[para_7k]

Decision Making

It was 8 Months of back breaking but otherwise a blissful ownership experience with the Yamaha FZ-S and came a break.

I had to travel out of the country for more than 6 months for an assignment. Not preferring to leave the bike idle, I sold it to a good friend of mine.

9 months away from riding and I was back on the 2nd of December.

My work place being among the chaotic traffic packed roads of chennai and also to save money on commuting, I needed a motorcycle again.

I never did any research unlike my previous purchase. My mind was fixed only on the Avenger.

Why Avenger:

- Comfort, was the most important than anything else for me. The FZ was and is an amazing machine, but some how I couldn't get it to ride soft. Every small undulation on the road gave me jitters.


- Service, Yamaha makes great machines but service leaves a lot to be desired. I was never happy with the service. Luckily, the machine was good and did not make me frequent service.
Contrary to the popular belief, I still believe Bajaj has the best bike service in the country. Step into their workshops, be friend an SA or mechanic and you're assured of real good service.

- Power, I am used to riding 150cc+ bikes and I am a guy with an above average build. I can't settle for anything less for our roads.

- Budget - I had to stick to a budget for many reasons and it was 90k.

Considering all the above, the below options came to my mind.

- Karizma R - Still a wonderful machine, with great refinement, but weak headlight, outdated tyre options and wary service kept me away.

- P220 - Maybe I am stupid but I don't like the mirrors which show nothing and I am also not a fan of the disproportionate face.

- P200 NS - New kid on the block, but looks and feels like a bike tuned for handling so I was doubtful of the ride.

- Avenger - It had to be this, since others were ruled out. Only compromise for me is the no tubeless tyre and lack of some equipment.

[para_7k]

Buying Experience:

There is nothing much to write about the buying experience, especially given the crowd at Bajaj Showrooms.

I wanted the blue colour but as expected the demand was too high for this colour and so the waiting period.

I was left with black and red. I chose red as the black one looked too black and not to my taste.

As expected, they had no TD bikes and the usual crap of high end bikes not available for test ride.

So, I paid the full amount, stood with them for the PDI, and test rode the bike which was allotted to me.

The on-road price was INR 88,860/-

Registration happened in two days and I took the delivery in 3 days from booking.

Overall, the experience was smooth, nothing to complain and nothing to praise.

[para_7k]

Initial Impressions:

Styling: - Attention Grabber!

Bajaj has put a lot of efforts on the styling of this bike. More than 5 years old, it still looks fresh and unique. The chopper style, oodles of chrome all around still draws enough attention. Take every detail and there is a hint of uniqueness. Fortunately, there is no competition and even today, it is a very nice to own bike when it comes to styling and looks.

My score - 8/10

Build: - One piece!

I personally had no problems with Bajaj's build quality. My previous P180 survived a major crash where I was hurt more. The avenger does not fall behind in any aspect and is a nicely built bike. It certainly can take a lot of abuse.

My score - 7/10

Fit, Finish and Component Quality: - Sore thumb!

Ah, the sore thumb. Bajaj has improved but still has a long way to go. The are yawning gaps at many places. The battery cover or the side panel does not fit flush with the rest of the bike. The glass on the Fuel gauge is not fit well and can get condensed pretty quickly. It takes a lot of time to dry back.

What's with the switch gear? The switches are of poor quality and same as the ones in my Uncle's 8 year old CT100. They feel they'll come off anytime.

One does not expect this in a 90k bike. There is a lot of room for improvement.

My score - 4/10

Engine: - Mystery!

Honestly, I expected more. It is very difficult for me to judge at this point. The engine feels good to rev and the power delivery is linear but does not feel eager.

This is not an engine that is exactly rev happy, nor feels refined, nor has the grunt.

I believe I have to run it in more to comment.

For now, I like the linear power delivery, bottom end grunt and I don't like the refinement.

My score - 6/10

Gear box: - Happy Hunting!

The Gearing seems a bit short for my taste. The bike very quickly reaches 60 kmph and starts to feel

Calling it a cruiser and being a 220CC machine, Bajaj should have given it taller Gearing.

I am ok with not so good bottom end grunt, but the gearing seems to make the engine lose steam pretty quick.

I was seen hunting for the next gear very often even after I have reached the top gear.

