Pulsar 160 NS from the Bajaj Auto’s stable will like see addition of a single-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) soon. The quintessential ABS upgrade will be launched in October 2018, according to a report by MotorOctane, an automotive news and reviews site. Apart from the addition of the single-channel ABS system, there won’t be any major mechanical changes on the motorcycle.

Bajaj’s offering will take on the likes of Suzuki Gixxer which was recently launched with single channel ABS, the Yamaha FZ-S, the TVS Apache RTR 160 and the Honda Hornet CB160R available in the Indian market. It’s currently priced at around Rs. 82,000, ex-showroom Delhi. Bajaj could likely add daytime running LEDs, revise graphics and the paint scheme, though nothing officially has been confirmed by the company.

The 150cc motorcycle segment is the most competitive yet highly sought after by the manufacturers. The addition of a single-channel ABS is expected to push up the cost but Bajaj will have to keep in mind the below-one-lakh-price-tag appeal of this segment.

The new feature, though not ideal, is still a welcome move from the Indian manufacturers considering life-saving safety features have not been offered on motorcycles in India until recently. The Pulsar NS 160 ABS will continue to use the 160cc, four-stroke oil-cooled engine with Bajaj’s triple spark plug ignition technology. This engine puts out 15.5 PS of peak power at 8,500 rpm and 14.6 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard on the motorcycle, which weighs 142 kilograms.

Notably, the Indian government has mandated at least single channel ABS as standard on all two wheelers with engines measuring over 125cc from April 2019. All 125cc+ new two wheelers launching after April 2018 will have to offer ABS as standard, and the existing line up of two wheelers (already on sale) have time until April 2019 to comply.