A cruiser bike is a rare phenomenon amongst Indian bikes. The segment that was occupied by Bajaj Avenger all alone has a new competitor in the market Suzuki Intruder ABS.
Cruiser is a dream bike, at least for some. Getting a cruiser and going around the city should be a head turner but what more important is the ride quality it offers as you sit laid back and twist the throttle to cruise your way into the highway. Looking for a touring vehicle in the 1 lakh segment will leave you with just two option – Bajaj Avenger 180 and Suzuki Intruder ABS which happen to be nice motorbikes by its own. Compare it to each other and you will see the best of them.
Bajaj Avenger Street 180
The bike that did come to India in 2005 and took the throne as the only cruiser in India for a decade. The bike initially came out with a more powerful 220cc engine but a year back 180cc engine option was made available along with the same body. There was not any big update on the features or instrument cluster and the street version still looks barebone.
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Bajaj Avenger Street 180 Design and Styling
The styling has aged a bit but classic lovers will love it any day over the modern bikes. The bike looks retro with low saddle seats and barebones body design. The Bajaj Avenger has very fewer body fittings and hence you get the minimal body that will never have to face any rattles. The handlebar is high as any cruiser and the body is linear with the very low centre of gravity which keeps the bike very planted. The pillions get a narrow seat but with a small back lean which makes long rides comforting.
Bajaj Avenger Street 180 Engine and Performance
Bajaj Avenger Street 180 inherits the 180 DTS-i engine from the pulsars and has tuned the engine further to match relaxed cruiser like performance. The 180cc 2V engine produces 15.5 Ps max power at 8500 RPM and torque of 13.7 Nm at 6500 RPM. Gearbox is 5 speed and the shifts are not the smoothest. You need to push it twice sometimes to get in the right gear. The performance is linear and straightforward. Though it is relaxed when compared to the pulsar with the same engine it sure does better than the Suzuki’s 150cc engine of the Intruder.
The front gets a long telescopic suspension and the rear dual shocks. The telescopic suspension is strong and hence offers a good highway ride but the uneven urban roads make the ride bumpy. Front wheels get a discs and rear lacks it. Though there are only one disc and no ABS the stopping power is on point. It has good braking capacity and the bike feels so stable even on sudden stops at high speed, thanks to the low centre of gravity position.
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Bajaj Avenger Street 180 Features
There is mere no bells and whistles attached to the Bajaj Avenger Street 180. In other words, the bike feels raw or rather outdated. The speedometer is even analogue with a small odometer. The bike lacks any modern feature. The lights are normal and so are the indicators.
Suzuki Intruder ABS
The Suzuki intruder made its debut in 2018 borrowing engine from Gixxer and getting designs from the bigger cruiser. The rivalry for urban cruiser went strong when Suzuki Intruder came out with the ABS variant. The intruder is styled modern with all modern specs designed to take on the current champion Bajaj Avenger Street 180. Unlike the competitor, Suzuki Intruder ABS is a head turner with its all muscular design and punchy exhaust note.
Suzuki Intruder ABS Design and Styling
It is the most stylish with more bodywork. It definitely looks the most appealing on the first glance. The fit and finish of the body parts are excellent, the only downside is the use of a lot of plastics which might end up rattling in long run. The more modern and muscular looks of the Suzuki Intruder ABS is attractive. The weight of the body is not as like a cruiser and the centre of gravity is not as low either. The handles come closer to the rider hence the should get better controls for short turns. The foot pegs are not very cruiser like instead placed right below the knee.
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Suzuki Intruder ABS Engine and Performance
The engine that powers the Suzuki Intruder ABS is the same engine from the Gixxer – 154.9cc that outputs 14.8 Ps of power at 8000 RPM and surprisingly 14 Nm of torque which is higher than the Bajaj Pulsar Street 180. The drive is smooth and the engine is refined to the finest. Though the Suzuki Intruder ABS is on par with the Avenger on paper it has to be strained a bit to catch up with it. 0 to 60km/l os impressive but does not match its competitor.
The front suspensions are telescopic with a good amount of travel and rear gets the monoshock suspension. The suspension is good for urban roads with potholes and uneven surfaces. It is not bad on the highways either. When travelling with the pillion offers better comforts, the reason being the large seats and the perfectly tuned monoshocks. Both the wheels get disc brakes of which the front gets an ABS. ABS at this price is incredible but the stopping power is comparatively less in comparison and takes a few extra seconds to reach zero. The tyres are considerably narrower and hence cornering is easy which is unlike a bike with a long wheelbase.
Suzuki Intruder ABS Features
Ask for any feature and Suzuki Intruder ABS has it. The instrument cluster has got all information on it from multiple trip meter, odometer, gear indicator, speedometer all in digital. The availability of dual discs with ABS gives a sharp edge for the Suzuki Intruder ABS over any other bike in this price.
Verdict
Both have slightly different purposes in our opinion. The difference in pricing makes more difference in recommending it to people. The raw cruiser designs, laid-back posture, narrow pillion seats, comfort highway riding with no ABS or rear disc is Bajaj Avenger Street ABS that retails at a very competitive 85,000 INR ex-showroom. Bajaj Avenger Street ABS is a good value for money product. If the value for money is not that important and your willing to spend 15k more look at the Suzuki Intruder ABS with the refined engine, cornering abilities, modern features, dual disc brakes with front ABS is your ideal pick.
