[highway_star]

I bought my Avenger 200 in October 2007. At December 2011 it had completed. 53,150 km. Most of it was commuting in Mumbai, along with a few long tours.

I will present my ownership experience in terms of issues faced, repairs done and cost incurred.


12,487 km – 8 months

All five free services completed. AMC purchased.
Chain and carburetor overhauled.
Fork oil, disc pad, brake shoe, spark plug, air filter replaced.
No issues with the bike.

Total cost Rs 5,524/-. Cost/km Rs 0.44


21,359 km – 1 year 5 months

Both wheel rims and one indicator damaged in accident. Replaced without insurance claim.
Main stand got bent (probably due to people sitting on parked bike), replaced.
Speedometer cable broken and speedometer gear worn out, replaced. Speedometer plastic attachment broke, replaced with metal fabrication.
Starting motor relay defective. Replaced under warranty.
Front fork overhaul, oil strainer cleaned, chain overhaul, spark plugs, air filter replaced.
Speedometer cable replaced again.
Starting motor defective. Replaced under warranty.

Total cost Rs 11,401/-. Cost/km Rs 0.53


29,409 km – 1 year 8 months

Two AMC payments (high usage of bike in this period).
Clutch cable broke, replaced.
Both wheels alignment.
Spark plug, air filter, front fork oil, chain & sprocket, rear brake shoe replaced.
Engine decarbonizing (chemical)
Clutch plates replaced. (was not strictly necessary)

Total cost Rs 21,030/-. Cost /km Rs 0.72



39,600 km – 2 years 4 months

Disc brake pads replaced twice.
Front fork overhaul.
Drive chain rear sprocket bearing replaced
Petrol tank and carburettor cleaned, chain overhaul, front fork oil, spark plug, air filter replaced.
Battery replaced.

Total cost Rs 27,760/-. Cost/km Rs 0.70



53,150 km – 4 years 3 months

Clutch cable replaced three times.
Silencer repaired due to rust.
Left handle switch assembly replaced.
Chain sprocket set replaced.
Front brake disc pads, brake oil replaced.
Gear lever replaced.
Air filter, spark plug replaced.
Both tyres and tubes replaced.
Speedometer replaced.

Total cost Rs 40,358/-. Cost /km Rs 0.76



Overall, I am satisfied with the bike. A couple of pics from the rides it has done:


Ghatprabha river





Khardung La

[Dry Ice]

Thanks for sharing highway_star. Justifying your handle there.

I have an Avenger 200 too, 1.5 years old and I have only managed to clock around 3800 kms so far.

Which oil do you use during your routine services?

Oh, and my ownership thread - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...st-bike-4.html. Gotta get back to updating it!

[chevelle]

Thank you for sharing.

Very nice, crisp review. The bike looks in good nick. How is the performance on highway and city? Positives and Negatives would be appreciated.

[highway_star]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Which oil do you use during your routine services?

I give it to the A.S.S and tell them to put their regular oil. Never bothered to find out the brand. I always replace the oil within the period recommended by manufacturer, sometimes sooner. Engine feels as good as ever.

Originally Posted by chevelle

Positives and Negatives would be appreciated.

I shouldn't have skipped this. Here it is.

Positives
1. Stylish and distinctive appearance. Stands out from the crowd.
2. Comfortable seat and upright posture for rider. Good for long drives.
3. Powerful engine (now it is 220 cc).
4. Value for money.

Negatives
1. Lots of chrome plated parts, tends to rust.
2. Spoke wheels, cannot fit tubeless tires.
3. It is heavy, difficult to adjust in parking space.
4. Tends to skid, in spite of wide tires.

[sparsh]

Avenger is one of the most widely sold cruiser bikes in India prior to Harley Davidson stepping on Indian shores. The avenger borrows its design and characteristics from the Kawasaki Eliminator which came with a gem of a 175 cc engine. Wishing you lots of miles and drive safe pal. A bajaj bike is not very heavy on the pocket when it comes to maintenance.

[amit_purohit20]

Although bajaj bikes are not heavy in terms of spare parts cost, but I feel the number of times you have repaired/replaced oil for your front fork and the number of times your cables have been replaced is on the higher side. I dont know why bajaj cables dont last long.I have a TVS Victor driven near 40k and I havent changed a single cable neither changed any fork oil except once when the front fork got bent in an accident and the seal was leaking.After that no problem at all.I havent seen any change in the performance of fork due to not changing the fork oil.

[livyodream]

Originally Posted by sparsh

Avenger is one of the most widely sold cruiser bikes in India prior to Harley Davidson stepping on Indian shores.

