The big two of the Indian two-wheeler manufacturers have one thing in common, the business acumen. They know exactly what the people (read Commuters and hard-core bikers) expect from them and what they should deliver. No wonder, though the products do not differ much, their sales figures easily put their competitors’ volumes to shade. Look at HH, who chose to cut a few ceecees of putting a full quarter liter engine to its Karizma and placing it well below 1 lac rupees ( The earliest reports from the stable said that it will a quarter liter, 1 Lac+ bike) giving Karizma a tag of success; and then, Eliminator a.k.a. Avenger received a heart transplant, resulting in a full 20 grands knocked off from its high price. And voila, Avenger is really taken off, August month results say, that around 2300 Avengers were sold in that month. By the way, this is not a review of Business strategies of the 2-wheeler manufacturers in India. It is out an out Avenger’s review.
First thing I got curious about was the name. After all it is all in there in the Name. Previously it was Eliminator, now it is Avenger. An adjective, most unlikely for being the name of bikes, but then cruisers in India seem to have been bitten by bug of having unusual names (look other cruiser on road was an “Enticer”. Thank god, you have a Thunderbird breaking this tradition.) . On style quotient, it still effortlessly attracts curious, jealous and admiring glances from commuters of all categories. You can easily find little kids in the most luxurious cars jumping to their toes to have an eyeful of your bike. Not many hours back, I was asked by a 60-some old man about the engine capacity and the power output of the bike, while I was waiting for the traffic signal to go green.
Fit and finish of this machine is immaculate, at least that I would have said, had the heat shield on the silencer was not in a habit of falling off too often. Barring that, quality levels of the parts are quite acceptable. Teflon coating is a must for preserving the shine of the paint, as bike polishes can never restore the Showroom like finish of the bike. My advice, If you like to attract stares on the signals and don’t mind being asked a question or two, go for Avenger.
Engine:
Same 180 cc engine carried over from Pulsar brings in some more thrills for sure, although you would be displeased if you are thinking of getting a Pulsar 180 rivaling performance, after all Avenger has a larger weight to pull. The engine sounds throaty, courtesy ExhausTec, not liked by many including me, as it gives an false impression that the engine is even harsher than that of classic Pulsar. Attain a speed of 70 kmph, and you can actually ’’see’’ the vibrations percolating to the handle bar, in the wildly shaking reflections of vehicle gone past through your vibrating rear view mirror! But that surely is not the end of the story, go past 80 kmph and the vibrations die out almost completely, and that throaty sound of ExhausTec is subdued by the pleasing sound of wind. Truly, the bike behaves amazingly stable and comfortable at 80kmph.
Bike pulls nicely as there is sufficient torque even at low revs, though the transmission does not bring any more accolades, it is notchy as always.
Ride Quality and Handling:
Avenger is most desirable to imagine yourself riding on. The thick rear tyre and well laid out suspension provide very good quality ride couple that with a thick couch-like seat, you would genuinely feels like God. If you do not believe this, then switch to the pillion, you would immediately start feeling the difference. The pillion seat is comparatively thin and does not provide the same comfort level. Another virtue of the having a thick tyre comes real as it is laid down in corners. The bike handles the corners with ease and to feel that, you don’t have to be a professional rider. While you should not expect of the agility of Pulsars, it still feels more stable in corners.
Fuel efficiency:
There was a hike announced for the Petroleum products, the very day I bought this bike. Although I was a bit lucky, as I could get tankfull of SPEED for the price before the hike announcement, still fuel has always been everybody’s major concern. Going by the calculations, Avenger returned mileage of 40 kmpl before first service and afterwards it has been returning a mileage of 45-46 kmpl consistently. This would be good considering the fact that I have driven mostly in Delhi traffic conditions.
Conclusion
Avenger is a value for money bike for user who wants to explore the world on two wheels. If you wish to move around with an aura of God and you have at least some stretch on road in good condition, Avenger is for you.