher speeds.

Sorry for the long post, but I was thinking i should share my perspectives considered in my decision process.

Mod Note: Our Bajaj Pulsar N160 Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!