Quick Ride: Bajaj Avenger Street 150
The current Bajaj Avenger is the successor to the Eliminator, a small cruiser-style motorcycle originally sold by Kawasaki internationally. It its era, it was a well-styled, low-slung small motorcycle with the kind of stance and chrome that appealed to buyers. This is evident from its enduring sales. It’s also aged surprisingly well. So much so that when we first saw the Harley-Davidson Street 750 on the roads in 2014, most observers remarked at the similarity. Bajaj appears to believe that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and chose to be flattered, for their new Avenger Street 220 takes cues from the American in its blacked-out paint job and cast wheels.
But that’s not the big story here. Nor is the Cruise 220, which is the same bike but with more chrome and taller handlebar. The most interesting part of the new Avenger is that it’s actually three bikes, including a base model with a 150cc engine. If you’re snickering already, you should read on.
To be blunt, the new Avenger is not new. The cycle parts are all the same, save from tweaks to the suspension to compensate for different weights. Even the new 150cc engine is adapted from Bajaj’s existing lineup, but tweaked for this application.
Succumbing to the “bigger is better” mindset, we too started our test with the 220cc Cruise model, which also has some significant changes. Coming off that and onto the 150 is where the Eureka moment happened. There’s simply no other way of saying it: the 150c engine makes the 220 feel downright crude. Sure, you’re likely to hit 100 and beyond faster on either 220cc model, but the 150 will do comparable speeds — within its limits — with much more finesse. The larger motor appears to vibrate much more than the smaller when revved hard, and transfers those vibes to the footpegs and to your knees via the tank. Bajaj do claim to have worked over the package to control NVH, and this effort is most evident on the 150.
The Street 150 also gets the blacked-out treatment of its more potent stablemate, but with a glossy blue paintjob instead. To our eyes, it looked the better bike.
You would expect a cruiser to ‘cruise’, that is, go long distances quickly and comfortably. The 150 may not have the performance for fast mile munching. But then, there are those who enjoy the ergonomics and style of a cruiser motorcycle, but primarily need an urban two-wheeler. The Street 150 fits perfectly in this bracket, once again creating a new segment as Bajaj is wont to do.
The refined 150cc motor is based loosely on the Pulsar 150 engine, but makes more torque in this tune: 12.5Nm at 6500rpm, and much of it kicks in earlier in the rev range. This makes the Street 150 quite comfortable to run through the gears. Modified sprocketing ensures that you don’t feel much of a power loss when coming from the 220cc model. Peak power is about 14.3bhp at 9000rpm, so don’t expect to sustain 100kmph for long durations. The gearbox has a nice, light action and it was very easy to flick through the gears quickly. This applies to the 220cc models as well. Stopping the Street 150 was a no-nonsense affair, with sufficient front-end bite. For a small 240mm disc, braking action is surprisingly well-modulated, and there’s not a lot of dive when braking hard. This perception may be down to the short, almost flat handlebar on the motorcycle.
Bajaj says the seat height is up 15mm and is more comfortable. Ground clearance is up too. Combined with the tweaked suspension rate, we had no trouble thrashing through rough roads on the Street 150. The riding position is quite neutral with the pegs forward, but not too much. Visibility is excellent thanks to these ergos, and the mirrors are just right, but use poor quality glass that distorts the rear view. Also a bit strange is the fact that the tell-tale lights are down on the tank, not up in the console, which makes them entirely useless to remind the rider that she’s left the indicator on.
At Rs 72,901 ex-showroom, Maharashtra, the Bajaj Avenger Street 150 carves another niche out of a segment where the manufacturer already had no peers. For the price, you get the style and ergonomics of a cruiser with a proven record over a decade, along with the efficiency of a 150cc commuter (claimed at 65kmpl). Bajaj claim that the new Avenger is attracting customers that were in the market for a traditional 150cc motorcycle and hadn’t even considered a cruiser. We can see why.
The Avenger Family
The Avenger is now available in two motor options and trims, making up a total of three bikes. The Cruise uses the 220cc motor that we’re used to, but with more chrome all round, a more touring-oriented handlebar and a pillion backrest. It also uses wire-spoke wheels. The Street 220 comes in matte black with cast wheels reminiscent of some Harleys, but with a flatter handle and no pillion backrest. Both 220cc models use a larger 260mm front disc. For the most part, the Street 150 is the same as the 220 model, and saves you a fair bit of money.
Prices (ex-showroom, Maharashtra)
Bajaj Avenger Street 150 Rs 72,901
Bajaj Avenger Street 220 Rs 81,727
Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220 Rs 81,727
Originally published at ThrillOfDriving.com on December 1, 2015.