Also, the perennial neutral hunt is still present. Good luck hunting for the neutral.

My score - 6/10

Ride:- Club Class!

The best part of this bike. It takes anything the road has to offer.
Contrary to many other reviews and after riding the Yamaha FZ, this is heaven.

The wide seat, suspension setup, seating position makes for miles of stress free riding especially for the back.

The Pillion seat is narrow but the back rest makes them happy

My score - 9/10

Handling - Mixed bag:

The bike sweeps curves well but the steering feels vague. The bike does not go exactly where you point or it may be that I am not used to the extended fork.

Straight line, nothing can offset this bike. It is pretty stable.

Braking is adequate. The front disc is sharp and has enough bite. The rear drum as with many other bikes, contributes only about 30% of the braking. The bike can handle panic braking pretty well without drama.

My score - 7/10.

Conclusion - Wise choice for me!

My Score - 6.7/10

I have not given good scores really as I do not want to be biased. I still feel I have made a wise choice. The bike is friendly to my back, has enough power and I can draw some attention.

Everything comes with negatives, but acceptance is more important. I am adapting to the short comings and I hope to have long miles.

Positives:

- Style - Unique and can still grab attention
- Build - Nicely put together, feels as one piece.
- Comfort - The bike's forte, rules bad roads
- Power - Linear power delivery, sufficient power
- Headlamps - 60/55W, excellent for night riding

Negatives:

- Poor fit/finish and switch gear quality.
- Engine lacks the grunt for a 220cc and is unrefined.
- Short gearing, vague shift quality, hard to find neutral.


Those small things:

- Great headlamp, good for city and open roads.
- Weak horn but adequate for city.
- Seat is not removable, absolutely no space even to store papers.
- Throttle response is crisp and the throttle is very light.
- Gear lever is too long, does not allow for heel and toe operation. I have to move my foot back and forth.
- Retro equipment levels, means no warning indicators apart from battery and tacho missing.
- Kick start missing, heavily dependant on battery or push start
- Key is all metal, steering lock procedure is a pain and key edges sting you.
- Wide handle bar, Mirrors provide an excellent coverage.

[para_7k]

Finally let the pictures do the talking:


Unique Styling, still fresh:



Rear Proportionate:



Poise on the road is really good:



Excellent view from Mirrors:



View from Rider seat is good, though bright sunlight can dazzle you back:



Nice Retro console, but too basic:



Still grabs attention:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorbikes Section. Thanks for sharing!

[ashis89]

Congrats on your new ride. The pics are lovely. Avenger(and the Eliminator before that) has always caught my attention right from the day it was launch and believe me, it still does. I still drool over the bike when I see one at the traffic signal.

Somehow I couldn't get myself to buy one a few months ago when I was looking for a new bike to replace my P150. I am 6ft tall and thought the Avenger was a bit low for me. Also I have a mild back problem and decided against it. I ended up buying the P180 after being told to wait for a month for a p220. I am happy with my decision.

Regarding the engine not being eager, Pulsar engines(it shares the engine with P220) open up after 1.5-2k kms. This is what I have read and also felt in my bike. Currently it has a little over 5k kms and the engine is lot smoother and eager than it was when new. Also I have noticed that it performs distinctly better when the engine is hot than when cold. But sadly, the engine is not the smoothest(like the FZ/Unicorn) or that rev-happy.

Wishing you many happy miles on it.

[raghutk]

Many congratulations on your new bike. I had it for three years(180) and now I feel like buying it again.
Cheers!!

[dZired]

Nicely written and an unbiased review along with some great pics. I really liked the way you have given grades (out of 10) to different parameters of the bike. Avenger surely has great road presence and the thing I like the most is its comfortable ride quality for both, the rider and the pillion.

Congratulations on your purchase and I wish you many happy miles with the beast.

Take Care and Ride Safe..!

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by para_7k

Initial Impressions:

Engine: - Mystery!

Honestly, I expected more. It is very difficult for me to judge at this point. The engine feels good to rev and the power delivery is linear but does not feel eager.

This is not an engine that is exactly rev happy, nor feels refined, nor has the grunt.

I believe I have to run it in more to comment.

For now, I like the linear power delivery, bottom end grunt and I don't like the refinement.

My score - 6/10

Gear box: - Happy Hunting!

