Bajaj’s new entry-level cruiser, the Avenger Street 160 ABS, has begun reaching dealerships. The motorcycle, as we revealed last week, has been priced at Rs 81,036 (ex-showroom, Pune), making it around Rs 7,000 cheaper than the Avenger 180 it is expected to replace. Its on-road price in Pune is around Rs 1 lakh. A dealer source told us that they have already delivered a few units of the new bikes.
As can be seen from the images, the Avenger Street 160 ABS is identical in appearance to the Avenger 180. It features the same blacked-out theme, where most of the mechanical component, including the engine and wheels, are black. Like in the 180, to help keep costs low, it appears to miss out on the digital instrument cluster seen on the Avenger 220s, and uses an analogue cluster instead.
Powering the Avenger 160 is a motor that is based on the one seen on the Pulsar NS160. This 160.3cc engine makes 15.5hp and 14.6Nm of torque on the NS. If Bajaj replicates this on the Avenger, the horsepower will remain unchanged from that on the Avenger 180, even though it is a smaller motor in comparison. Furthermore, the torque on the 160.3cc engine is slightly higher, compared to the 13.7Nm the Avenger 180 produced.
As we previously revealed, one of the reasons the Indian brand has chosen to go this route is because the 180 and 220 sat too close to each other in the company’s portfolio. The introduction of the Avenger 160 will now allow Bajaj to substantially differentiate between the two models.
At this price, the Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS undercuts it's only rival, the Suzuki Intruder (which starts at Rs 1.03 lakh), by an even bigger margin than before. This also means that the Avenger 160 ABS upholds the Avenger 180’s title of being the most affordable cruiser-styled motorcycle in the country.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
