Tag: NS160

I purchased Pulsar NS 160 last year. I have clocked around 5000 kms till date. Mostly high way rides. I have shared my ownership review with pulsar ns 160 comparing with my previous bikes. Here is my experience.

I purchased Pulsar NS160 BS6

Realisation after riding Pulsar NS160

Cruising in Pulsar NS160

Realisation with Pulsar NS160 continued – More Speed

Realisation continued with Pulsar NS160 – Matured Cruising speed

Can we tour on Pulsar NS160?

What to buy – NS 160 or Hornet 2.0

Chennai to Kanchipuram on Pulsar NS 160

I sold my Pulsar NS160…

I recently changed Shell oil (city ride) to my pulsar NS160. The bike runs smoothly now, looks like low end torque/punch improved a bit. Oil cost me 599 rupees when I purchased.

After thrashing my bike to cruise at 100 km/hr in highway continuously during my last highway ride, I noticed some roughness in engine. Moreover, service interval/due time also arrived. So I approached service center for servicing the bike. But, the service center where I regularly give my bike for servicing, was too busy with other bikes, they were not able to attend my bike for the next few weeks or month so.

So I decided to change oil at least. Let my bike run in new oil until service center guys called me for regular service. So I went to Shell petrol bunk near my home, They showed me two types of oil, City Ride, and Shell Advance. Shell Advance is for racing performance. City Ride oil is for city ride. I am not going to ride above 80 km/hr, so I do not need Shell Advance. I purchased Shell City Ride oil one liter costing 599 rupees.

The staff at petrol pump drained old bajaj oil from my bike and poured new oil.

Then I took the bike to highway and ride at 80 km/hr speed. The roughness of the engine got cleared, and bike becomes butter smooth. My Pulsar NS160 glided smoothly with new oil in highway in moderate speed(80 km/hr).

Now, the problem is lubing bike chain. Chain is lubed during regular service. Now service center is not able to attend my bike, my bike’s chain is dry and dirty. I am doubting whether any road side mechanic will do Chain lubing alone, not full service. Full service, I will do with Service Center once they resume their business.

I am going to enquire with my nearest street mechanic for Chain lubing alone. If they agree, then I will have cleaned and lubed my bike’s chain. Let us see.

Can we kickstart a Pulsar NS160 BS6(Fuel Injection – FI) with a dead battery?

NS160 comes with a kicker even though it has FI – Fuel Injection. When starter motor has problem or push button (self start) has problem, then you can use kicker to start the bike provided battery in good condition.

FI – Fuel Injection and it is controlled by ECU – both require steady current/voltage from battery to function. If there is no current/electricity from battery to Fuel Injector or ECU from battery, then you can not start the bike using self start and kicker and manual push start. Nothing works with a dead battery to BS6 motorcycle including NS160 BS6.

Sometime, battery may be low and it may not have enough current to rotate starter motor/self start, but battery has some low power which is enough to function the FI and ECU. In such case, you can use kicker to start the bike temporarily. You should replace new battery soon.

In short, as long as steady sufficient current flows from battery to function FI and ECU, you can use either self start, kicker, manual push start – whatever is working. If the battery is dead, no current from battery to FI and ECU, then nothing will start BS6 motorcycles.

BS6 or Fuel Injection – FI motorcycles need a good battery to start even with kickstarter. Kickstarter is an alternate to self start, but not an alternate to battery.

We can not kickstart Pulsar NS160 BS6 FI with a Dead Battery

Government should ban all motorcycle reviews or ownership reviews which are given earlier to 2 years from purchasing the bike. Reviews after 2 to 3 years of purchase should be allowed and true. Review at brand new condition should be punished and stopped by government. Too early reviews misleading the buyers.

Motorcycle’s original build quality is exposed after 2 to 3 years of usage. We should give review afterwards.

My pulsar ns 160, did not give any problem till two years or warranty period got over. Afterwards, clutch or clutchplate having issue. bringing bike to neutral gear is very difficult. Low end torque and low end pickup got reduced or not upto newness state.

Some tuk tuk sound from vehicle when riding over bumbs and pits with pillion.

Engine turned off automatically in slow speed some time, annoying issue. Engine RPM reduces below 1000rpm and engine turned of automatically some times in slow speed in traffic, need to rev a bit to prevent engine off in traffic or slow speed.

Gear shift is must in low speed or tung tung sound from engine appears.

Rusting in fuel inner cap, water logging during raining season around inner fuel cap.

Many time, engine malfunction light glows, do not know what to do, Some time the light goes off automatically after 1 or 2 days, sometime it is taking more time. Is Bajaj experienced enough to make motorcycle with Fuel Injection, I dont know.

There is sag in mono suspension. When the bike was brand new, I had to tip toe the bike while in stationary. Now, after two years, I am flat footing while in stationary. Mono suspension is sagged a bit. My body weight is same for the last two years.