Does it mean HD has taken over the market?
Avenger would still be widely sold cruiser doesnt matter HD comes to India or not. One can buy a doesen avenger compared to 1 HD .

PS: I own an avenger.

[highway_star]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

Although bajaj bikes are not heavy in terms of spare parts cost, but I feel the number of times you have repaired/replaced oil for your front fork and the number of times your cables have been replaced is on the higher side. I dont know why bajaj cables dont last long.

Bajaj recommends changing the fork oil every 10,000 km. Maybe it is not very important. I did not change it the last time it was due.

The clutch cable is a huge irritant. Actually the root of the problem lies in the gear shifting mechanism which tend to get stuck. I discovered that gear changing becomes much smoother if I keep the clutch cable tight. But since the cable is not of good quality it soon gets elongated under the higher tension. Then I tighten it further and this goes on until it breaks. Having broken three cables within 10,000 km, I have given up on this. Now I keep it loose and endure the rotten gears.

[arjun.r]

Originally Posted by highway_star

Actually the root of the problem lies in the gear shifting mechanism which tend to get stuck. I discovered that gear changing becomes much smoother if I keep the clutch cable tight. But since the cable is not of good quality it soon gets elongated under the higher tension. Then I tighten it further and this goes on until it breaks. Having broken three cables within 10,000 km, I have given up on this. Now I keep it loose and endure the rotten gears.

same here bro. right after servicing, gears are like butter. 2 weeks down the line and you are wondering what the hell is wrong with the clutch.

overall, a great bike but seems to have much higher maintenance (though not very expensive).

[carfreak]

Highwaystar, you have really put in a good report!

I am planning to buy a used Avenger 220 and i have a few queries:
Firstly does the problem with the clutch cables you have mentioned persist in the 220 too?when i test drove i did not feel much problem while shifting gears!
Secondly what can be done about skidding even with those fat tires at the back?

Also the seller mentioned that the fuel gauge in all Avengers is faulty and shows wrong readings.is this true?

Thank you for your help!!

[highway_star]

My answers inline in bold font

Originally Posted by carfreak

Highwaystar, you have really put in a good report!

I am planning to buy a used Avenger 220 and i have a few queries:
Firstly does the problem with the clutch cables you have mentioned persist in the 220 too?when i test drove i did not feel much problem while shifting gears!

I do not have any experience with 220. But I believe that most parts except engine would be same so similar problems. Gears won't give much problem if clutch cable is tight.


Secondly what can be done about skidding even with those fat tires at the back?

No idea.

Also the seller mentioned that the fuel gauge in all Avengers is faulty and shows wrong readings.is this true?

It is not very accurate. But it will give you a reasonable idea of how much petrol is left. I don't see this as much of an issue.


Thank you for your help!!

Update on my bike

The speedometer which I installed recently is sluggish. It does not show correct speed. But i am not doing anything about it now because of lack of time. Will try to get it fixed at the next service.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by highway_star

The speedometer which I installed recently is sluggish. It does not show correct speed. But i am not doing anything about it now because of lack of time. Will try to get it fixed at the next service.

I got a new Avenger, and it is still not one month old. The trip meter is not working, and probably need to get it fixed in warranty.

Coming to the fuel gauge, yes it is reasonably good. You always need to check it on flat ground, because when you are going up or down, the meter may show different, and then every change is not as fast. Better observe the gauge on flat ground.

[carfreak]

Originally Posted by sriturl

Coming to the fuel gauge, yes it is reasonably good. You always need to check it on flat ground, because when you are going up or down, the meter may show different, and then every change is not as fast. Better observe the gauge on flat ground.

When i rode it and (i think) i tilted it to the right, it showed full tank whereas once i parked it came to half tank!!is such a huge variation normal?

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by carfreak

When i rode it and (i think) i tilted it to the right, it showed full tank whereas once i parked it came to half tank!!is such a huge variation normal?

Didn't check to that extent, but sounds logical, if the gauge is on the right, it may have touched the top mark, and indicated the full tank.

[ADI_77]

Hi ! Guys, My Avenger 180 has completed 6 yrs, will post some pics soon. For the first 3 yrs got it serviced at the Bajaj Probiking ASC. No major maintennace incurred so far. Clutch Wire changes, Brake Pads Changed once, Battery replaced recently, Speedo wire changed, steering lock changed once.

Would like to share some of my views:

Good Cruiser bike on the highways.
Need to get used to riding in city traffic.
Long front wheel positioning, skids easily while braking at high speeds.
Good Overall Styling.
The chrome on the silencer has started peeling off at few places.
No fuel indicator in the 180 version.
Present FE of 38 Kmpl

I am planning for few mods to give it a fresh look, await suggestions from fellow owners.