Suzuki has launched the 2019 edition of its cruiser motorcycle, the Intruder, in India. The new model has received minor upgrades such as a new colour option (metallic matte titanium silver) and tweaked ergonomics for better comfort. Being a modern cruiser, the Intruder faces direct competition from the Bajaj Avenger Street 220 which serves a similar purpose. Meanwhile, Royal Enfield Bullet 350 also delivers a cruiser-like comfort and in the RE line-up, it sits closest to the Avenger and Intruder in terms of pricing. We find out which among the three emerges better in this on-paper comparison.
Design and Features:
The Suzuki Intruder carries a bold styling which is inspired by the Intruder M1800R. It has a triangular headlamp, handlebar cowl and plastic cladding around the fuel tank which extends up to the rear section. In the 2019 model, the Intruder gets foot pegs which are closer to the rider while the design of the gear shift and brake pedal has also been tweaked for better comfort. On the other hand, Bajaj has taken a conventional approach with the design of the Avenger Street 220. However, its oval-shaped headlamp, alloy wheels and all-black theme make it look snazzy. On the contrary, the Bullet exudes a retro appeal with old-school styling and heavy use of chrome.
In the case of features, all three motorcycles sport conventional headlamps. However, the Avenger Street 220 is equipped with an LED DRL, something the other two miss out on. In terms of instrumentation, the Avenger and Intruder both feature uniquely-styled digital displays while the Bullet gets an analogue unit. Given that these bike are cruisers, fuel tank capacity plays an important role. With a capacity of 14 litres, the Avenger gets the largest fuel tank as opposed to the Intruder’s 11 litre and Bullet’s 13 litre unit.
Engine:
The Royal Enfield Bullet is powered by a 350cc, air-cooled, carburetted motor which has the highest displacement among this lot. Mated to a five-speed gearbox, this unit produces 19.8bhp and 28Nm. Then comes the Avenger Street 220 which churns out 19bhp and 17.5Nm from its 220cc, liquid-cooled, carburetted motor. Now, the Suzuki Intruder displaces the lowest engine capacity of 154.9cc. This air-cooled, fuel-injected mill churns out 14.6bhp and 14Nm and, is mated to a five-speed gearbox.
Cycle Parts:
The Intruder is a modern cruiser that rides on 17-inch wheels suspended by telescopic forks at the front and monoshock at the rear. A 266mm front disc and a 220mm rear disc handle braking duties. The Avenger, on the other hand, incorporates a 17-inch front and a smaller 15-inch rear wheel. Suspension duties are carried out by telescopic forks on the front and twin shock absorber at the rear. Coming to the Bullet, it rides on large 19-inch wheels at both ends while suspension hardware remains similar to the Avenger. In terms of braking, it is offered with a 280mm disc on the front and a 240mm disc at the rear. All three motorcycles comes equipped with single-channel ABS as standard.
Pricing:
Suzuki has priced the 2019 Intruder at Rs 1.08 lakhs. At this cost, one gets a distinctly-styled cruiser with modern features along with improved ergonomics over the previous version. The Bajaj Avenger Street 220, on the other hand, is more affordable at Rs 1.02 lakhs. Apart from the quintessential cruiser looks and comfort, it offers higher engine displacement than the Intruder. Finally, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 stands apart from the other two with its purely retro styling while boasting of the highest engine capacity. The motorcycle is priced at Rs 1.21 lakhs for the KS variant and Rs 1.35 lakhs for the ES model.
(All prices are ex-showroom)
