Bajaj Avenger 220 street.
The repacked version of the original 220 Avenger Cruiser. Well we got our hands on this bike and heres what we got to say.
First the Specs of the model.( Ref :Picture below) For a detailed spec please visit the company's website : https://www.bajajauto.com/motor-bikes/avenger-street-220
Now we all have seen or might have rode the old cruiser but whats new in the street model?
Ref : Pic below.
Now come the main part.
Q . Is this model good enough ??
Ans : We found it not that good enough. And we can obviously get better options in the same price segments.
The main reason for this is the ride quality which in our view was not satisfactory.
Factors to say so :
1. Engine heats up pretty quick
2. Back seat is not at all comfortable.
3. The front wheel tends to skid more in case of sudden disc break use.
4. The back tire although tube less attracts more of nails and glasses which causes regular punctures.
5. The new logo pasting is quite below industry standards and tends to come out with the slightest pull.
6. Heating and cooling issues.
7. Rear drum brakes needs to be replaced even quicker than a Royal Enfield.
8. The Chain loosens up quickly hence bad experience.
9. No street mechanic can adjust the chain. Hence regular service centre visits.
10. In just 5000kms run the bike starts giving sounds even the service centre guys can't make out.
The only
Being a 220 cc bike it can run long distances but the engine heats acknowledges the riders of it. If 2 persons are riding this bike than the one sitting on the rear tends to feel uncomfortable in matter of minutes as the new back seat isn't as comfortable as they say.
During your ride in the city be cautions as if you put a sudden disc brake in average speed the bike tends to skid and cause a fall. We experienced this about three times. Neither of them did we hit anyone on the road. In all of the cases it was city traffic where someone comes in front suddenly and the use of disc brakes make the bike to fall. Luckily we were safe in all the falls with minor scratches. We can't imagine the horror if had we been in high speed.
In the first 6 months of the bike we experienced around 5 punctures happening on different days. The case was almost nails. The puncture happened on different locations, while we were riding with friends with different bikes. Only the 220 Avenger street attracted that many punctures others didn't.
When we purchased this bike there were white tape on the new logo on the sides of the fuel tank. After first service when we saw the area we were not at all satisfied with the pasting. Neither did it feel premium for a bike which costs around 1 lakhs on road.
Heating and cooling are a major issue for this bike. Keep it parked under the sun for some time and then it start only when the bike cools off. That's a major humiliation when your bike doesn't start in public and its been only a month from your purchase. The same happens when its parked out in a cold night. It takes a few starts and some time of acceleration for it to get normal.
The drum brakes are sharp in the start and a few 100kms and they go soft. Enough soft that a tendency to change comes automatically.
A bike named for the streets performs quite less in the city. The chain loosens up quick. And you won't be satisfied with the chain adjustment from any roadside mechanic. They alignments always go haywire and hence you need to pay a visit to the service centre.
Now we experienced sounds and stuff with a total ride below 5000kms. Really that is pathetic. The back area gives friction sounds , chain sounds, brake panel pressing sounds , gear shifting sounds and rear main stand sound. Quite disturbing if you ask us. A service may reduce it to some extend but in a few days they start again.
The most bad experience was when the gear shift issues pop ups. In this case even the service centre is no help and you just want to trow away your bike.
The engine is same as the Pulsar 220 F model says the salesperson. The pickup is good and the bike can go as fast as 120 kms. But the disadvantages are more than the benefits we would say.
In our view this bike is good enough only for the ones looking for a cruiser or semi-cruiser and if your looking for a overall performance bike than we would refer to the Pulsar 220F or yamaha bike in the same price group.
Verdict : Big NO. We did a mistake kindly don't repeat. We loved the Pulsar 220F so no beef with Bajaj Auto. But the Avenger 220 street was not to our liking at all. The Re-sale of the bike is also troubling as we are not getting the desired price anywhere.
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