For a brand as dominant as KTM, the past few years haven’t exactly been smooth sailing. After facing a serious insolvency case, many questioned whether the brand would even make it to the other side. After a series of loans and a bunch of restructuring, the brand somehow managed to pull through. And while KTM was busy dealing with all that, Bajaj didn’t just sit on the sidelines. Instead, it dug in.
Bajaj had already been deeply embedded in KTM’s ecosystem for years, building bikes, sharing platforms, and understanding the business from the inside out. So when the opportunity came to tighten its grip and take control, it didn’t hesitate. It struck at exactly the right moment, turning a long-standing partnership into something far more strategic. And now, we’re starting to see what that really looks like in the real world.
This is where the Bajaj Pulsar NS400 makes its debut.
We’ve already seen Bajaj flex with the Dominar 400, a budget-friendly all-rounder leaning into light touring. This time, it’s going straight for the streetfighter crowd. And it’s doing it with a name that actually carries weight. The Pulsar lineup isn’t just popular, it’s iconic in markets like India, covering everything from basic commuters to legit performance machines. Now it’s stepping into what counts as “big displacement” territory in Asia and parts of Europe, and it’s doing so with serious intent.
At the heart of the NS400 is familiar hardware. Bajaj taps the older 373cc single-cylinder engine from the KTM 390 Duke, a motor that’s already proven itself globally. Here, it’s tuned to 40 horsepower at 8,800rpm and 35Nm (around 25 pound-feet) at 6,500rpm. That puts it neatly within A2 limits in Europe, but more importantly, it’s the kind of output that's lively without being overwhelming.
You still get modern essentials. Ride-by-wire, multiple riding modes, traction control, and a full-color TFT display with smartphone connectivity. It skips the lean-sensitive electronics found on pricier KTMs, but that feels like a deliberate move to keep things accessible rather than stripped down. Suspension comes via a 43mm USD fork up front and a preload-adjustable rear shock. Simple, but more than enough for what this bike is trying to do.
Then there’s the pricing, which honestly looks like the biggest statement of all. In Spain, the NS400 lands at 4,499 euros, or the equivalent of about $5,200 USD. That’s not just competitive, it’s borderline disruptive. It undercuts several 125cc entry-level bikes like the KTM 125 Duke (5,299 euros) and Honda CB125R (5,050 euros) , while offering way more performance and presence.
For riders not restricted by tiered licensing (like the US), that kind of value is almost hard to wrap your head around. Entry-level bikes here rarely touch that price point, and when they do, they’re nowhere near this level of spec. If Bajaj ever decides to bring something like this stateside, it wouldn’t just shake things up. It would force everyone else to rethink what “entry-level” even means.
