Feel like God? Umm....well, He doesn’t own an Avenger, does he?
OK, after 10 long years of no bikes (I have had a Yamaha RD350 for over 8 years earlier) I suddenly got the bike-bug. What I was looking for was first and foremost seating comfort combined with a strong and sturdy build. C’mon, what else do you expect a 30+(pushing 40 actually) year old 6-footer to ask for?
Anyway, I started searching and lo and behold...before I could look too far, the search ended! Why? Because there are no REAL bikes out there...one that has the power, riding comfort and one which won’t slip off from under you and leave you rubbing your bruised backside on the road. So, I had to reverse engineer my wants and look from something that is available.
What were the choices? Just the Thunderbird and the Avenger. Both fancy sounding names and both heavy, big and good for city and long runs. I am not getting into technical specifics here, refer the owner’s manual after you buy one :-).
Went and had a look at the Avenger first....hmmmm great looks, big and sturdy; engine capacity....well, thats a compromise. But hey you can’t have everything. And the price is right - 67k.
Then went to see the Tunderbird and ... well..it’s just that..Thudder...bird - hardly any lightning. and at 96k, no way was I going to spend that kind of money on that monstrosity with a new paint job. Whatever makes people say that bike is a ’’legend’’ is beyound me...i can think of so many comparisons for the Thuddabird - like a old wrinkled person with a botox job. Mind you, this is after seeing the bike and riding it (I also owned a Bullet once). Or maybe I should not have seen the Avenger first...that would have been fair maybe.
Back to the Avenger dealer - bought it after a short trial...very very short one - the dealer wouldn’t allow otherwise. So now I have this shocking red bird (my son’s, and colleague’s choice of color) and all I want to say is it is just great(will get used to the color, I hope). Great riding comfort, both me and pillion, great seating position, steady engine, sturdy body and yes great looks. Feels like you are riding something worth the moolah and the wide rear tyre makes the ride very very safe. (Actually, if you have a Maruti and you have a puncture, just use the Avenger’s tyre).
On the flip side, not for shorter guys or guys used to other bikes (that’s why all these write-ups on gear problems), engine is a little too noisy (hope that reduces), the right rear view mirror just won’t co-operate and there is no place to carry anything except your butts (hoping I can lay my hands on Harley type boxes - rear and sides - anyone know where I can get that, please let me know).
Things like mileage, ignition/lock positions/2-piece seat rubbers, powerful lights, etc. are really not big deals.
What needs a huge improvement though is customer service at the company showroom - they just don’t care...this attitude leads to downfalls with so much competition hotting up.
What am I looking for now - anyone can get a Yamaha RD350 engine and gearbox on the Avenger’s chassis? Now THAT will be something!
So, all in all, I have a self satisfied smirk on my face, thanks to my colleagues and the bike makers.
Look forward to reader’s views and experiences with their Avengers and if there is a biking club in Hyderabad, I am game.
I am just going to add to this instead of writing another piece. It is 10 days now and every morning I look forward to getting out on the bike to work. And on weekends, my son is on my back for a long ride. It is just great! Some issues I mentioned above should be taken care of in the1st service. Other than that, all I can say is my car is getting really neglected. Poor thing has a competition and a good one too :-).
Are there any biking clubs in Hyderabad? Also, if there are other 30+ biking enthusiasts, mail me here.