Avenger 150 vs 220 Comparison Review
Bajaj Avenger Street 150 vs Avenger Street 220 vs Avenger Cruise 220 Comparison:
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| On left the Bajaj Avenger Street 150 and or right Avenger 220 like twins |
Pricing & Features:
The Avenger Street 150 costs 84,000 Rs. On Road, Delhi, which is 11,000 Rs. less than both the 220cc Avengers, the 'Harley Davidson lookalike' Street, as well as the more classy 'Cruise' version. Apart from having a bigger engine, both the 'Street' versions are more or less identical, except for the colour and decal options. The 'Cruise' on the other hand, gets bigger handlebars, a pillion back-rest and that oddball windscreen over and above the 'Street' variants.
Avenger 150 vs 220 Video Comparison Review:
Price, On Road, Delhi:
Avenger Street 150: Rs. 84,000
Avenger Street/Cruise 220: Rs. 95,000
Performance & Tractability:
Both bikes borrow their power-plants from the Pulsar family with minimal changes, if any. The bigger 220cc version is obviously quicker than the 150cc version, but by a surprisingly small margin. Moreover, the 220 is less refined and is noticeably more vibey than the 150. Also the Avenger being a cruiser, is not about squeezing out the last drop of performance from the bike anyways. You'll hardly ever miss the extra bit of performance of the 220 in day to day usage, except maybe on those rare occasions, where you need to pull an overtaking maneuver on a fast moving truck, out on the highway. However, rest of the time, you'll be happier on the smoother and quieter 150.
Displacement (cc): Avenger Street 150 - 149, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 – 220
Build Quality & Refinement:
First and foremost, these new Avengers, just don't have the ageless build quality that the original Eliminator had. However, the 'Cruise' remains a relatively untouched version of the original compared to the 'Street', and thus has clearly superior quality parts and finish compared to the 'Street'. The crafted quality of Cruise's chrome Mirrors, tank console, exhaust and backrest bracket has already proven that it can easily last a decade in the original Eliminator/Avenger. The 'Street' on the other hand has been spoilt to make it look like the Harley Davidson Street 750 as much as possible, but in the process it has received generous black powder coating (which is not even pure black, but a cheap dark brown if you observe closely). While some other parts have received the fake brushed aluminium treatment, both of which definitely don't feel like they will last as long as the Cruise's chrome parts. Only good thing about the Street are the Alloys, which we like more for the option of upgrading to tubeless rubber than the Cruise's spoked wheels.
The Avenger Street 150 costs 84,000 Rs. On Road, Delhi, which is 11,000 Rs. less than both the 220cc Avengers, the 'Harley Davidson lookalike' Street, as well as the more classy 'Cruise' version. Apart from having a bigger engine, both the 'Street' versions are more or less identical, except for the colour and decal options. The 'Cruise' on the other hand, gets bigger handlebars, a pillion back-rest and that oddball windscreen over and above the 'Street' variants.
Avenger 150 vs 220 Video Comparison Review:
Price, On Road, Delhi:
Avenger Street 150: Rs. 84,000
Avenger Street/Cruise 220: Rs. 95,000
Performance & Tractability:
Both bikes borrow their power-plants from the Pulsar family with minimal changes, if any. The bigger 220cc version is obviously quicker than the 150cc version, but by a surprisingly small margin. Moreover, the 220 is less refined and is noticeably more vibey than the 150. Also the Avenger being a cruiser, is not about squeezing out the last drop of performance from the bike anyways. You'll hardly ever miss the extra bit of performance of the 220 in day to day usage, except maybe on those rare occasions, where you need to pull an overtaking maneuver on a fast moving truck, out on the highway. However, rest of the time, you'll be happier on the smoother and quieter 150.
