Bajaj launches Pulsar N250SS at ₹1.59 lakh on October 21, updates NS200 with ETB two days later

Bajaj Auto announced the new Pulsar N250SS on October 21, 2026 at ₹1,59,406 ex-showroom Delhi. Two days later, on October 23, it announced the updated Pulsar NS200 at ₹1,60,374 ex-showroom Delhi. Both bikes get the same set of changes: an electronic throttle body, ride modes, a 5-inch TFT console that mirrors Google Maps and a Sports Shifter for clutchless upshifts.

The N250SS is the bigger step. Bajaj says the 249.07cc single now makes 25 PS and 22 Nm, up from 24.5 PS and 21.5 Nm, and it moves from a five-speed to a six-speed gearbox. The company calls it the most feature-loaded motorcycle in the quarter-litre segment. Evo India reports the price is around ₹17,000 above the standard N250, and lists dual-channel ABS, adjustable levers, a USB Type-C port, a hazard switch and Panic Brake Alert among the kit.

The headline change on paper is small, roughly half a PS. The gearbox and the throttle are the real news. A sixth gear should finally give the N250 a relaxed cruising ratio, something owners of the old five-speed have asked for on highway runs. The electronic throttle is what makes ride modes possible on a bike at this price.

The NS200 gets more than software

The NS200 update goes further than electronics. Evo India reports power is up to 25.2 bhp from 24.2 bhp, the front forks are now 37mm upside-down units in place of the earlier 33mm items, and the rear tyre is a 130/70 R17 radial. The perimeter frame carries over. There are five ride modes on offer: Road, Rain, Sport, Off-Road and Tour, along with traction control, which the previous NS200 did not have.

For a buyer, that is a long feature list on a bike that sits just above ₹1.60 lakh. Traction control and five modes on a 200cc naked would have sounded unlikely two years ago. Whether a rider will use Off-Road mode on an NS200 is another matter, but the hardware changes, the forks and the radial tyre, will be felt on every ride.

Why Bajaj is pushing tech down the range

The timing is not accidental. On its Q2 FY2027 earnings call on October 27, Bajaj said new Pulsar launches in the 125cc and above range carry TFT displays, electronic throttle body ride modes and projector headlamps, and that it expects more refreshes across the 160cc to 400cc range. Two new brands in the 125cc to 250cc space are planned for FY2027.

The premium end is where Bajaj is making money. The company said its Probiking business, which is KTM and Triumph in India, grew 31 per cent year on year to 40,000 units in the quarter and 80,000 units in the first half, its highest ever H1, even with availability impaired by as much as 20 per cent. Triumph held at 11,000 units in the quarter. Bajaj also said 120 joint KTM and Triumph showrooms are operational and contribute over 15 per cent of combined volume.

That is the context for the Pulsar updates. Bajaj's own 250 and 200 now have to hold the line below a KTM 250 Duke and the Triumph Speed 400, while facing the Suzuki Gixxer 250 and the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, as Evo India notes. Giving them a TFT screen, a sixth gear and ride modes is the cheapest way to keep a 250cc Pulsar feeling current.

Sources

• Bajaj Auto introduces the new Pulsar N250SS with a 4V engine, TFT with Google Maps mirroring, Sports Shifter and ETB ride modes
• Bajaj Auto media centre, press release listing
• Bajaj Pulsar N250SS launched, prices start at ₹1.59 lakh, Evo India
• Bajaj Pulsar NS200 launched, prices start at ₹1.60 Lakh, Evo India
• Earnings call transcript: Bajaj Auto Q2 FY2027, Investing.com