Cruisers are lusted after for their looks and these handsome rivals look their part. Replete with gleaming chrome details, steeply raked forks and a low centre of gravity set amid gaping wheelbases, both the Enticer and the Avenger look true-blue cruisers.
Seen head-on, there's precious little to separate these fatties as both deploy petite, round and chrome headlights — the Avenger unit easily outshines the Enticer DLX at night — and retro-looking indicators protrude like ears on either sides. Both have a trip-equipped speedometer unit, again with chromed mono circles in customary cruiser style. The handlebars are markedly different — the Enticer DLX deploys the really tall sweptback sort and the Avenger's, though wide, stay lower and far more flat.
Both cruisers thrill with their gleaming alloy triple clamp sections. While the Yam's fuel tank looks relatively outdated with its offset filler cap, the Bajaj unit delights with its classic teardrop shape, which hosts a shiny instrument nacelle with a few warning lights. Both bikes carry smart chromed mirrors but the ones on the Enticer are difficult to adjust, due to their inherent stiffness. Both cruisers surprisingly lack fuel gauges, which should necessarily be part of their tackle.
To start both bikes, the ignition key has to be slotted low down in front, beneath the fuel tanks. Since this odd position made switching engines on or off cumbersome, it highlighted the lack of an engine kill switch on the Avenger. Apart from this oversight, the Bajaj enjoys the use of higher quality switchgear.
Seat pads are stepped; the tail-fairing swoops back on the Yamaha, and the Bajaj rear is a slightly straighter affair. But the large backrests on both bikes are more for show than function. Sheared silencing units are common gear as are exposed drive chains.
These low-slung machines have awesome paint jobs and clean fit and finish, but the Avenger enjoys a noticeable advantage and classier feel. Soft grips and buffed levers are comfortable units to both cruisers.