Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z road test, review

The Pulsar NS400Z’s aggressive pricing allows it to compete with motorcycles that sit four segments below it.

Published on Aug 18, 2024 07:00:00 AM

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Despite packing the older 373cc engine, this motor remains the highlight of the NS400Z, especially when you take into consideration its performance to price ratio. In feel, it has more of the Dominar’s calmer demeanour than the KTM’s aggression, but it is still a quick motorcycle. In fact, the engine isn’t all too gentle and it’s easy to pop a wheelie or two with little to no effort.

The NS400Z is also equipped with ride-by-wire technology, enabling Bajaj to introduce four riding modes (Rain, Road, Sport, Offroad). The added riding modes do tweak the experience ever so slightly, but even in its sportiest setting it isn’t anywhere close to as angry as a KTM. Given its competitive price and target audience, the Pulsar in hindsight seems well setup to be exciting yet approachable, especially for newer riders.

However, make no mistake this is a fast motorcycle and our numbers show it in the same ballpark as some of the fastest motorcycles in its segment. In our test the Pulsar managed to accelerate from 0 - 100kph in just under 7 seconds, despite the wet conditions. Not only does it put the NS400Z on par with its segment rivals, it completely blows away every other motorcycle below Rs 2.2 lakh.

Even through daily commutes the NS400Z didn’t seem too hot headed and even managed to keep its temperature in check. My only gripe with its riding experience are the vibrations that tend to creep in once the revs increase. One of my favourite bits is its exhaust note which may lack the raspy tone but packs a nice little grumble and a bassy undertone.

The Pulsar’s motor comes mated to a slick gearbox accompanied with a light clutch and even a set of adjustable levers which is a welcome addition at this price point. During my long highway stints this Bajaj managed to hold triple digit speeds with ease and effortlessly kept pace with highway speeds. Efficiency figures aren’t all too high given its performance and during our tests we saw city and highway figures of 27.52kpl and 29.62kpl respectively. We’ve seen better fuel efficiency figures from others in its engine segment and significantly better numbers from smaller bikes at a similar price. If fuel efficiency is a major concern, we’d recommend a smaller capacity motorcycle to ease your commutes.