The Gearing seems a bit short for my taste. The bike very quickly reaches 60 kmph and starts to feel

Calling it a cruiser and being a 220CC machine, Bajaj should have given it taller Gearing.

I am ok with not so good bottom end grunt, but the gearing seems to make the engine lose steam pretty quick.

I was seen hunting for the next gear very often even after I have reached the top gear.

Also, the perennial neutral hunt is still present. Good luck hunting for the neutral.

My score - 6/10

Ride:- Club Class!

The best part of this bike. It takes anything the road has to offer.
Contrary to many other reviews and after riding the Yamaha FZ, this is heaven.

The wide seat, suspension setup, seating position makes for miles of stress free riding especially for the back.

The Pillion seat is narrow but the back rest makes them happy

My score - 9/10

Handling - Mixed bag:

The bike sweeps curves well but the steering feels vague. The bike does not go exactly where you point or it may be that I am not used to the extended fork.

Congrats on your new bike and thanks for the review.
I have an avenger too and an ownership review thread running here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...-like-god.html. 5 months old now done 7.5K Kms.

Based on my experience with it, I agree with most of your points and have a few observations regarding some.

The engine has lower peak torque and power figures than in the Pulsar 220. So I felt the performance is in line with that. The engine gets coarser at higher revs and though it opens up quite a bit after say 2K kms, but still you wouldn't want to revv it high. I felt the engine had sufficient grunt specially in the mid range and the short gearing gets you there soon. 40 Kms in the fifth gear and the bike is eager to dart into gaps without downshifting. However that means when you hit 60 you keep searching for one more gear.

The strongest point of the engine IMO is the mid range. They had to ensure that it gets there as soon as possible hence the short gearing, specially the lower ones. Having longer gears would have robbed the engine of the punch and they couldn't have masked the comparitively weak low end. But that makes the dead top range very obvious. Instead of longer gearing, I guess they should have added one more cog because cruising at 80-90 you do feel the engine is revving more than it requires to. FE would have been better.

Yes I still have to hunt for the neutral. So I have stopped searching for it. I simply Kill the engine at signals in the first gear itself.


I felt the seats to be comfortable enough in the begining, but after 5 months and 7.5K kms, I have to admit the seating comfort is highly exagerated. Over time I feel it is not anywhere close to as comfortable as it is made out to be. More so for the pillion. I discussed this with a couple of other owners at the service center and surprisingly they too had the same observations. It seems comfortable in the begining but long rides are not exactly very inviting on this bike. Would be interesting to hear your views on that over time.

Handling, I didnt find too difficult. I maneouver it very easily in the traffic. What becomes a pain, is to park the bike in crowded parking lots. The long wheelbase and turning radius means, I have to keep on hunting to remove the bike from a tight parking spot.

The handle lock was a pain for me too in the beginning, but it kind of eases with time.

Happy riding and wishing you many miles with

[para_7k]

Originally Posted by ashis89

Congrats on your new ride.

Regarding the engine not being eager, Pulsar engines(it shares the engine with P220) open up after 1.5-2k kms. This is what I have read and also felt in my bike..

Thanks, Yes, I reserved my full judgement of the engine. Even after they open up, I feel they cannot match refinement of the Japs.

Originally Posted by raghutk

Many congratulations on your new bike. I had it for three years(180) and now I feel like buying it again.
Cheers!!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by dZired

Nicely written and an unbiased review along with some great pics.

Take Care and Ride Safe..!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by vibbs

Congrats on your new bike and thanks for the review.

The engine has lower peak torque and power figures than in the Pulsar 220.

I felt the seats to be comfortable enough in the begining, but after 5 months and 7.5K kms, I have to admit the seating comfort is highly exagerated. Over time I feel it is not anywhere close to as comfortable as it is made out to be. More so for the pillion.

The handle lock was a pain for me too in the beginning, but it kind of eases with time.

Happy riding and wishing you many miles with

Thank you vibbs, I should have mentioned in the first place, your ownership log was definitely one of the inspirations.

Engine, as I mentioned, it is difficult to judge now. But I still cannot feel the mid range punch, to me it feels really linear.

I exactly concur with you, even after 50, I feel the need for the next gear.

My opinion there are 2 things, seat comfort and ride quality.

Ride quality is where the bike absorbs bad roads and this bike is really good at that. Seat comfort, yes, I already experience it, the seat is hard and definitely it pains where you know.