Power to Weight Ratio (bhp/ton): Avenger Street 150 - 97, Avenger Street 220 - 124 (difference 30%)
Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton): Avenger Street 150 - 84, Avenger Street 220 - 117 (difference 38%)
Power (bhp@rpm): Avenger Street 150 - 14.3@9000, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 18.6@8400
Torque (Nm@rpm): Avenger Street 150 - 12.5@6500, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 17.5@7000
Kerb Weight (kg): Avenger Street 150 - 148, Avenger Street 220 – 150, Avenger Cruise 220 - 155
Torque to Weight Ratio (Nm/ton): Avenger Street 150 - 84, Avenger Street 220 - 117 (difference 38%)
Power (bhp@rpm): Avenger Street 150 - 14.3@9000, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 18.6@8400
Torque (Nm@rpm): Avenger Street 150 - 12.5@6500, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 17.5@7000
Displacement (cc): Avenger Street 150 - 149, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 – 220
Build Quality & Refinement:
First and foremost, these new Avengers, just don't have the ageless build quality that the original Eliminator had. However, the 'Cruise' remains a relatively untouched version of the original compared to the 'Street', and thus has clearly superior quality parts and finish compared to the 'Street'. The crafted quality of Cruise's chrome Mirrors, tank console, exhaust and backrest bracket has already proven that it can easily last a decade in the original Eliminator/Avenger. The 'Street' on the other hand has been spoilt to make it look like the Harley Davidson Street 750 as much as possible, but in the process it has received generous black powder coating (which is not even pure black, but a cheap dark brown if you observe closely). While some other parts have received the fake brushed aluminium treatment, both of which definitely don't feel like they will last as long as the Cruise's chrome parts. Only good thing about the Street are the Alloys, which we like more for the option of upgrading to tubeless rubber than the Cruise's spoked wheels.
Handling & Ride Quality:
The Avenger has no corner carving pretensions and it is absolutely shameless about it. It is an outright baby cruiser with aspirations of cross country touring. It has decent ride quality, with some improvements being made by Bajaj to prevent the bottoming out tendency of the old Avenger. However its steep rake angle and generous wheelbase, coupled with a skinny front tyre and soft springs can make it a real handful around the bends. Even its maneuverability in city traffic can be a bit of a bother, especially to riders who are used to more nimble machinery.
Tyre Size:
Front: Avenger Street 150 – 90/90R17, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 90/90R17
Rear: Avenger Street 150 – 130/90R15, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 130/90R15
Tubeless tyres optional on Street variants
Wheelbase (mm): Avenger Street 150 – 1480, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 – 1490
Comfort & Ergonomics:
Bajaj has really messed up the ergonomics of the Street. They have fiddled with the handlebar-footpeg-seat triangle, which had been expertly tuned by the erstwhile Kawasaki engineers. In the enthusiasm of copying the Harley's flat handlebars, Bajaj has pushed the hand position a bit too forward, but the footpeg position is still the same, forcing the rider into an extreme hand-forward-feet-forward position. On long rides it leads to an aching back and arms. The Avenger 'Cruise' on the other hand retains the old ergonomics making it far better than the Street for a long ride.
Seat Height (mm): Avenger Street 150 - 725, Avenger Street 220 - 725
Fuel Efficiency:
The Avenger Street 150 has an ARAI Certified Mileage of 50 kmpl, which is 10 kmpl more than the Avenger 220. In our back-to-back tests, the Avenger Street 150 was almost 8 kmpl more efficient than the 220cc variants.
ARAI Mileage (kmpl): Avenger Street 150 - 50 kmpl, Avenger Street 220 - 40 kmpl
Fuel Cost (for usage of 75,000 km):
Avenger Street 150 - 1.14 Lakh Rs.
Avenger Street 220 - 1.43 Lakh Rs.
Reliability & After Sales Service:
Resale & Cost of Ownership:
The 220 is bound to depreciate more than the 150 thanks to lower fuel efficiency, thus retaining only 5000 out of the extra 11000 Rs. paid while buying the bike, compared to the 150. Thus Overall, the Avenger 150 works out to a whopping 35,000 Rs. cheaper than the 220 over an ownership period of 5 to 7 years.
Resale Price (after 5-7 years, 60,000 km):
Avenger Street 150 - 37,000 Rs.
Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 42,000 Rs.
Total Cost of Ownership (Price + Fuel Cost - Resale Price):
Avenger Street 150 - 1.60 Lakh Rs.
Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 1.95 Lakh Rs.
Verdict:
The Avenger Cruise 150 would have been the clear winner of this test, if only Bajaj had made one. But sadly, Bajaj doesn't, making it our job to pick the best compromise amongst the options available. One one hand, theres the Cruise 220, with delectable chrome bits, sorted ergonomics and better equipment, making it a more sensible buy over the Street 220. While on the other hand we have the Street 150, with superior refinement and fuel efficiency, not to mention the lower price tag than the 220, and alloy wheels making it incredibly better value for money than the 220s and thus is our pick of this test. To fix its ergonomics, we would suggest you buy a spare Avenger handlebar, get it powder coated in black and replace the 150's flat one, that way you could have the best of both worlds!
