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/127795
sonably comfortable and about the last thing to bother the pnot after a long time in the saddle. In fact, when asked about the seat one tester replied: "Didn't even notice it. Must have been okay." Floorboards were well placed and no one' felt cramped. Likewise for the bars. The passenger accommodations, however, weren't so lauded. A "perched" feeling was mentioned more than once and all complained about the vibration and smallness of the passenger seat itself. Perhaps the most telling aspect of the Harley-Davidson's appeal was when it came time to cruise the Strip in the evening. There were no complaints. Some riders even rated it the easiest to maneuver at the cruising pace. Those dull, high-effort brakes were not touchy, mechanical noise became music, clunky shifts were not missed (though the function of the taillight was) and conducting yourself with coolness was easy - no lurching or abrupt responses from the machine to shatter the aura of nonchalance. ' . No, nothing else is a Harley-Davidson. And no matter whether one thinks this is good or bad, everyone will say amen. We had heard the rumors. A Gold Wing-powered cruiser? Didn't sound like a recipe for success to us. Really, how inspiring can that ultrasmooth, horizontally opposed six-cylinder powerplant be? As we soon found out, pretty damn inspiring. If the over-l00 hp doesn't wake you up when you twist tne throttle, the tire-smoking, ticket-getting torque this engine shovels out will. Can you say, "Exhibition of speed"? You hardly even need to slip the clutch to break the rear wheel loose. If you are so inclined, the 700-pound, 66.5-inchwheelbase sled will wheelie. Torque is everywhere. Yes, the once-tame 1520cc engine designed to function with total transparency in the Gold Wing was a completely different beast when Honda's engineers were through with it. Sixcarbs, a modified valvetrain and 1000rpm increase in allowable engine speed have made this thing a landmark, powerhouse motor and unlike anything in this class. Truely faultless performance. In fact, in every performance category the American-made Valkyrie was nearly faultless. It is stable. How stable? Tracks like an arrow to as fast as we went with it. Load it up with stuff, add a passenger. Go 115 mph. Then look at the speedo to make sure you're actually going that fast, because for the life of you, you can't believe it's true. It is comfortable. With a riding position so close to that of the Gold Wing it's no ,wonder that the Valkyrie got the highest marks for comfort over the long The Fat Boy was the pick of the litter In Vegas, but not for the ride to and from. For some, just the fact you'were riding a Harley made the open highway stretches bearable. haul. One feels less out in the breeze on the Valkyrie than on the other bikes (except for the windshield-equipped Yamaha, naturally), despite the extremely wide bars. Our passengers also rated the Honda best, citing the broad seat .and backrest as the principle reasons for their comfort. It corners well. For-a bike in this class, the Valkyrie leans a long way over before you touch the footpegs down and it does very well in the twisties, though you always know you are riding a very large motorcycle. Low-speed handling was rated very highly as well. The inverted fork is damped well and the spring-rate seems spot on. The twin-preload adjustble shocks, contrary to our initial impression (we were too harsh, ,not the suspension), was also very good. Overall a very compliant and controlled ride. It has the best brakes. Triple discs with two-piston calipers are fitted and, front and rear, provided excellent power' and feel. The best in this group. So what's wrong with it? If the world were blind, the Valkyrie would be the emperor. Unfortunately, the world is not, and the emperor needs new dothes. erhaps nowhere in the motorcycle world are the elements of form and function given more equal weight than in the American cruiser market. Building a machine with awesome street performance is simply not enough. The machine must carry styling that taps into the visceral realm. It has to stir the soul. To that end, I must admit that I'm guilty as charged, thus, it's no wonder that I could never get along with the Triumph Adventurer or the Suzuki Intruder. The Adventurer misses the mark altogether. The bike functioned well enough, delivering lively performance from its linear, sport-inspired 900cc triple, offering good' manners in the handling and suspension departments and featuring pretty .good brakes to slow the go. But the Triumph could not hide the fact that it was just that - a sportbike with a sort of modern/retro British cruiser styling, which I found distasteful anyway. The high bars and footpegs and a seating position that made me feel as though I was bolt-upright did little to win me over. Maybe a change to the Thunderbird bars might have helped, maybe not. Maybe Triumph still needs to resurrect the parallel twin. The Adventurer finishes on the bottom of my list not because of poor function, but because of poor form.. On its own merit, I might be able to enjoy the bike, but it seemed to me to be the odd man out in this comparison. Likewise the Intruder, though i.t came closer to the modern definition of cruiserdom, was just too dated in appearance to be considered top dog among the six machines we tested. Its rather bitchin' 1400cc V-twin emanates a muted sound that did little to appeal to my emotions, and was further handicapped by being placed in a chopper-like chassis that jacked up l}nd down whenever the throttle was rotated on and off. The bike had a tallish feel, which, combined with a lightly damped suspension package and narrOw pullback-style bars, made it feel spindly at speed. The brakes were a bit spindly feeling as well, requiring more effort than should have been necessary. Add in the Intruder's chopper styling, which is a bit dated when com- P pared to the Harley-Davidson Heritage look that the rest of the Big Four have adopted for their cruising flagships, and the Intruder falls short. A new Suzuki cruiser should be along shortly, and not a minute too soon. From here on out, however, it was a lot more difficult to pick a winner. The Valkyrie was flat awesome in terms of engine, handling, suspension and braking categories. It is clearly head and shoulders above the rest. Yet'it's longish chassis and componentry that appears to be super-sized everywhere you look scored low marks with me. One thing is for sure: It sure did get noticed. The Vulcan went one better, offering what seemed to be the closest emulation of the benchmark Harley-Davidson - right down to its sub-par braki.ng performanc~ and flat-feeling power. But I also bellelle that, the Vulcan has the same potential as a Harley-Davidson and the flat, wide feel of the bar contributed to its superior ergonomics. And with a comparatively low price tag of $10,SOO, there is definitely a lot of potential there. .Which brings us to the Royal Star and the Fl}! Boy. I s0mehow found myself gravitating toward these two machines more than the others, because both offered what I look for in a cruiser, that right combination of style and street savvy. The Fat Boy does it the old way, with its heart and soul- a tractor-style Vtwin Evolution engine - rumbling and rattling in a deliberately handling Softail frame wi.th time-honored American-style detailing that speaks more of ruggedness than precision. The Royal Star is one of the new kids on the block, and for me anyway, offers the same attributes albeit with '90s Japanese-style production techniques. The bike's 1295cc V-four has a distinctive rumble all its own, and the machine handles and stops admirably, belying its somehat girthy looks. The Royal Star probably worked best, the Bad Boy worked best for me. Call it a dead heat.