Avenger 200 - A Review

I've covered 5500 kms on my Avenger 200 which I bought in January this year. So am sharing a few thoughts - positive and negative - about the bike. Of course, these could be generic to all Avengers or perhaps particular to just mine.

1. Suspension isn't great. Yes, I bought the bike thinking since it's a cruiser-styled bike, I would relish riding it to my office and back (22 kms ride one way). However, it isn't really so. And Mumbai's roads never really help the cause. Having said that I'm sure no company can be more conversant with Indian conditions than Bajaj is. So suspension, especially on a cruiser, should've been taken care of.
2. Speedometer & Fuelmeter get foggy. Now, this is extremely irritating. As soon as it rains a bit, the fuelmeter and speedometer, both get foggy. Dew drops form inside and that doesn't quite impress.
3. Mileage is between 35-40. I think that's quite reasonable given Mumbai's traffic congestion.
4. The bike feels sturdy but not always steady. At >150kgs, the bike feels really sturdy. Rides decently on highways also. But on occasions it wobbles on certain types of roads. For example, if the tar on the road assumes stripes because of the way it was made and shaped, the bike starts wobbling, sometimes to the extent that I have to come to a halt and resume my journey again.
5. Tough to push it beyond 70-75kmph. Don't quite know whether it's a problem with the speedometer or whether it's to do with the engine itself. The bike struggles to respond beyond the 70kmph speed.

So, all Avenger aspirants, please keep these points in mind when you consider buying this bike. Of course, if you want to talk about more details, you can always write to me.

Gazprom predicts oil will reach $250

That's the headline of one of the articles I read on rediff.com. Check the full article here. Now what will the government do? And what will the car buyers do?

Have always been a proponent of using bikes. Not just because they are cheaper or exciting; they are the most practical source of conveyance in a country like India. They allow more space, lead to less congestion and on the whole great excitement. Time we introduce policies conducive to lighter vehicles like bikes/motorcycles. Car buyers should shift to bikes too. Demand would go down (I'm sure) and gas prices might normalize (I think India has that kind of influence now on oil prices).

Some might argue that why doesn't China do the same? If they don't do, why should we do that? That's follower-like thinking, at best. If India needs to really lead, set a precedent that others can look up to and emulate.