Bajaj Avenger Street 220

These days cruiser bikes are one of the most popular motorcycle segments in India, and sales figures of Royal Enfield make that evident. But it was Bajaj Auto with their Avenger, that made cruiser motorcycles more affordable for the commoners. In fact, it was the Bajaj-Kawasaki Eliminator that evolved into the Avenger. It all started when Bajaj launched the Eliminator in 2001 and a big gamble from them as the mass market normally back then would not accept a bike priced around 90k. EL175, as Eliminator known under Kawasaki brand, enjoyed unbeatable success until 2005 when Bajaj decided to discontinue it and launch the Avenger. Where the affordability was lacking in Eliminator, the Avenger was able to achieve and hence the most affordable cruiser was born. Bajaj Avenger was first launched with a 180cc engine, but over the years it had a 200cc engine, then later the Pulsar 220F’s engine with the 150cc one and now a fresh 180cc engine as well. Avenger Street 220 really has no competition at all, as the nearest cruiser Royal Enfield Classic 350 is too expensive proposition and the newly launched Suzuki Intruder is underpowered with the 150cc engine and shockingly more expensive than the Bajaj Avenger Street 220. This amazing cruiser is available in only one variant and priced attractively at Rs.95,923 (Ex-showroom price - New Delhi).

Bajaj Avenger Street 220 looks almost the same as when it was launched in 2015, except some subtle changes. All black theme is still the same on Street 220, with chrome bits now more evident on it. Bajaj has admitted that the bike is inspired by the Harley Davidson (HD) Street range bikes and now with the new update, it looks almost similar. Headlight on this new bike to some extent, will remind you of the previous HD Iron 883 with the roadster design and LED DRL’s embedded beneath it. Cowl on the headlight is short and looks smart. Now the bike is available in two new colours of Matt White and Matt black. It gets stylish contrasting graphics on the tank and the side panel. All new Avenger branding on the tank is very bold and striking. Tail light is all new with a special Halo effect and resembles the HD Street 750 even more. The rear grab bar is now rubberized to offer more grip to the pillion while sitting on the bike. Handlebars are street control that offers you better maneuverability in city traffic. Seats are the same with dual density and offer unparalleled comfort to the rider and the pillion. But the main attraction is the all-digital instrument console which is not only compact but clearly readable as well. This display that integrates very well with the rest of the design and complements the cruiser character perfectly. It has a speedometer, odometer, trip meter, clock and a service reminder, but misses out on the gear position indicator.

Powering the new Avenger Street 220 is an oil cooled, Twin spark, 2-valve, 219.9cc DTS-i engine. This is the same engine that you see on the Pulsar 220F but is tuned down to provide that cruising experience. So, the Avenger Street 220 belts out a max power of 19.03 PS at 8400 rpm and a peak torque of 17.5Nm at 7000rpm, instead of Pulsar 220F 20.93PS at 8500rpm and 18.55Nm at 7000rpm. The engine is now BSIV compliant and comes mated to a smooth 5-speed gearbox. The previous gen possessed more composed and smooth engine where refinement took a precedence. Whereas in the current generation, the bike is made to give a much sportier feel to the rider. The bike has a fuel tank capacity of 13-litre with a reserve of 3.8-litre. Under mixed riding conditions, the bike is claimed to yield a mileage of 45kmpl and has a top speed of 118kmph.

Bajaj Avenger Street 220 feels very planted and rides well up to 90kmph, but post that the vibrations are apparent and the tyres don't provide the support as much as the engine is capable of. Wheels are 17-inch alloys on the front covered with 90/90 49P tubeless tyres, whereas the rear ones get 15-inch alloys covered with 130/90 66P tubeless tyres. Riding ergonomics are very sorted and are versatile thanks to the street control handlebars. Braking duties are taken care by a 260mm disc brake at the front while at the rear we still have the same old 130mm drum brake. Brakes offer decent stopping power but the bike doesn't even have a rear disc as an option which is a norm now. Suspension in the front is handled by a telescopic fork with anti-friction bush and twin shock absorbers at the rear. The rear twin shock absorbers had been fine-tuned in 2015 to prevent bottoming out easily and being used in this bike as well. 

Beautiful DRL headlights shine on the oncoming traffic to make the bike visible in any weather or light conditions. The ventilated disc up front and a fat grippy tyre on the back provide good stopping power thereby keeping the rider very safe.