Bigger Bajaj Avenger variant likely to use Dominar 400, 390 Duke's 375cc engine

Indian two-wheeler market is witnessing an increasing demand from youth for higher capacity touring bikes. Many automakers have already launched sub-500cc cruiser models which target primarily Royal Enfield range of bikes. Bajaj Avenger range is also in demand among the young audience. The company is now looking to expand the Avenger family with a new variant powered by a higher capacity engine.

"The Avenger is a very strong and old brand for us. And there is a good amount of brand recall for it. We have been working on an upgrade for the Avenger but we will have to take a call on this at a later stage, we have still not decided anything concrete," a senior executive from Bajaj Auto told Moneycontrol.

A report in MotorOctane claims the bigger Avenger model will be powered by a single-cylinder 375cc engine that also does duty in the Bajaj Dominar 400 and KTM 390 Duke. The mill is tried and tested and both the Dominar 400 and 390 Duke is quite popular among the young takers.

However, the avenger being a cruiser model, Bajaj may tweak the power and torque figures. The engine will be tuned to offer more torque for ideal cruising ability. The mill is expected to belt out 35-38bhp of power and a torque in the range of 32 to 34Nm.

The bigger Avenger model is expected to get signature design details of the family. However, there will be more features on offer. The Avenger-range bikes are known for their touring abilities, such as relaxed riding position, a wide handle and large foot pegs. This will be retained in the new touring motorcycle as well.

The bigger Avenger 400 is expected to come with a price tag of around Rs 2 lakh ex-showroom. It will go up against Royal Enfield Thunderbird primarily. UM Motorcycles and Hyosung also have cruiser bikes in the range of Rs 3 lakh and below.

Source: MotorOctane