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.

Cruising in Pulsar NS160

Today, i did a short ride with NS160 – around 80 km round trip. I cruised between 55 to 65 km/hr speed in highway, mostly above 60km/hr. Bike went steadily even in crosswind at these speed range. For quick overtake, i ride upto 70 + km/hr speed, then settled down. Bike inspired confidence while cruising, and overtakes.  I maintained around 5000 RPM to cruise around 60km/hr  speed. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride today. My 5 years of highway quest is satisfied. I am planning for 120 km round trip post monsoon. Probably mid or end of December, i will do this trip.

Realisation after riding Pulsar NS160

After spending one lakh and thirty thousand rupees for purchasing brand new Pulsar NS160, i realised my comfort zone in riding motorcycles.

My comfortable speed in highway cruising on motorcycles is around 50 km/hr. Both my body and mind is relaxed at such speed. Beyond that wind blast starts which make me uncomfortable while riding.

I rode CT100, Discover 100, Discover 150F, Honda Shine in past. For many years, i was riding around 40 km/hr speed. When bike touring culture obsessed me, i decided to increase my speed. CT100 and Discover 100 did not meet my rising biking spirit. So i purchased Discover 150F.

I was able to cruise between 50 to 60 km/hr speed in highways in Discover 150F. It gave me mileage of 70 km/ltr in highway and 50 km/ltr in city. The problems with this bike were No stability and not inspiring confidence beyond 60 km/hr speed.  Its engine has power to reach 70, 80 km/hr speed easily, but bike lacks stability and not confidence inspiring at such speed.   So this bike did not meet my expectation to cruise above 60 km/hr.  Due to back pain caused by this bike, I sold it and purchased Honda Shine – four gears variant.

Back pain was relieved in Honda Shine.  I was able to cruise at 50 km/hr in Shine.  Beyond that, engine was not smooth and bike was not stable.  So I could not ride above 60 km/hr with Honda Shine.  But Honda shine is the best bike among the bike I ride for city commuting.  Practicality and Handling is beyond comparison in city rides with Honda Shine, If you compromise to ride around 50 km/hr in highway, then Honda shine is best bike for both city and highway.  But my highway quest was not satisfied with Honda shine.  So after riding honda shine for three and half years, I sold it. Then I purchased Pulsar NS160.

For a long time or till I ride Pulsar NS160, I do not know how it is to be cruise at 80 km/hr.

Pulsar NS160 meets my expectation, it could cruise around 80 km/hr( I ride at 70 km/hr), the bike is stable in highways and inspiring confidence to ride.

Now the problem is with me, My body get tensed and mind develops fear while riding at high speed. I get tired soon if I cruise beyond 60 km/hr. Wind blast is more and disturbing beyond 60 km/hr. Physically and Psychologically I am comfortable at speed between 50 to 60 km/hr. Discover 150F kept me cool at its comfort speed. Without any fatigue and tiredness, I was able to ride discover 150F for hours and hours between 50 to 60 km/hr speed. More speed require more attention and conscious. For many years, i was longing to ride a motorcycle at 80 km/hr speed at highway. Now I have the motorcycle with such capability – NS160. Now I know how it is to be cruise at 80 km/hr. But to me the enjoyable speed is 50 to 60 km/hr. I realized this after riding at 80 km/hr. Many sleepless nights with youtube watching about bikes, sold the best bike for my city riding – Honda Shine, sold the best engine i ever ride with power and mileage – Discover 150F (Bajaj should be proud for making this Discover 150F engine) which suits my riding style and comfort speed perfectly.

Now , i have a machine – Pulsar NS160 – which meets my dream in highway cruising but excels my physical and mental speed limit. There is a conflict between dream and reality. Conflict between expectation and practicality. My dream was to ride at high speed, but practically I enjoy slow speed. Until I experience how it is to be cruise at 80 km/hr, I did not realize my comfort speed is between 50 to 60 km/hr.

I spent 1 lakh an 30 thousand to know my comfortable speed, which was satisfied by Discover 150F.

We desire for something without knowing that which will not suit us. We put lot of effort, spend time and money to attain our dream, possess what we desire. After attaining it, we realize, it does not suit us. We can not reverse now.

Luckily, I did not buy 200CC, 250CC, 300CC, 390CC+ motorbikes. They are like over killing , over dose to my riding style. I might be suffering from – Compulsive Speeding urge – if I bought higher CC bikes. I notice many guys speeding their higher capacity bikes in small or narrow streets for the sake of speed.

NS160 is more than sufficient to my riding style. 150/160CC bike is more than enough to me.

Money spent can be earned. But time, time spent is spent, which can not be earned again, the time I spent for watching youtube videos about bikes, the time I spent for reading bike content in internet are lost, and can not be recovered. This hurts me.

If I have not purchased Pulsar NS160, if have not experienced ridding the bike in 80 km/hr, I will be still living with my Riding Illusions, wasting time with youtube and internet.

I stopped watching YouTube videos about bikes, i stopped reading about bikes in internet. I am not passionate about higher CC bikes now, i know my speed now. I am satisfied with the power of 160CC bike which meet and excel my expectation in both city and highway.

More fun with Pulsar NS160

The bike perform aggressively post 6000 rpm.

If I want mileage, I have to ride around 3500 to 4000 RPM max. I do this while riding in within city – a sedate riding with lot of grunt/pulling power from NS160. In Highway, I cruise between 60 to 70 km/hr speed. In these speed range in city and highway, I get mileage of 50+ km/ltr. My previous honda shine gave 55 km/ltr with less power.

If I want mileage, I ride like below 50km/hr, If I want fun, I ride around 70km/hr.

The bike cruise at 80 km/hr effortlessly and stable. I did not push the bike beyond that, though NS160 BS6 can do more speed, but my personal speed is limited.  I dont want to ride at high speed even in highway.

I did not buy NS200, it is a right decision for my sedate riding style.  I am not going to ride beyond 70 km/hr continuously in highway.  I may touch 80 km/hr for quick overtaking, but not consistently ride at such speed.  Pulsar NS 160 gives sufficient mileage as well power, speed when demanded for matured rider like me.  I dont need NS200 since I am not going to ride at 100+ km/hr speed.  I am not a flash speedster like NS200 guys ride in city or highway.

Pulsar NS160 is inspiring confidence for riding and has sufficient stability for decent speeds.   

Riding posture relieves my tail bone pain, which I used to have when riding in upright posture of commuter bikes.  This is subjective.  I have tail bone pain, so I preferred a slightly forward lean posture, which NS160 provides correctly.

I am planning for a 300km round trip in this bike, post monsoon, mostly in January, I will set out for long trip, till then short trips only.  January, February, till Mid-March are good time for bike touring, there would not be raining or hot Sun in these months.

  

I purchased Pulsar NS160 BS6

Pulsar NS 160After 3 years of patientcy with Honda shine i bought Pulsar NS160 recently.

I ride this bike around 70 km/hr in highway. This bike can do more, but my comfortable speed is 70 km/hr in highway.

One has to ride this bike to experience its pick up and power as a 150cc motorcycle.

I will write more about my experience with NS160 as i ride more. Stay tuned.