THE LARGEST OF PULSARS

The Pulsar we wanted many years ago is finally here and available at a great price

- Joshua Varghese

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE MANUFACTURERS ARE being accepted globally; a matter of pride for all of us. Bajaj are one of the biggest contributors to the cause and following the journey of their Pulsar range has been nothing short of endearing.

We found ourselves face-to-face with the biggest Pulsar yet and it seems fitting that it slots into the NS range. Back when the NS200 was launched, our editor had suggested that the chassis was capable of handling more power. It has taken longer than we expected, but it is finally here and it is called the NS400Z wherein the "Z" hints that more products will join the line-up in the future. We had a few hours to experience it on the road and on the track. Here's how that went.

The NS400Z is a product of smart engineering because it derives heavily from the Dominar 400 and NS200. Styling, for example, is largely based on the latter. The most significant change on that front is the headlight which features a new design for the daytime running lights (DRL) and an LED projector. Changes have been made to the contours of the cowls on the side due to a larger radiator. Personally, I feel the NS200 looked more aggressive when viewed head-on but from all other angles, both motorcycles are largely similar. They also share the same 12-litre fuel-tank. Having 17-inch wheels comes as no surprise for the NS.

Once in the saddle, it would have been impossible to tell the NS400Z apart from the NS200 had it not been for the instrument console and handlebar. The former is a fully digital unit that also features music controls and turn-by-turn navigation. It gets the job done with no extra frills and is slightly challenging to read under harsh sunlight; a minor niggle, at best. The handlebar is now a shapely single-piece unit that adds to the naked street-fighter appeal. Bajaj have offered a switch on the right-hand side to turn the headlight on and off, which I find thoughtful.