UM Renegade Commando Road Test Review

While the exhaust note on the Renegade Commando is sweet to listen to, it is not as good as its sibling - the Renegade Sport S. I personally found this a bit odd since the Commando is supposed to be a proper cruiser so it should have had that deep rumble like sound and not the Sport S which is aimed to be sportier.

Talking about the overall ride, it is enjoyable and feels how a solid cruiser should feel like. Once you are on a highway, this bike has long legs and the presence of a 6th gear really makes a big impact. The bike is heavy and thus even after crossing speeds of 100kmph (which you can do easily) it felt rock steady. This cruiser comes with broad 110/90-16 tyres in the front and 140/90-15 tyres in the rear and these provide a good grip on the road and surprisingly allow for some great cornering capabilities. Now since we live in India, we are bound to come across bumps and pot holes more often than not. The Renegade Commando is equipped with hydraulic telescopic suspension in the front and twin hydraulic shocks with springs in the rear. The suspension gobbles up the smaller bumps with ease and you almost don't feel them. It even handles bigger bumps nicely and you won't find yourself hopping on the seat every now and them. The Renegade Commando comes with a large 280mm disc brake in the front which really lends some great stopping power to this vehicle. Although the drum brake in the rear was not at the same level as the front disc, it still did a decent job.

The switch gear has been placed ergonomically and everything is within reach. We also liked the tank mounted speedometer. It has an analogue speedometer and a decently sized digital display underneath that. The blue color illumination really looks good, especially in dark conditions and is not too hard to read. This digital meter shows things like fuel level, current gear and trip meter. Another neat feature added by UM is a USB port tucked on the left side of the speedometer mounting. The overall aesthetics of the bike are good but we felt that since it is competing with big and established names like the Royal Enfield and Bajaj, it could have been improved even more. Although we feel that with time UM will improve on this aspect of the vehicle.

There are hooks on both sides of the bike for hanging your gear or groceries. This can be very handy considering that this is a cruiser and you will most likely be taking it on long journeys and will need to carry stuff along with you. The rider seat height is set at 750mm which is good enough for any average Indian. The long seat is comfortable and combined with the T-shaped handlebar, it provides for a hassle free long journey. You can easily ride for long distances without feeling any kind of fatigue or stiffness. There is also a backrest at the very end of the seat that can provide good support for the pillion. The headlight on the Renegade Commando casts a decent beam and is sufficient for when you ride at night. The turn indicators also do their job well.

Although the UM Renegade Commando competes with cruisers like the Royal Enfield Thunderbird (350cc) and the Bajaj Avenger(220cc). I personally feel that since the Renegade Commando has a 280 cc engine, it actually carves out a separate space of its own in the market. It sure might have a few shortcoming here and there but success and finesse comes to those that 'soldier on' and continuously strive for something better and we feel UM's Renegade Commando has a lot of potential. So if you have ever fancied yourself an American cruiser but are on a tight budget then the UM Renegade Commando is the way to go.