Cruiser motorcycles for 2018: New Bajaj Avenger 220 to Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500X

Cruiser motorcycles are quite rare in India. While the commuter bikes are at the top of the popularity chart in India, the next popular segment is the sports bike. However, there are a few offerings in the affordable as well as high-end segments from the manufacturers in the cruiser segment. In 2018, there will be many new cruiser bikes that will be launched. Here are they.

Royal Enfield 350X, 500X

Royal Enfield has a few exciting launches planned for this year. Two of the planned launches are Thunderbird 350X and 500X. The bikes have been spied already at the Royal Enfield showroom in India and launch is imminent. The bikes get cosmetic updates like longer exhaust, new rear-end styling, flatter handlebars, kicked out footpegs, blacked out engines with contrasting body colour. The bikes look much more modern with alloy wheels and the new age paint scheme.

The engines are expected to remain same. There will be 346cc engine producing a maximum 19.8 Bhp – 28 Nm and 500cc engine producing 27.2 Bhp – 41 Nm in the bikes. Both the engines will be mated to 5-speed manual transmission.

Bajaj Avenger 180

Bajaj will soon launch the Avenger 180 that will replace the entry-level Bajaj Avenger 150. The bike will be launched to target the Suzuki Intruder 150 in the market. Bajaj will use the same 178.2cc engine from the Pulsar 180 that is an air plus oil cooled engine. The engine develops a maximum of 17 Bhp – 14 Nm. The more powerful engine will attract a lot of young buyers. Currently, the Avenger is the cheapest bike in the market with a price of Rs. 80,453, ex-showroom. The more powerful Avenger is expected to be around Rs. 5-6,000 expensive than the 150cc model but it will be still cheaper than the Suzuki Intruder 150 that is priced at Rs. 98,340.

Bajaj Avenger 220

Bajaj will soon launch the updated Bajaj Avenger 220 in India. The Avenger 220 is available in Street and Cruise disguise and Bajaj has already unveiled the 2018 models of the same. The new models are expected to get LED DRLs, fully digital instrument cluster and new body graphics and paint schemes.

The Street 220 gets a new visor, a new grab rail while the Cruise 220 gets backrest for the pillion. The single-cylinder 220cc engine is same as the current model. It develops a maximum power of 19 Bhp and peak torque of 17.5 Nm.

Suzuki Intruder 150 FI

Suzuki recently launched the Intruder 150 in India. Now the Japanese brand will soon launch the fuel injected version of the entry-level cruiser. The fuel injected engine is already available with the Gixxer SF. The addition of the fuel injection makes the engine more responsive and increases the fuel efficiency too. The power figures of 14.3 Bhp and 14 Nm will remain same as the carburetted version. We can expect a price hike of around Rs. 9,000 with the launch of the fuel injected version of the bike.

Triumph Speedmaster

Triumph Speedmaster was unveiled in October 2018 and will be launched in India this year. The Speedmaster will be the newest addition to the current generation Bonneville family and is an iteration of the bikes like Bonneville T100/T120.

The bike is powered by a 1,200cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine as the Bonneville T120, Bobber and the Thruxton R. It produces a maximum of 75 Bhp and 106 Nm on the bike, which is higher than the Bonneville T120. It gets a six-speed transmission. The bike looks quite intimidating and has a good street presence.

Harley Davidson Sport Glide

Harley Davidson Sport Glide was showcased at the EICMA and will be launched in the market later this year. The bike is a part of 100 new motorcycles that Harley Davidson is planning to launch over next 10 years. The bike is a factory custom cruiser, which means it gets a very enthusiastic styling.

The bike is powered by a 1,753cc V-twin engine that generates a peak torque of 146 Nm. Harley-Davidson never reveals the power figures. The bike gets quick release clamps for the windscreen, Mantis cast-aluminum wheels, LED lights and various other equipment.