Bajaj Pulsar VS400: All We Know So Far (Latest Spy Pics Inside)

Update: It will NOT be branded as a Pulsar

Bajaj is set to do a 2001! Back then, it was the introduction of Pulsar 150/180 Classic models which took the market by storm and this time it will still be a Pulsar but in a much bigger and a lot more interesting form. Pulsar VS400 is what they call it and the biggest, fastest and the most powerful Bajaj ever is set to redefine the entry-level performance cruiser segment.

We have some new spy pics of the motorcycle shared by our reader Sagar Ranjankar who shot the test mule somewhere in Ahmadnagar. This article is intended to provide you all the relative and important information we know about the product so far.

Showcased first at the 2014 Auto Expo in its concept form, and under a different name (Pulsar CS400), commercially it will be known as Pulsar VS400. There has been no clarification on what does VS stand for. Some say VS full forms to Vantage Sports which is a bit vague as Cruiser Sports would have given it a proper identity! Nonetheless, we will wait for an official/concrete bit on this.

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Pulsar VS400 follows the design principle of Ducati Diavel although in a much smaller and hence cheaper form. Which means, that it is India’s first reasonably powered sports cruiser.

Here are more details that have been unearthed so far. We are mentioning them in pointers for ease of reading…

  • ENGINE:

The 373.27 cc single cylinder DTS-i mill sourced from KTM’s Duke & RC390 and is heavily revised by Bajaj. It gets the trademark triple spark treatment. Thanks to a leaked ARAI filing we know that the maximum power output of the motorcycle is 35 PS (34.49 bhp) at 8,000 rpm. This means that it is about 8 horses less which clearly tells us two things – One, Bajaj has kept a clear differentiation with KTM’s products and two, this also gives them some room to play in if and when they plan to launch the sports version based on this engine which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2014 under the name of Pulsar SS400.

Also, this hints at the fact that Bajaj’s focus, as expected, was not on making an outright powerful machine but one which would be more optimum and relatively less wild. Hence, it is bound to churn out higher fuel efficiency; no figures are known at this moment though! Torque figures are also a mystery at this point.

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  • Tyres

The Pulsar VS400, right from its concept days in 2014, has always been shod with MRF tyres. The motorcycle sports MRF Revz C1 and FC1. We have tested them on an RC390 and you can read our review here. The test mules are running on 110/70 R17 front tyre whereas the rear can not be deciphered.

  • ABS

While the Pulsar RS200 got a single-channel ABS, there are high chances that Bajaj may equip the more powerful VS400 with more effective dual-channel ABS. It will depend on what levels is Bajaj targeting to price the motorcycle at. However, there has been no clarification or confirmation on this yet! The test mule in this pic is shod with ABS. There will also be another non-ABS cheaper version on offer. 

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  • LAUNCH

Pulsar VS400 was planned for an August-September launch. However, in a word few days back, President of Business Development, Mr Ravikumar announced that the focus has shifted to meet the festive demand of the existing models and hence VS400’s launch has been delayed by a few weeks/months. The new time frame indicates a December 2016 launch.

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  • PRICE

Being a Bajaj, we can rest assured that pricing will be aggressive. We have done a careful analysis of its pricing and without being repetitive we suggest you to go through this analytical article. For the restless souls among you we expect the base version of the Pulsar VS400 to start somewhere around Rs 1.55-Rs 1.65 lakhs which will be a shocker!