The Avenger has no corner carving pretensions and it is absolutely shameless about it. It is an outright baby cruiser with aspirations of cross country touring. It has decent ride quality, with some improvements being made by Bajaj to prevent the bottoming out tendency of the old Avenger. However its steep rake angle and generous wheelbase, coupled with a skinny front tyre and soft springs can make it a real handful around the bends. Even its maneuverability in city traffic can be a bit of a bother, especially to riders who are used to more nimble machinery.
Tyre Size:
Front: Avenger Street 150 – 90/90R17, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 90/90R17
Rear: Avenger Street 150 – 130/90R15, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 130/90R15
Tubeless tyres optional on Street variants
Wheelbase (mm): Avenger Street 150 – 1480, Avenger Street/Cruise 220 – 1490
Comfort & Ergonomics:
Bajaj has really messed up the ergonomics of the Street. They have fiddled with the handlebar-footpeg-seat triangle, which had been expertly tuned by the erstwhile Kawasaki engineers. In the enthusiasm of copying the Harley's flat handlebars, Bajaj has pushed the hand position a bit too forward, but the footpeg position is still the same, forcing the rider into an extreme hand-forward-feet-forward position. On long rides it leads to an aching back and arms. The Avenger 'Cruise' on the other hand retains the old ergonomics making it far better than the Street for a long ride.
Seat Height (mm): Avenger Street 150 - 725, Avenger Street 220 - 725
Fuel Efficiency:
The Avenger Street 150 has an ARAI Certified Mileage of 50 kmpl, which is 10 kmpl more than the Avenger 220. In our back-to-back tests, the Avenger Street 150 was almost 8 kmpl more efficient than the 220cc variants.
ARAI Mileage (kmpl): Avenger Street 150 - 50 kmpl, Avenger Street 220 - 40 kmpl
Avenger Street 150 - 1.14 Lakh Rs.
Avenger Street 220 - 1.43 Lakh Rs.
Reliability & After Sales Service:
Bajaj bikes have always suffered a questionable record of Product Reliability and Service Support in our Country. This has a hugely negative impact on their resale price, which you must make peace with, if you intend to buy one of these bikes. However, amongst Bajaj's portfolio, the Avenger Street & Cruise 220 as well as the Avenger 150 are relatively reliable bikes, since they don't employ any complicated technology like triple spark, fuel injection, liquid cooling etc. Bajaj's dealers are also not as meticulous and trustworthy as compared to its Japanese competitors, and understandably so, given the tighter margins, and also because they have to deal with comparatively unreliable products in the first place.
The 220 is bound to depreciate more than the 150 thanks to lower fuel efficiency, thus retaining only 5000 out of the extra 11000 Rs. paid while buying the bike, compared to the 150. Thus Overall, the Avenger 150 works out to a whopping 35,000 Rs. cheaper than the 220 over an ownership period of 5 to 7 years.
Resale Price (after 5-7 years, 60,000 km):
Avenger Street 150 - 37,000 Rs.
Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 42,000 Rs.
Avenger Street 150 - 1.60 Lakh Rs.
Avenger Street/Cruise 220 - 1.95 Lakh Rs.
Verdict:
The Avenger Cruise 150 would have been the clear winner of this test, if only Bajaj had made one. But sadly, Bajaj doesn't, making it our job to pick the best compromise amongst the options available. One one hand, theres the Cruise 220, with delectable chrome bits, sorted ergonomics and better equipment, making it a more sensible buy over the Street 220. While on the other hand we have the Street 150, with superior refinement and fuel efficiency, not to mention the lower price tag than the 220, and alloy wheels making it incredibly better value for money than the 220s and thus is our pick of this test. To fix its ergonomics, we would suggest you buy a spare Avenger handlebar, get it powder coated in black and replace the 150's flat one, that way you could have the best of both worlds!
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| Multi-spoke alloys |
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| Digital ODO and trip meter with analog speedo |
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| Blackened Engine |
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| Oil cooler for extra heat dissipation |
