BAJAJ AVENGER: NEW BIKES

CRUISE CONTROL
The Eliminator has been revitalised with Bajaj Auto slotting its proven DTS-i engine into this delectable cruiser. Even better news is a cut price.

‘With its combination of great looks, decent performance and a great value price, the Avenger looks set to cruise to success.’

Bajaj’s first cruiser, the Eliminator, always made a venerable steed. The snazzy-looking chopper was always a commanding presence, and faced little competition in its niche.
News (rather premature) of Bajaj Auto readying the upgrade to this handsome bike has been doing the rounds for a while now, and it came as little surprise to find ourselves staring at a gleaming pre-production bike.
The new bike has been re-christened with a macho label — Avenger. The icing on this cruiser cake has always been smashing style. It’s very much a traditional cruiser, and wisely, the company has left untouched the raked forks, sweptback handlebars, teardrop tank and oodles of chrome winking in the sun.
The steering column vicinity enjoys large helpings of lacquered aluminium, whereas levers are buffed and doglegged. Familiar and retro spheres are the classy mirrors, indicators, headlamp and speedometer (the sole handlebar-mounted instrument), while the rest of the cluster is housed in a chrome fascia atop the wide teardrop tank.

Bar-end weights have been faintly altered and crisp, comprehensive switches and supple grips added to increase the appeal.
The wide, low-slung saddle will compete with your best sofa and, in true cruiser-bike mould, a recliner juts over the massive rear mudguard. A barely noticeable change is AC type of lighting in place of the earlier DC-type, where the headlight could function with the engine off.
The motor self-starts with a new, gruff tone. Digital Twin Spark Ignition (DTS-i) technology is present to supply two flame fronts on each combustion stroke, and so are roller bearings to cut friction for the rocker arms.
A unique DTS-i jangle is perceivable on the Avenger — where the Eliminator was muted, this single 178.6cc vertical-cylinder engine sounds more forceful. The powerplant curiously retains its short-stroke nature, against cruiser canon, with bore and stroke 63.5mm x 56.4mm. The revised silencer uses Bajaj’s exhaust-TEC, a resonator to bump up power in the lower reaches of its power band, as well as an environment-friendly catalytic converter.
The carburettor is now a BS 29 CV unit; to accommodate this change, the engine has a tweaked intake manifold to help perk up combustion. The CDI has also been modified for better sound damping, and though one can clearly hear the characteristic DTS-i firing away, this note is now noticeably dampened. The Avenger engine sits with only one pair of rubber mounts, the other mounts remaining rigid. With the new engine, attention has been paid to the gearshift lever, with a new needle roller keeping things slick where the gearshaft exits the front chain-sprocket cover.
We rode the bike around Bajaj’s Chakan track and that short period convinced us the Avenger engine is better than the Eliminator’s. It now makes identical power and torque to the Pulsar 180 at 16.5bhp and 1.55kgm, but while that bike constantly encourages us to push it to the limit, the Avenger feels best simply doing what every chopper should — cruising in relaxed mode.
Vibration-free and with ample power, the best part of the motor is flexibility and a friendly nature. It comfortably putters about at low speeds in high gears and chugs off with a twist of its light throttle, also displaying ample midrange from where it pushes on to a respectable triple-digit top speed. Shifting through the one-down-four-up ’box is smooth and with a nice feel, though complete engine performance details will be available after our full road test.
The original twin-tube frame and black-coated rectangle-section swingarm have been braced at crucial points to make them flex-free. As with all cruisers, the Avenger delights with its sweptback handlebars and forward-set pegs, which make for a comfy, reclined posture. To add to this lavish experience, we found that the improved suspension results in better ride quality. Bajaj informs us of better ground clearance and spring ratings all round, and we did find stability slightly improved, thanks to the elongated wheelbase, now a gaping 1475mm. Another handling-related specification is kerb weight, down four kilos to 152kg on the Avenger. Rubber and rims remain identical to the earlier bike. Braking feel is adequate from both front and rear.

The last time we visited this test track, we had checked out the then-new Pulsars and had a groovy time blasting around the corners and playing Rossi. While the forceful handling of those twins is best suited to such antics, we were happy to simply enjoy the breeze in our face and smoothly unwind the track in cruiser mode on this newcomer. One must always keep in mind that cruisers trade comfort for handling, their elongated front forks and relaxed riding position trading sharp handling for any kind of spirited cornering. A cruiser feels best simply doing what its genre implies — chuffing along with low stress at reasonable speeds while comfortably hauling in kilometres on highways.
With the advent of DTS-i on the Avenger, we can expect boosted mileage, despite its slight performance boost, but that’s not going to be the best part of this bike. The major downside to the original Kawasaki-reared bike was always a high asking fee, with many of us lusting for an Eliminator but being restrained by our pockets. All that is poised for elimination, with Bajaj Auto promising to price this new number in the low Rs 60K range. With this combination of great looks, decent performance and a great price, the Avenger seems set to become India’s best all-round cruiser. l



Factfile How much ? Price Rs 60,000-65,000 (est) On sale May 2005 How big ? L/W/H 2185/750/1060mm Wheelbase 1475mm Ground clearance 162mm Fuel tank capacity 14 litres Kerb weight 152kg Engine Layout Single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, 178.6cc Max power 16.5bhp Max torque 1.55kgm Specific output 92.38bhp per litre Power to weight 108.55bhp per tonne Gearbox Type 5-speed manual, 1-down-4-up Suspension Front Oil-damped telescopic forks Rear Double-sided swingarm, adjustable shock absorbers Brakes Front 265mm disc Rear 130mm drum Wheels & Tyres Type Wire-spoke Size (front/rear) 1.85x17-inch/2.75x15-inch Tyre size (f/r) 90/90x17-inch/130/90x15-inch

WHAT TO EXPECT Fine cruiser with improved all-round performance, finer pricing.