The Bajaj Avenger 180 which is available in the youthful Street avatar is the country’s most affordable cruiser. The entry-level cruiser is all set to be replaced by a new 160 cc variant anytime soon. The replacement signals that Bajaj Auto would retire the long-running 180 cc engine which debuted in the Pulsar almost two decades ago.
The new Bajaj Avenger 160 ABS will borrow its engine from the Pulsar 160 NS. The motor which displaces 160.3 cc is tuned to produce 15.5 PS and 14.6 Nm of torque on board the street fighter. In comparison, the Avenger 180’s figures stand at 15.5 PS and 13.7 Nm of torque. It remains to be seen if Bajaj has tweaked the new engine before fitting it on the Avenger.
In addition to the engine transplant, the entry-level Avenger Street variant will receive the mandatory ABS update. Like the range-topping Avenger 220 ABS, the Avenger Street 160 ABS will employ a single-channel system. The motorcycle is expected to continue with analog instrument console to keep the costs in check.
The suspension system (telescopic front fork and twin rear shock absorbers), tyres (90/90-17 front and 130/90-15 rear), brakes (260 mm disc at the front and 130 mm drum at the rear), transmission (5-speed) and dimensions will be retained as they were. The engine is likely to be BS-VI compliant from day one, and is expected to be more fuel efficient than the outgoing 180 cc variant.
The Bajaj Avenger Street 160 ABS not only brings on board a more modern engine, it will also help the company have a better differentiation between the entry-level and top end (220 cc) variants. The standard ABS would add around INR 7,000 to the price tag. The new engine is also likely to drive up the price. For reference, the Avenger Street 180 (non-ABS) currently retails at INR 88,077 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).
It is to be noted that Bajaj has silently discontinued the Pulsar 180. Once the Avenger Street 160 comes into picture, the only Bajaj product to employ the ageing 180 cc engine would be the recently introduced Pulsar 180F which borrows its half fairing from the 220F. This variant too is expected to be discontinued before the BS-VI deadline (April 2020).
