Bajaj Pulsar VS400 is the fastest Pulsar till date

What was previewed as Pulsar CS400 concept at the 2014 Auto Expo, is going to be launched as Pulsar VS400 in the coming weeks in India. This new Pulsar is going to be the most advanced, most powerful, and the fastest Pulsar till date.

Bajaj Pulsar VS400 is powered by a 373.27cc single cylinder engine from the KTM Duke 390. The triple spark DTSi engine is reportedly capable of 34.51 hp power at 8,000 rpm and is mated to a 6 speed gearbox. The engine is tuned to deliver less power and more torque, as compared to the Duke 390.

This has been done so as to give the bike a characteristic of a cruiser, rather than that of an all-out sporty monster. If you look at the uncamouflaged spy shots, it is clearly visible that Bajaj has designed the bike to be best used as a long distance tourer, rather than attacking the racing track.

Some of the highlights of Bajaj Pulsar VS400 include headlamp with 7 LEDs and a single halogen, LED side blinkers, LED taillights, telescopic forks in the front and mono shock rear suspension along with single front and rear disc brakes, dual channel ABS, digital instrument console, relaxed seating position, split seats, and a large fuel tank.

Set for launch ahead of the festive season in India, Bajaj Pulsar VS400 will compete in a price segment which is currently dominated by Royal Enfield.

Back in April this year, Rajiv Bajaj had confirmed that Bajaj is working on a Royal Enfield rival and it will not be Avenger. This probably implies that what Rajiv Bajaj hinted at that time was the VS400. Though the VS400 is not exactly a Royal Enfield rival, it will be priced in the INR 1.5 lakh range, which is predominantly a price range of an RE buyer.

What could work in the favour of VS400 is a more refined engine, higher mileage and lesser maintenance cost. This probably could tip the buyer sentiment from RE to Bajaj once the VS400 goes on sale.

This article first appeared on Rushlane.com