Bajaj Avenger 160

The Bajaj Avenger 160 Street is the smaller-capacity sibling of the Avenger 220 Cruise.  Starting at Rs 1,16,832 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Avenger 160 Street is also the most affordable cruiser in the Indian market.

In terms of design, the Avenger 160 Street is very similar to the old Avenger 180 in almost all aspects including the body panels, wheels, headlight, taillight, tank and even graphics. While the lack of styling differences in both bikes might be disappointing to many, it has the practical benefit of allowing Avenger 180 owners to easily replace parts and panels with those from the Avenger 160 Street.

Powering the Avenger 160 Street is a 160.4cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine which produces 15PS and 13.7Nm. The engine is very tractable and makes it easy to ride around the city. Coming to the highway, you can easily cruise around at speeds of 70-80 kmph. However, once you go beyond this range, you'll start to feel vibrations. The clutch is light and the 5-speed gearbox is smooth. 

The Avenger 160 Street delivered a real-world tested mileage of 46.83kmpl in the city and 53.72kmpl on the highway during our tests. These numbers are decent but could have been better. With the 13-litre fuel tank, the Avenger 160 Street offers an expected range of about 650km on a full tank.

In the city, the Avenger 160 Street feels lightweight and changes directions quickly allowing the riders to navigate through traffic effortlessly. The tyres offer decent grip and the bike feels quite stable around the corners. The suspension setup is on the softer side and can easily absorb most bumps and potholes. The brakes have good bite and feedback, the single-channel ABS is quite helpful when braking hard.

The Bajaj Avenger 160 Street has a very low seat height of 737mm. The heavily padded seat, flat handlebar and forward-set footpegs provide an easy-going riding posture. While the bike’s riding posture may be comfortable for shorter riders. Taller riders will find it to be a bit cramped, with the left handlebar brushing against the rider’s knee when taking tight left turns. Despite the extended 1480mm wheelbase, the Avenger 160 Street lacks the wide turning radius that is typical of cruisers in general which is a big advantage in city commutes and while taking u-turns. The softly padded seats are comfortable for short rides in the city but aren’t the best when going for longer rides.

The Bajaj Avenger 160 Street gets a halogen headlight with bulb-type indicators and taillight. It comes equipped with a single-pod instrument console featuring an analogue speedometer and a digital inset that displays the tripmeter and odometer readings. The overall build quality of the bike is not the best and could have improved. The switchgear quality is decent for this price point, and welding marks are visible in many places. This aligns with the bike’s budget-friendly build.

As an entry-level cruiser motorcycle, the Avenger 160 Street doesn’t come with a lot of features but does get essential things like a single-channel ABS and a Rear-Lift-Protection (RLP) sensor, which is an interesting addition for avoiding accidental stoppies but feels out of place on a cruiser as it is unlikely to happen that often.

If you are looking for an affordable cruiser in India, then the Bajaj Avenger 160 Street is the only option and it does satisfy one’s expectations from a budget cruiser. It may lack the performance needed for an ideal highway cruising experience, which its larger 220cc sibling has. But for everyday commutes in the city and short rides on the weekends, the Avenger 160 Street is good enough.