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Bajaj Auto has finally started updating their Pulsar range of motorcycles. Last year, they launched the F250 and N250 and recently they launched the N160 which is the latest and most affordable new-gen Pulsar that is on sale right now. Then there is the Hero Xtreme 160R which has become quite popular in the 160 cc segment. Here is a comparison between the Bajaj Pulsar N160 and Hero Xtreme 160R.
Pulsar's design might be old but it has now become an icon. The wolfeye headlamp still looks aggressive and it is instantly recognizable as ‘Pulsar’. Bajaj wanted to ensure that the new Pulsars still are easily recognizable. The N160 looks very similar to the N250. The only major difference is the exhaust design. The N160 gets an underbelly exhaust whereas the N250 gets a side-mounted short and stubby unit.
The front headlamp now gets a projector unit but it still has a similar design to the wolfeye headlamp. There are LED Daytime Running Lamps, a muscular fuel tank with tank shrouds, a belly pan and a sleek rear section. Overall, the N160 does look quite good and aggressive on the road.
Hero Xtreme 160R is designed as a naked streetfighter. There is an aggressive-looking headlamp, muscular fuel tank and a small LED tail lamp. It might not have as much road presence as the Pulsar N160 but some people will prefer its relatively simplistic design.
The N160 comes with a 164.82cc single-cylinder, air-oil-cooled engine that produces 16 Ps and 14.7 Nm of peak torque. It comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The Xtreme 160R gets a 163 cc air-cooled engine that produces 15.2 Ps and 14 Nm. It is also mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
So, it is quite clear that the Pulsar N160 is the more powerful motorcycle. The performance figures of the Pulsar N160 are also better despite weighing 15 kgs more than the Xtreme 160R. Bajaj ensured that the torque spread of the engine is spread throughout the rev range.
In terms of features, the Xtreme 160R comes with a digital instrument cluster with 5-steps of brightness adjustability and a gear position indicator. There is also a USB charger to charge mobile devices and single-channel ABS.
The Pulsar N160 comes with a projector LED headlamp, a digital instrument cluster with a distance to empty readout and gear position indicator and a USB charging port. Bajaj has retained the analogue tachometer which some people are still a fan of. Moreover, there is also a dual-channel ABS version of the Pulsar N160.
Braking duties on the Pulsar N160 are done by a 300 mm disc in the front and a 230 mm disc at the rear. The Xtreme 160R comes with a 276 petal disc in the front and a 220 mm petal disc at the rear. Both the motorcycles come with a front tyre that measures 100/80 and a rear tyre that measures 130/70. Both motorcycles come with 37 mm forks in the front and a mono-shock at the rear.
The price of the Hero Xtreme 160R starts at ₹1.17 lakh and goes up to ₹1.22 lakh. Bajaj has only unveiled the price of the dual-disc version of the Pulsar N160. It costs ₹1.23 lakh. All the prices mentioned here are ex-showroom.