Can we tour on Pulsar NS160?

We can tour on any bike. We can tour on scooty or TVS 50 too. They don’t complain, but it is Not what they meant to be.

NS160 is a powerful, sporty city commuter with adraneline surge pick up and suitable for 3 to 4 hours of weekend sprints.

Tourer – Ride the bike for more than a day, cover 400+ kms per day, sleep at night, ride at day time. Ride for a week or days or more than a day.

Long ride – Ride 200 to 400 km in a day and stop. Single day event.

Sprint – Ride for 75 to 150 kms round trip and stop. This is done within 3 to 5 hours with or without breaks.

NS160 most suitable for weekend sprints with a decent highway speed, though it can be pushed for long ride and touring like any other machine, but it is not what it meant to be.

If you intend to ride NS160 for touring in highway, you can cruise between 80 to 90 km/hr all day without heating issue. In strong wind blast or cross wind, you can cruise around 70 km/hr. Till 90 km/hr speed, you can do overtakes at ease. NS160 is most suitable if your crusing speed is around 80 to 90 km/hr. If you intend to cruise above 100 or 120km/hr speed, you need higher CC bike. I guess, it is illegal to ride motorcycle above 80 km/hr in our country.

In my experience 150/160 CC bikes are not Tourer. For touring, bike needs to have more weight, power, torque, stability in cross or head winds and more comfort and less fatigue.

What type of rider are you? Tourer or Long rider or Sprinter. Most of the weekend rides are Sprint – start in the morning, finish before noon, cover 100+ kms with or without breaks.

If you are a sprinter, 150/160 CC bikes are perfect or An Electric Sport bike with 150 to 200+ km/charge range is sufficient.

I am a Sprinter in motorcycle riding, i enjoy it, i am not a Tourer or long rider, seldom i do long ride, but i prefer sprints and enjoy it.

Realisation with Pulsar NS160 continued – More Speed

Nowadays, I am able to cruise at 75 km/hr speed comfortably in tail wind. In head or cross wind, i am able to cruise at 65 km/hr comfortably. Both body and mind is relaxed, no fear. My confidence is building up slowly to cruise at high speed.

Earlier, i thought that i could not ride beyond 55 km/hr. Now, i realised that I am able to ride at 70+ km/hr speed comfortably.

Get familiar with the bike, learn how to control the bike, learn the limits of the bike – dos and don’ts with the bike, slowly gain confidence and slowly increase the cruising speed day by day. Find a sweet spot both to me and the bike and settle there. This is the strategy.

Now, my cruising speed is increased from 55 to 75 km/hr.

Cruising speed is decided by many factors. Traffic, road conditions, tail wind, cross wind, head wind, weight of the bike, power of the bike, stability of the bike, breaking confidence of the bike, riding confidence provided by the bike, mood and energy level of rider, and confidence of rider – all influence the cruising speed of the ride. There is no fixed cruising speed for a person or bike.

My confidence is increasing day by day slowly. I will settle in the sweet spot of bike if all the other factors favouring.

Earlier, i thought to sell this bike because it is over powerful to me. That notion is changed now. For the same price – one lakh thirty thousand – I could have purchased old Dominar 400 with dual channel ABS, after gaining confidence, now thinking. ,🤔

Anyway, let me learn to cruise in high speed with the maximum limit of Pulsar NS 160. This is the bike for next 3 years or till loan emi closure.

Chennai to Kanchipuram on Pulsar NS 160

Up and down from my home( Saligramam) to Kanchipuram is 130 kms.

I rode in 50 to 70 km/hr speed in this trip depending upon the traffic and road conditions. The road has potholes, patches here and there.

I was thinking to sell this bike since it is over powerful to me. But the trip changed my view.

Bike is excellent to ride around 55 km/hr speed or 4500 rpm. I had ridden Discover 150F and Shine around 55 km/hr speed. But the ride quality is better in NS160. More weight and more power, torque are doing some magic.

There is enough power for overtakes when needed. Pulsar NS160 is more stable when compared with my previous bikes.

Planning for 200 kms trip next.

By the way, as on date mileage i get from this bike is 57 km/ltr for my riding style.