Moving closer to the heart of the matter, both the Enticer DLX and the Avenger use four-stroke, air-cooled and single-cylinder engines with twin-valves, but that's where the similarities end. The Avenger uses the same motor as found on a Pulsar DTS-i 180, and it sizeably outweighs its competitor by flexing 178.6 cubes to the Enticer's 123.7cc. As a consequence, power output is higher with 16.5bhp on tap at 8000rpm, as against the Enticer's 11bhp also made at 8000rpm. The other differences are DTS-i or the use of twin plugs for the Avenger combustion chamber and roller bearings for its rocker arms that are deficient on the Enticer.

A safety feature built into both electric-start motors is that they don't start if the clutch is not depressed or if the bikes are not securely in neutral. The Avenger (unusual for a cruiser) is short-stroke, with bore and stroke 63.5mm x 56.4mm, while the DLX is all-square with its cylinder dimensions 54mm x 54mm.

The Avenger utilises a resonator to help it achieve better low-end torque and overcome this recognised short-stroke disadvantage. Yet another key difference is adoption of an advanced CV carburettor for the Avenger while the Enticer sticks to conventional slide carburetion. The disparities continue with the Avenger rider benefitting with five-speeds to the Enticer's four.
Riding both bikes revealed that the Avenger has a clear upper hand. The Enticer DLX at times suffers a flat spot if the throttle is cracked open for bursts of power while the Avenger always responds crisply, in any gear.

Both bikes have pleasantly forceful exhaust notes and as long as you ride sedately, they stay vibe-free. When hustled for speed, the quicker Avenger becomes a tad too loud, but some would find these added decibels more exciting than intrusive. We enjoyed the Yamaha’s light clutch feel, in comparison to the Avenger clutch, which feels rather abrupt. Both ’boxes shift with a slick feel, though shifting on the Enticer is a muscle-building exercise as it involves hard work by the rider's feet as a direct consequence of the bike’s flat floorboard.

In the Performance charts, the Avenger outguns the Enticer. Though not as fast as the scalding Pulsar DTS-i 180 due to its added flab, the Avenger is fast enough to make for exciting biking. Slingshooting from rest to 60kph, our best acceleration figures were a tardy 7.24 seconds on the Enticer and brisk 5.47sec on the Avenger. Our test equipment caught the Enticer DLX speedometer for massive error, with a true 88kph indicated as an optimistic 100kph.

It's important to keep in mind that neither bike is built for hard acceleration. These cruisers are far more at home doing what they are built for — comfortably ambling around the block with smooth, relaxed throttle inputs.