Nov 19, 2005 02:02 PM
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(Updated Nov 19, 2005 02:18 PM)
I am kind of used to being called a car freak… But this time around, there is a change… I am writing on a bike… Not on one that I have… But I owe this review to my friend who let me ride his “cheetah” for a good amount of time…
My friend Varun got his Avenger one month back and it has been back from first service. It’s a stunner with its blue coloured metal and all the chrome that it possibly needs… there are two avengers in college, one black, and one blue, and I feel that the blue one looks much cooler than the black one.
The reason why I called it a “cheetah” is that its looks are very deceptive. The bike is very long, more than any I have seen on Indian roads. The rear tyre seems to be as thick as my little Maruti. The seating position is very low, you could feel that suspension working just under you. And the controls are all in a position far from comfortable to normal riders…
That’s about the looks… deceptive indeed... But once it has been started, it is a very different story. The engine comes to life at the single touch of the self starter. And the engine just roars to life. The sound of the engine seems to be better than the new Pulsars. But that’s not all. The engine is the same as on the Pulsar 180, and it is mighty powerful in the Indian context.
But if I can call the Pulsar 180 a ‘lion’ (for the feel it gives at mind blowing speeds), the ZMA a ‘leopard’ (for its elegance), the avenger would rightly be ‘cheetah’ for the manner in which the bike effortlessly picks up speeds. You won’t feel the speed unless you take a look at the speedometer, or hear the screaming of the other bikes trying to keep pace with you.
The bike has only one speedometer as the central unit, and is not so conveniently placed. The rider has to take his eyes off the road for some time for a look at the reading, especially on sunny days. The lack of a fuel gauge is very uncomfortable in the long run, also considering the bike will return only around 35- 40 kilometers to a litre under road conditions.
Now comes the part of the bike I would like to scream about. The ignition key is on the left side, to the bottom of the tank. Ok! Considering it is a cruiser. But the handle lock is on the other side. You may feel it is a thing you can adjust with. But think again, it is going to be a real pain.
Also the bike has got a very large turning radius… very large considering normal 100cc bikes. This also makes the bike very difficult to take out of tight parking spots.
But once you can live with these things, the good life begins and the bike is bound to be sure fun. The other 100 cc bike Walla’s just want to race you, when you are effortlessly cruising around at speeds over 60 kmph. And the bike has enough power and torque to pull from higher gears.
Going at a hundred with the wind howling at you face can be a very good experience, especially for a person like me who prefers cars to bikes. However, Bajaj has some difficulties with tightening the screws for the mirrors, and the ones on my friends bikes starts rotating ones you reach triple digit speeds. Remember the old days when I used to run around with a paper fan to catch the wind…
A bike to ride, if you can ignore a number of petty problems. But for the pillion, its not all good news. The seating for the pillion is good and has a good cushioning. On good roads, the pillion can fly as Yamaha also used to advertise for their enticer. But come the bad roads, the pillion can even feel the suspension bouncing off its limits. Its not that harsh, but certainly has a lot to be improved.
A very good bike to ride and show off... and trust me, that bike has its charm on the girls… girls like chrome and shining things, remember? Now that the pulsar has become too common, the avenger is definitely worth a long second look…
