Kawasaki Rouser NS160

The 2018 Kawasaki Rouser NS160 might look like a well-established bike to most people as the NS range is extremely popular in the ASEAN countries, as it is in the Indian subcontinent. It has the same bold and aggressive stance from its elder sibling with a hunky tank that is a lot sculpted and has the 160 stickers on it.

The front wheel is suspended over telescopic front fork while the rear gets monoshock spring with Nitrox. Moreover, the tyres are slimmer than the bigger version where the rear is just 110-section. The split seats look pretty amazing, the one for the pillion isn’t the most comfortable.

The Rouser NS160 calls out to be revved harder. Every bit of the 15 horsepower and 14.6 Newton-metre offers tremendous throttle response. Plus, the maximum power comes at 8,500 revs and 6,500 revs respectively, which itself proves how amazing the engine is.

The engine grunt is wonderful and you will be able to tell with the pleasant exhaust sound. The motor isn’t throaty and lacks the base but is loud enough to be audible from a distance. The foot pegs for the rider aren’t very rear-set and despite the presence of a clip-on handlebar, the ergonomics are mostly upright and comfortable.

The 12 litres of fuel tank capacity is big enough to offer a long driving range so that you don’t need to think about refueling too often.

The 2018 Kawasaki Rouser NS160 is a performance-oriented naked street motorcycle despite being far less than a quarter litre in capacity. The 160.3 cc single cylinder engine comes with two spark plugs and oil and air cooling. The engine can produce 15.2 horsepower at 8.500 rpm along with a peak torque of 14.6 Nm, coming at 6,500 rpm.

Power is sent down to the wheel via a 5-speed manual through a chin final drive. The four valves set up enables better aspiration of the engine, which again boosts the performance further. The power feels great while you take it for a spin.

The Kawasaki Rouser NS160 is indeed one of the best two-wheeler street fighters in the segment. Moreover, there are some factors that make it preferable over some others, like the addition of grippy tyres with great tread that hold on to the turf for a safe and stable ride. The tubeless tyres are great for cornering while not losing the grip.

As for the braking, there is a hydraulic disc brake up front that is well-ventilated to offer a good bite. And for the rear, the disc brakes from the bigger NS200 has been removed for a drum unit, which is more in-line with the small displacement capacity.

The Kawasaki Rouser NS160 has been a  welcomed addition for the company in the Philippines market, thanks to the perfect amalgamation power and practicality of an efficient motorcycle. It looks very aggressive at the first impression itself and performs like a beast right at the word ‘GO’.

Sharing resemblance with the bigger sibling, the NS200, the NS160 does encash on the market which has customers who like the design a lot but won’t invest on the bigger displacement for its price and fuel-efficiency.

The Rouser NS160 competes against the likes of the Suzuki GSX-S 150 and the Yamaha SZ 16. It further extends the Kawasaki lineup which already has the RS200 and the NS200 in the Rouser series.