Bajaj will launch its upcoming premium motorcycle, the Kratos 400 within this calendar year, a Bajaj official has confirmed. The new Bajaj Kratos 400, shown in its concept form as the Pulsar CS 400 at the 2014 Auto Expo, will be sharing the powerplant from the KTM 390 Duke.
Since the time it was first unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo, there have been several rumours and speculations about the bike's launch date and its name as well. For sometime there were reports of the Pulsar CS 400 even being called the the Pulsar VS400, where the VS stood for 'Vantage Sport'. But soon the company announced that the bike will not be a Pulsar product at all and will be a part of an all-new brand, 'Kratos'.
The Bajaj Kratos 400 will be the bike maker's flagship model in India and also the most powerful one in its line-up. It will be borrowing its powertrain from the KTM 390 Duke, using the same 373.2cc single-cylinder engine. That said, the motor, however, is expected to come equipped with the bike maker's trademark triple-spark technology and this could mean that the engine on the CS 400, or the Kratos 400 as it will be known now, will get a different head compared to the one on the Duke. The engine is expected to have a different state of tune than the KTM too, with power restricted to around 35bhp, which will be sent to the rear wheel via a 6-speed gearbox.
In terms of design, the Bajaj Kratos 400 will closely resemble the Pulsar CS 400 concept and has incorporated a host of elements on the production model. You get telescopic front forks though instead of USDs, and ABS is expected to be standard, while dual-channel ABS can be expected to be offered as optional.
The Bajaj Kratos 400 will compete in the highly popular, middleweight cruiser segment in India, rivalling the likes of Royal Enfield and several other upcoming cruisers in the segment. The Kratos 400 is expected to be priced around Rs. 1.60-1.80 lakh (ex-showroom).
