CRUISER BRUISER
Bajaj Auto was smarting under the collar when Yamaha's Enticer pulled the carpet from under the Eliminator's wheels with its much lower pricing. Does the aptly-named Avenger succeed in its
mission to be the top gun in the cruiser market?

‘Both svelte machines make mile-eating a real pleasure.’

YAMAHA ENTICER DLX
List price (ex-showroom, Pune)
Rs 57,327
Top speed 95kph
0-60kph 7.24sec
Kpl 47.7 (overall)
For Adroitness in city traffic, comfortable seating
Against Tardy Performance, lack of fifth gear

BAJAJ AVENGER
List price (ex-showroom, Pune)
Rs 65,000 (est)
Top speed 108kph
0-60kph 5.47sec
Kpl 47.2 (overall)
For Styling, super brakes
Against Overly sharp clutch

In a market dominated by mileage-conscious four-strokes and rev-happy mo-torcycles, the cruiser genre took some time coming to India but when it did, there was much shock and awe. Acres of gleaming metal, svelte seatbacks and a raked-out stance caught the eye of scores of wannabe Tom Cruise-rs, and the segment cruised to a happy start. The fly in the cruiser ointment was always money as these mobile design statements were stratospherically priced.
Unlike the other crowded and hugely competitive segments, the cruiser market has remained relatively open. The forerunner of the cruisers in India was Bajaj's pricey Eliminator, built with knowhow from Kawasaki. Launched in 2001, the Eliminator ruled unchallenged for nearly two years. That's when Yamaha entered the fray with its Enticer, which bore a much lower price-tag, handing it a killer gain. And gain it did, because the Eliminator sales graph slowed as value-for-money-conscious Indians opted for the Yamaha even though the Eliminator took their breath away.
Stung by the young upstart's foray into what was hitherto a monopolistic market, Bajaj Auto spent months to perfect a heart transplant. It popped in its flagship 180 DTS-i engine and transformed the Eliminator into the Avenger — at a far more affordable price. With that strategic move, the cruiser battle has suddenly turned more exciting and it is only in the fitness of things that the Enticer and Avenger get involved in a head-to-head shootout to decide, once and for all, which is the cat among the cruisers.