Query approved.

as you want no tension bike from the lot so, it's Awenger any day anytime.
but the major problem which you will face is PILLION DISCOMFORT!!!
Awenger is not at all a pillion friendly, don't know why, my friends as males never complains neither their GFs but mostly here on xbhp all married couples have report pillion discomfort.

RE is now no more a frequent service or maintenance bike, but still their strategy is the same of harassing customer, if you would have used this bike daily or even every 3rd day then i would have recommd TBTS but as you are very clear than you can anytime close the bike for months so it's Awenger only!!
Pillion seat can be modified by extra foam and careful riding on potholes patches.

Awenger is same as P220 engine, good pick up and crusing ability. with good SVC all over.

between TBTS and Avenger, go for TBTS.....it has ooomph...

Any specific reason Prince? I thought Avenger was better than TBTS; like smooth, very comfort & Avenger appeals more of Cruiser. Just curious that's all.

ROTFL You'll never change

BTW, for the TS's requirement (except on long RIDES), I think bikes like Discover 100, Yuga, Shine, D125 (good option) suits more & keep off the long rides.

If that's equally important, then give a thought on ZMA or ZMR (someone complained quoting ZMA/R is an insult!!! Don't know in what way!!! or should I also add Hero Moto Karizma...)

as i said it has oooomph factor, nothing technical in it.

"look ...he has got a bullet"

OT: Made like a gun, goes like a bullet.

Although Avenger and Thunderbird are very often compared, they are both IMHO very different bikes. Avenger is the more classic cruiser style amongst the two. If you look closely you ll find the TBTS does nt have the classic cruiser front set foot pegs. Its more of a commuterish stance. Sits taller than the Avenger too.

In the engine department both are as different as chalk and cheese. The long stroke mill of the enfield has tons of torque although it just makes 1 bhp more than the avenger. But IMO unless you are climbing mountains or moving houses, it doesn't translate into real world performance. It is almost 25 Kg heavier than the avenger and almost 3 seconds slower to the 60kmph mark than the avenger. Frankly speaking apart from the 500 no other enfield has made me interested from the performance point of view. But if it is the laid back thumping feel that you want then the TBTS is to be picked.

Being an Avenger owner, I can give you some insights on the bike and ownership, to help you in your decision making. But cant help you on the TBTS I hope TBTS owners can chip in there.

The most un cruiserlike aspect of the avenger is its engine. Its a retuned (or even detuned) version of the Pulsar 220. Apparently the tuning was done to get a more even spread of torque. This has lead to a lower peak power and peak torque figure than the P220, but dont let that fool you. It would still surprise you with its acceleration off the blocks, considering it is a cruiser.
It has got a punchy mid range and enough grunt to take off into gaps in the traffic.

But the problem with the engine is that its always in a hurry. You wont get the easy going laid back feel from this motor. Expect a real world economy of 35 KMPL in city (I regularly get that 50% of time with pillion). There are a fair bit of vibrations though not annoying enough to be a deal breaker. The gear box is not perfect and has a clunky feel to it. Once the engine has properly run in, the bike can do 80-90 Kmph without too many annoying vibes. beyond that the vibrations increase.

Lot has been said about the rear seat. The pillion seat is very narrow, its a fact. On the ownership thread I had posted my review and in that I have posted the image of the seat too. It takes some getting used to as since the rider and pillion are both sitting upright, all bumps are directly transmitted to your spine. This may result in some initial discomfort around the tail bone, but you get used to it. Manouevering in the traffic is surprisingly easy and the bike is quite nimble, but dont expect it to be flickable like other bikes. Odd trips to office should nt bother you.

Since the footpegs are front placed classic cruiser style , this too may seem awkward initially.

Maintenance part, since it is Bajaj and although people do crib about the part quality, one thing is sure, they are cheap. Moreover it is not as though you have to rush to the SVC every other day. It would be at par with the other Bajaj bikes.
Enfield I dont know, but we do hear stories about how maintenance loving the bikes are although it seems to have improved now.

I guess I have covered most aspects regarding avenger. If you need any further clarifications, let me know.

Isn't that lower than the 40-45 type figures people post for Pulsar 220F ?
How is that possible ?

It'd be great if you describe Grip on high speed straight lines (not corners) and braking. Is it true that the Avenger desperately needs a rear disc ?

I dont know but 35 Kmpl is what I get. May be because I ride exactly 50% of time with my wife as pillion. So a single rider can see some improvement. But 40 ish would be the best bet IMO. Regarding the comparison with Pulsar, not considering the engine and gearing, one thing we need to consider is that lack of a windshield and the upright posture of a cruiser means higher wind resistance. This not only affects the top speed, but also the mileage. The effects will be more pronounced at higher speeds.




