Jan 31, 2011 10:51 PM
91317 Views
(Updated Jan 31, 2011 11:07 PM)
I bought an Avenger 220 on 11th january 2011 and have clocked 750 kilometres on it uptil now.
The first service at 500 kms is already done.
About me:
Im a 20 year old college student and I wanted to buy my first bike. I always liked the avenger but never seriously considered buying it as I thought there were reliability issues with the bike.
But when time came to buy a bike I seriously considered it. Also I am a 5 foot 7 inch guy weighing 75 kgs. So it suited me pretty well. There were several things I heard about the bike before I bought it. SOme good some bad.
Mileage was not a concern for me. but I still wanted atleast 30 kmpl out of the bike.
Looks wise, I havent met one person yet who doesnt like this bike.
As far as bajaj goes, the brand might be doubted by some, including me. Who choose to go toward the more dependable hondas, I sat one day and reflected the fact that the most bikes in this country are pulsars and they are BAJAJ arent they? Of all bajaj owners I asked 70 percent thought it handled indian riding conditions pretty well. So I cleared my mind about bajaj as a brand then.
Price and booking:
In pune, the price of the bike on road, everything included is 78.500. It was delivered to me within 3 days. the colour I bought is midnight black.
Bought it from Probiking Near Ruby hall. It is handled by Sai service itself. It was quick and professional.
EXPERIENCE:
Riding:
At first, the bike is a little difficult to handle in traffic, but over time I have gotten used to it. still cutting in traffic takes some effort and space. The bike takes up a lot of space so confidence is required for slick and fast riding in traffic. U-turns are huge at first, but slowly they can be done easily and quickly.
The bike a AMAZINGLY STABLE on the highway runs, in areas of high crosswinds and instances of overtaking by buses etc. there was not even a weensy bit of wobble. It remains planted on the road thanks to the fat rear tyre and low centre of gravity.
Ergonomics and comfort:
The location of the ignition key is no doubt uncomfortable. Also the separate handle lock along with the ignition key location takes atleast 10 seconds of your time from parking your bike to moving away from it.
The riding posture is comfortable, with no strain anywhere. hands and shoulders should be left loose and you are ready for worry free long drives. The rear seat is narrow and the pillion is not very comfortable thought the backrest compensates. Also sudden bumps really go to the spine. so those with sensititve backs should think before buying this bike.
Engine:
The low end is not very strong, so quite a bit of pull of the throttle is required while moving from the signal quickly. after 3rd gear bike starts being a little quicker. The mid range and top range seem satisfying. Even though I havent gone above 70 kmph due to the Run-in Period of 1000 kms.
Minor vibrations are felt at around 50 kmph. The engine note is a good combination of gruffness and dts-i thrum. Also with the oil cooler, I dont think engine overheating is an issue.
Gearbox:
The gearbox.simply sucks. It might feel fimiliar to a pulsar rider.But after a unicorn it feels like crap.
There is absolutely NO FEEL in the gears while shifting. The transition between gears is not felt sometimes and hence u leave it to chance and rev to discover.OH it shifted. lol.
There might be another reason why I feel like this. Since I only use the TOE lever to change gears and whenever I use the heel lever I do feel a clunk while shifting. But it really needs improvement.
Over 20 days however, I have gotten used to it.
Braking:
The braking here is worrisome. The rear brakes on a brand new bike are spongy and unresponsive. They are really weak and not dependable at all. Also in a bike of this length, using a combination of both brakes is advisable. The front discs are pretty good.
Once I went too hard on the rear brakes and the rear end of the bike went swinging on the left. Also the front dics are good for traffic but also unsafe while slowing down from high speeds.
So now I lightly press the rear brakes and then the front discs judiciously which works pretty well. But braking should be improved.
Fuel Efficiency:
Honestly, anyone buying this bike should not be very concerned about the average. Before 500 kms service it gave roughly 34 kmpl when bot driven above 50 kmph. with 90% city driving and 10% highway.
After 500 kms service it is giving 38.5 kmpl. I drive it carefully not pulling a lot at the throttle and also going at 40-45 kmph. So potential buyers should not expect above 40kmpl.
Miscellaneous:
Headlights are very nice and bright. Also now they are DC.
No kick is a worry but low battery indicator is given. But I guess push start will do the job atleast to get the bike to the garage in case of battery failure. cold morning starts are fine now, if it doesnt start manual choke works well.
Fuel gauge is useless. Bike needs to be kept clean and the chrome taken care of. Expect high maintenance. Open chain requires lubrication every 500 kms.
Rear view mirrors work well. Also switchgear is nice and solid, clutch and brake lever have nice finish.
CONCLUSION:
Overall the bike has both pros and cons. I had mixed expectations so I can safely say im not disappointed.
But my overall experience TILL NOW has been pleasant. the real face of the bike may be seen at 5000-10000 kms. But I have put up this review as new user experience also matters.
Hope this review helps. Comments are welcome.
