Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127577
(Above) The Magna feels right at home cruising along at a leisurely pace or motoring down a canyon road at a fast clip. (Right) Lots of chrome and polished aluminum, cooling fins on the cylinder and four pipes give the VF750C motor a custom look. (Below) Numerous styling exercises produced various versions of the Magna before a production version was agreed upon. . \ . . \~.--IJt~-~-~ ,~4~~ / -=::-~-~~~ .. _.,-~:-~_ ~ ~ , l_.qf'!,.ยทยท . __ " , ~. --~ 24 engine to quit revving and the power begin to sign off, the Magna just keeps pulling and pulling, very un-customlike. The VFR750-based engine lost very little in the way of performance in its transition from a full-on sport bike to a pure-bred custom bike, It doesn't pull exceptionally well off the bottom, but it more than makes up for it from midrange on up. Simply put, the new Magna moves! It is a seriously fast motorcycle. Very little vibration can be felt at any point in the powerband. The bike hums along nicely in top (fifth) gear, with the tach needle hovering around the 5000 rpm mark, and the speedo needle around 65 mph. Grab a handful at these settings and the Magna slowly picks up speed until approximately 500 more rpm is achieved, and then it really wakes up and begins to scream. At this point, it's wise to grip the handlebars just a little bit harder. The Magna has an extremely smoothworking transmission. Up-shifts can be made rather nicely without the aid of the clutch, and it requires but a slight nudge of the lever to catch another gear. Our only complaint is that a slight drive-lash can be felt, especially at slow speeds. The ride is nice on the Magna. The suspension has a solid feel, yet is plush enough to keep your insides from splitting on typically "bouncy" freeways or highways. For a big and long custom, the Magna comers extremely well. Initiating the turns requires little effort by the rider, and the front end feels very light and nimble. It is for this reason that the Magna is a blast on back country or canyon roads - though the awesome power of the motor doesn't hurt, either. There are going to be a few weekend sport bike canyon riders who will perhaps be a little red in the face when, while riding on their favorite road, they look over their shoulder to see a Magna rider blowing by them through a decreasing-radius tum and then pulling away on the following rising straightaway. Simply put, the Magna can hold its own on twisty roads. Slowing the Magna down for the turns, however, leaves a little to be desired. Although both front and rear binders are strong enough to do the job, the front brake felt too mushy for our tastes. Plus, the front brake lever is nonadjustable. The rear drum felt just fine. Comfort is one of the Magna's other strong points. The seat is wide and cushy; the handlebars require little reach, and the footpegs aren't mounted too far forward, unlike some cruiser or custom bikes we've ridden in the past. For riders pushing six feet in height, the Magna might feel a little cramped after about an hour's stint in the saddle. One of our testers, who's 6' 1", felt the need to sit almost on top of the seat's built-in "backrest" after a while. But he still agreed that, overall, the Magna was a comfortable motorcycle. The speedometer and tach are easy to read, and the mirrors are excellent, providing a nearly undisturbed view of all the "goings on" behind the opera tor. Both the front brake lever and clutch lever require a long reach. Perhaps our biggest complaint about the Magna is its poor range on a tank of gas. It seemed we spent more time at the gas pumps than on the road. With the relatively small 3.7-gallon tank topped off to the absolute maximum, the most miles we were able to stretch out of a tank before switching to reserve was 128, and that was mostly steady-throttle-setting freeway riding. We averaged approximately 46 mpg on the Magna not bad! As far as looks, we heard nothing but compliments on our yellow test bike. One person said it reminded him of an old restored Chevy; another thought it would look right at home parked in front of a burger joint or a car-hop out of the 19505, while another just thought it looked "Cool, man." And, of course, we heard references to the brand that made Milwaukee famous now and then. The first day we pulled the bike up to our office building, a small crowd ga thered. Staffers who usually cast no more than a sideways glance at a new test bike, spent time eyeballing the Magna . Obviously, we were very impressed with the new Magna. The motor is awesome, the bike handles well, it has good suspension, and, perhaps best of all, it looks sharp. Not to mention, it's priced right at $6399. Yes, the Magna is definitely back! And, it's better than ever. ~ While Cycle News believes the foregoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the vehicle. The reader should make his or her own investigation.