By high speed what do you imply?

Straight line grip seems decent and confidence inspiring upto around 90-100 Kmph (I have rarely crossed that speed, 80-90 is what I do usually in open roads). After that a peculiar problem crops up which is again due to the posture, the problem of wind blast. The wind blast would kind of lift your legs up and push them away from the pegs and it takes some doing to keep yourself stable against the gush of wind.

Braking unfortunately is a sore point. IMO being a cruiser bike with less forward bias to the mass as compared to other sporty bikes, the rear brakes have to be strong. A disk would have done good here as there is much more weight distribution on the rear wheels than compared to other bikes with a sporty stance.

Even at slow speeds the forward disk brakes tend to lock up the wheels (as hardly there is any weight at front) and the increased rake angle means if the handle bar is even slightly turned, the front wheel skids away. Takes some getting used to. I had issues initially, now once I have figured out the knack, I seldom face issues. Idea is to have a rear brake bias initially and then increase the fwd brake application. Works fine and is not as difficult as it seems once you get used to it.

I am an owner of TBTS and as per your requirements I would suggest to take a TBTS mostly because you will need to travel with your wife most of the times and the rear seat is a blessing for the pillion.

Other Factors:

Average: It will give you ~35 in city rides and ~40 in the highways

Looks: To die for.....makes you feel like a MAN!!!(this line was from my heart)

Tyre Grip: Factory fit tires are good for normal city rides but will not allow at all for the cornering at speeds 70+. The weight of the bike helps and you will rarely lose your balance. High speed straight line stability is awsome( I once jumped over an abrupt braker while between Mysore-Mandya-Bangalore at speed of 90 but this baby did not loose its composure) you will will a lot of wind blast over speed of 100....but its not suggested with your girl on board.

Riding Comfort: The high handle bars puts you in great shape to ride and you will not get any aches even if you do 200+ in a day

Engine: This is crunch part of owning a Bull. It is a very delicate baby and needs a lot of care. Most of the SVCs are crap. I will suggest get a good old machanic for services, and YES the service costs almost double as you may feel as compared to AVNGR. It produces vibrations offcourse because of the heavy mill but with the beats.... its music to the ears

Handling: Handling is not nimble for zig zag driving but is enough for normal city riding and it never goes off balance because of its weight untill rider commits some seriuos mistake.

Braking: Braking is crisp and if you use the front disc and rear drum properly it can be controlled well even in the speeds of 100+ without any fuss. Braking in the normal speeds....100/100.

Acceleration: This is the part which does not satisfy me, it is slow off the blocks if you compare it with 135+cc bikes, but yes it has great power delivery high up the power band and you will love it when it goes from 40-100. Not a racing bike at all....its all about feel and not speed

I would suggest take a test ride of 2 kilometers or so with your wife then both of you can decide on that.

Avenger also has an option for a cruiser windshield right ? How is it when it comes to protection from windblast and affecting mileage ?


I meant 80-100 range about which you already answered.

Does the wind blast create any sort of unstability ? Again if you have used the bike with and without the optional windshield please comment.

Yes it does come with an optional windshield. But unfortunately i have not used it so cant coment on its effectiveness. However I have heard it is quite effective, infact some one in this forum itself has stated that somewhere.

Windshield wont affect the mileage I feel, as it doesn't improve the aerodynamics of the bike. If at all the massive glass may end up increasing the drag.
However I m sorry as I cant give any first hand information on this.

I couldn't find any detrimental effects of the wind on the stability of the bike as such (its pretty solid), but yes tackling the wind blast without the windshield at high speeds in windy conditions takes some doing.
On whole the straight line stability is quite good.

ROFL !!!!

Avenger is good on all aspects apart from wrong things done with it!! Avenger surely is not for speed or cornering, if you ride it like a crusier then it's best, infact even for pillion comfort, if one rides in sane speed over off roads or potholes then it will be comfortable too!!
It's a minor difference, but actually windshield is of literally of no use, because most of the time we ride it with helmet and googs!! due to helmet rule!!

I never felt that in my 500kms+ ride one way non stop !! i was at speed 70-100kmph...

It's good but still TBTS has more pulling power and a different RE feel what people think off!!

Really? I m sorry I didn't get that point. You mean to say we ride with helmets because of the helmet rule?

Yep!!

We would like to ride it with gogles! But due to strict traffic rules we sue helmet!! so wearing a helmet and windshield don't make that fun!!