Bajaj Avenger Street 220 vs Suzuki Intruder Competition Check

Bajaj launched the 2018 Avenger Street 220 in the Indian market recently. The bike goes head on against another cruiser, the Suzuki Intruder. How does the updated Avenger fare against its biggest rival? We find out-

Design and features

The 2018 Avenger Street 220, looks similar to the previous model and continues to follow the cruiser-like design language. However, Bajaj has now given the bike a few cosmetic changes and refreshed graphics. The bike gets a round headlamp unit that integrates an LED DRL at the bottom. The tail lamp is also an LED unit. To match its urban-cruiser character, the bike gets a short handlebar, short pillion grab rail, alloy wheels and all-black components.

Compared to the Avenger, the Suzuki Intruder has tremendous road presence. This is thanks to its muscular fuel-tank extensions, low slung looks and inverted triangular headlamp, all of which are inspired by its elder sibling, the Intruder M1800R. The bike also gets a uniquely styled dual outlet exhaust that is an attention grabber in itself.

Both bikes are equipped with fully digital LCD instrument clusters that display a clock, shift light and gear indicator apart from the basic functions.  However, the Avenger Street 220 also gets a small display on the tank that shows the neutral indicator and battery check light.

Cycle parts

The Avenger Street 220 and Suzuki Intruder ride on alloy wheels and telescopic front forks. However, while the Intruder gets a monoshock at the rear, the Avenger is equipped with twin shocks.

Braking duties on the Avenger Street 220 are done by a 260mm disc and a drum brake for the front and rear respectively. The Suzuki on the other hand gets bigger brakes with a 266mm disc upfront along with a 260mm disc at the rear. It is also equipped with a single-channel ABS as standard.

The Avenger Street 220 gets the upper hand with its 14-litre fuel tank capacity. It weighs a kerb of 150kg. The Intruder gets a slightly smaller 11-litre fuel tank and a kerb weight of 148kg.

Engine 

At the heart of the Bajaj Avenger Street 220 is a 220cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled engine that delivers 19bhp and 17.5Nm of torque via a five-speed gearbox. 

The Suzuki Intruder gets a smaller 155cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine. This unit produces 14bhp and 14Nm of torque mated to a five-speed transmission.

Pricing

The Bajaj Avenger Street 220 retails at Rs 92,954 (ex-showroom, Maharashtra). It not only has a more powerful engine but is also priced Rs 11,000 lesser than the Suzuki Intruder which is priced at Rs 1.03 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The Intruder compensates for its higher price tag with the higher spec brake setup.