Hi,
Congrats on your new bike.
I have been riding Avenger 180 (2005) model and have seen the best and worst performances of my bike. I bought it from a friend who maintained it pretty well however the tyres were not in very good condition.
Front Tyre- My initial bad experiences with this bike mostly consists of the front tyre skidding off quite a few times. Unlike most Avenger riders I have mostly been an aggressive rider. 4-5 times I suffered from very bad bruises. The petrol tank still bears the bruises and a dent (thanks to a friend of mine). I started to think that maybe this bike is not suiting me. Then one of my friend who is a member of a biking community suggested me to get the tyre changed. He explained that the factory fitted zapper tyres are made of hard component and advised me to switch to contigo tyres. It was not available in the market so easily then and I actually had to travel across the city to some suburb dealer to get one. It was a tubeless tyre but I kept the tube in it. My experience on the road grip had dramatically improved since then with no more falling down ever since in the last 3 years. Many a times I was thrilled to notice the bike actually screeching to a halt in tight situations. I am able to take sharp turnings with full confidence which I never believed was possible in Avenger... Since the last 2 years I have removed the back rest and that has improved the handling even better especially during quick zip-zap. Ofcourse that is not be a good option with regular pillion rider.
Mileage- Since the bike had crossed 10k when I owned it I had always used one semi-synthetic engine oil. I like to take out the juice from the engine and also pamper it at the same time with good engine oil. I have always got a mileage of 40+ in city and upto 44 in the highways. That always make me wonder since I have not heard of Avenger owners getting that mileage (even in an 180cc).
Rear view mirrors- I have rarely seen riders in India using the looking glass. Mostly they would turn back to see if any vehicle is coming from the back before crossing to the other side. Maybe I now know why people are not used to it is because of the lack of proper rear view glasses in a 2-wheeer. Bajaj has done a very good job in that. The view at the back is so clear that I have always liked to use the rear views and would confidently change lanes or take a byelane on the right side of the street.
Seat- The seat would initially give you a pleasant surprise however on long rides or after prolonged use it actually becomes quite painful. I have back problem and initially thought the seat would be perfect for me but it isn't.
Suspension- The front shock absorbers are fantastic and I think Avanger still has the longest travel at the front. You can actually feel the long travel every time you use the front brake in bumper to bumper traffic. My experience with the rear springs are not that good in solo but with a pillion at the back it gives enough cushion. However I give it a benefit of doubt going by the fact that they came out of the factory in 2004. I have nere enjoyed the ride whenever I was on the pillion.
Performance- I am okay with the sluggishnes it has during quick overtaking in the city, owing to the fact that it is a quite heavy bike. Once you are acquianted with it you would know when to downshift for a quick burst (still not like pulsars or FZs). But when in highways I always feel there should have been another gear. Starngely I think the 220cc owners also still feel the same.
Headlights- Its very powerful and I really like the upper. I did have an aftermarket headlight fitted for sometime. It was conical and gave it a very different look but switched back to a brand new original headlight. The AC setup is irritating though as the light deems at low RPMs. The newer models with DC setup are better options.
My verdict:- Overall I am happy with my Avenger after I took care of the skidding problem and also a due to the fair mileage. The build quality is solid and has not been a problem given the fact that I ride it pretty aggressively many a times in bad roads... except that the silencer had to be repaired (again due to aging). I am actually planning to upgrade to the 220cc but not yet decided mainly for the following reasons:
1. No big difference in top speeds or engine performance (as I hear from the 220 owners). The engine still vibrates at 60+. Please suggest if otherwise.
2. Drop in mileage - but I would have still be ok with it if the engine performance had improved much better.
3. Kick start missing - Just for the uncertain situation.
4. I have been expecting Bajaj to come up with a new gas suspension at the rear or something better than now. My back pain demands it.
5. Some storage under the seat.
Maybe I would again settle for a used 220 in good condition instead of spending around 90k unless some more upgrades are done than just the engine size. - Suggestions are welcome
Happy riding!!
Saikat