I am giving my bike to Authorised Service Center every 3 months before the due date. So, far my bike has clocked 11000 kms only in 2 years of ownership.

I am getting frustration with these problems. Engine performance reduced from newness state after 2 years. Regular service is not preventing problems. Service Centers do regular periodical checks only. They do not pay attention to specific problems. For specific problems we have to depend on local mechanic to fix it.

I still love my bike’s(NS160) performance above 5000 rpm or above 60 km/hr speed. 60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90 km/hr speed in my bike is still awesome and entertaining. I cruise at 70 to 80 km/hr in highway, that feeling is superup. Bike’s midrange in highway is still thrilling. I go to highway weekly once or twice and ride my bike in highway for 2 to 3 hours… Absolute Blast, Enthralling. If your restrict your highway cruising speed around -80+ km/hr, then this bike is more than sufficient. Still in-gear acceleration is adrenaline surge. Look of this bike is appealing as “Definitely Male” tagging of pulsars. That is the reason, I still keep this bike with me, otherwise I would have sold/thrown it in second hand market like I sold Discover 150F within 2 years from purchase.

Biking culture is at its peak in India, Bikers are conscious about their bike too much. They see every problem through a lens. Bike manufactures should understand the bikers mind, and build bikes with at most quality and train, equip Authorized Service Centers.

My previous motorcycle honda shine, was serviced at local mechanic, for three and half years, it did not irritate me at any point of time. There were problems occurred, but they were sorted out by local mechanics then and there. I did not give honda shine to Authorized Service Center after free services exhausted.

I am hesitating to give my BS6 ns160 to local mechanic, since it is FI and having engine/FI malfunction sensor, which can not be turned off by local mechanic. Moreover, I assume, BS6 engine oil is different from BS4 engine, I just assume, but I may be wrong too. So I am hesitating. But, I am pretty sure, local mechanic can service the bike better than Service centers because local mechanic pay attention to specific problems apart from regular checking. I am going to enquire my local mechanic whether is he able to maintain BS6 motorcycle with FI. If he accepts, then I will give the bike to him for servicing henceforth.

Before, purchasing NS160, I was in dilemma as whether to buy Hornet 2.0 or NS 160. Then I purchased NS160. Now I feel that, I should have purchased a bike from Honda based on my experience with Shine.

If I am buying next bike, then definitely it will not be from Bajaj stock based on my timely tested experience from Discover 150F and NS160. If anybody ask my suggestion as which bike to purchase, I would say avoid Bajaj based on my timely tested, costly experience with Bajaj bikes.

Honda means, more money, but peace of mind. Bajaj means less money, but no peace of mind, provided performance guaranteed. Your choice… money or peace of mind or performance at affordable price.

In the last two years, I enjoyed performance from NS160, it is enough. Now I want peace of mind – Honda Shine.

Update : 19-01-2023 : Today, Gear shifting became very hard and many false neutrals while riding the bike. Few times gear change is not engaging. It became difficult to ride the bike. I took the bike to Authorized Service Center. They checked the bike and replaced new Clutch cable, costing 434 rupees including labor charge. Now gears are smoothly engaging like a new bike. I am happy now.

Engine malfunction light of my Pulsar NS 160 BS6 is on or glowing always while riding the bike. This is the third time this is happening. Earlier two times engine malfunction or fuel injector light turned off automatically after one day. I did not do anything or I did not take the bike to service center.

Now, it has been one day, it is on whenever I ride the bike. I am not sure what happened to fuel injector. Bike runs as usual at lower speed, but at higher speed and revving, I feel a slight stress or drop in pick up. One month back, second service was done at 4500+ kms.

I was waiting for whole day whether light turns of automatically when I ride, but it did not turn off.

When I check the service manual, it is mentioned that engine malfunction light will glow when there is issues with fuel injector, but nothing mentioned as how rectify it.

So, tomorrow, I will take the bike to service center if engine malfunction light continues to glow while riding.

Hope, this simple issue, should not make me feel for buying BS6 vehicle.

Update on 12th August 2021

Today morning when I started the bike, engine malfunction light went off automatically. I did not take the bike to service center and I did not try anything on my own. I am happy now. Bike runs smoothly.

I ride from Saligramam to Kelambakkam today evening casually on my Pulsar NS 160. I took Maduravayal Tambaram by pass road to reach Vandalur, avoided city traffic. From Vandalur, I reached Kelambakkam. Then returned on the same route to home.

While crossing Vandalur, I halted the ride for water break for 10 minutes and resumed the ride to reach home.

Traffic was moderate, in both madruvayal bypass road and Vandalur Kelambakkam road, I was able to cruise above 70 km/hr speed comfortably NS 160.