If you get a chance, ride bikes like Yamaha FZ or the RTR 180 at 40-50 kph on roads which have some sharp undulations.

Ride the avenger again. You will start blessing it.

I certainly will keep this thread updated so that we can compare our experiences.

[mycarhasablower]

Originally Posted by para_7k

The Gearing seems a bit short for my taste. The bike very quickly reaches 60 kmph and starts to feel

Calling it a cruiser and being a 220CC machine, Bajaj should have given it taller Gearing.

I am ok with not so good bottom end grunt, but the gearing seems to make the engine lose steam pretty quick.

Its a bike, you are in luck. unlike cars changing the gearing in a bike is easy. just go find yourself a smaller sprocket that is from the same module. and unlike cars, your speedo will still be accurate

[gpadki]

Originally Posted by vibbs

Congrats on your new bike and thanks for the review.
=========================
Happy riding and wishing you many miles with

Hi, I had tried my hands on Avenger few times. My only issue with Avenger is that the bike skids and falls down during turns and braking. Is that a real issue or am i not handling it properly?

[vibbs]

Originally Posted by gpadki

Hi, I had tried my hands on Avenger few times. My only issue with Avenger is that the bike skids and falls down during turns and braking. Is that a real issue or am i not handling it properly?

I have not felt any issues during turns. However braking is a tricky issue. I have had quite a few front wheel lock ups at the slightest application of front brakes at speeds of under 20 Kmph. There are a couple of others who have pointed out the susceptibility of the front wheels to skid very easily in the Avenger on the other thread too.

But I guess if you are aware of the fact that cruisers by design are not suited for quick manouevers, sudden braking and accelerations etc you should do good.
Just bear in mind it wont behave like your average sporty bike under panic braking. Thats all but nothing to be overtly worried about.

[justwheels]

Firstly congrats for the Avenger! It indeed is a nice looker.

Coming to the bike, well although I don't own one, but most friends who have ridden one have similar observations as yours. I really feel Bajaj isn't doing much out of lack of competition.

As far as braking and front wheel skidding is concerned, I feel that is a norm with most bikes with a longer Fork. Even my Gladiator (although no a long fork), skids at low speeds if front break is suddenly applied and the bike is not dead straight. Also the short gearing will give you nice off the block start but cruising speeds will need another gear. But thats the way the bike is made and I feel you should enjoy your experiences. Once you get used to, its always nice riding.

Happy mile crunching!

[para_7k]

Originally Posted by gpadki

Hi, I had tried my hands on Avenger few times. My only issue with Avenger is that the bike skids and falls down during turns and braking. Is that a real issue or am i not handling it properly?

Do you mean to say the bike falls of just like that while taking turns? If you apply brake while turning, any bike will get upset, it is physics.

Originally Posted by vibbs

I have not felt any issues during turns. However braking is a tricky issue. I have had quite a few front wheel lock ups at the slightest application of front brakes at speeds of under 20 Kmph. There are a couple of others who have pointed out the susceptibility of the front wheels to skid very easily in the Avenger on the other thread too.

But I guess if you are aware of the fact that cruisers by design are not suited for quick manouevers, sudden braking and accelerations etc you should do good.
Just bear in mind it wont behave like your average sporty bike under panic braking. Thats all but nothing to be overtly worried about.

+1 This is not a bike for slicing through traffic like a knife or for pulling wheelies or stoppies.

@vibbs, I really like the strong front brake. The rear drum is almost of no use, so around 70% of braking is from the front.

Originally Posted by justwheels

Firstly congrats for the Avenger! It indeed is a nice looker.

Coming to the bike, well although I don't own one, but most friends who have ridden one have similar observations as yours. I really feel Bajaj isn't doing much out of lack of competition.

As far as braking and front wheel skidding is concerned, I feel that is a norm with most bikes with a longer Fork. Even my Gladiator (although no a long fork), skids at low speeds if front break is suddenly applied and the bike is not dead straight. Also the short gearing will give you nice off the block start but cruising speeds will need another gear. But thats the way the bike is made and I feel you should enjoy your experiences. Once you get used to, its always nice riding.

Happy mile crunching!

Thanks!

Yes, its plain physics.

http://bikeadvice.in/apply-front-brake-turn/