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
HA ROYALST. (Left and below) For those of you who like the chopper look, there's always the Suzuk11400 Intruder. While we weren't pa~icularly crazy about the Intruder, mainly because of its heavy steering and top-heaviness, we were pleased with the Intruder's motor. nothing to improve the comfort of the single seat (passenger accommodations are an option), which everyone agreed was the least comfortable. Other controls were typical Triumph. The five-speed gearbox was the most positive of the bunch; the single-disc brake at the front was competent enough for this duty but displayed the excessive free tra vel we've found on other models from the English company (except the Super ill); its got that throaty three-cylinder snarl that sounds as good as anything on the road; and the indicator lights between the two gauges were all but invisible in anything but low light. The smooth-running engine also delivered good mileage - an average of 42 mpg - and decent range of 140 miles before switching to reserve. Within the first tank of fuel we used on the trip, the bolts holding the twin, megaphone-style exhausts vibrated free and left the pipe flapping in the wind. The pipes were promptly wired into place and would stay that way to the end of the trip. Upon returning the bike to Triumph, we found out that a service bulletin had been issued about the very problem we suffered and the problem was rectified by fitting longer bolts with more thread contact. What Triumph offers in the Adventure is nostalgia in styling alone. For those among you who find riding a slightly more athletic pursuit than sitting on the couch, this is the one for you. And nobody will accuse you riding a Harley wanna-be. (Above and right) Is it a cruiser or not? We're still arguing over that one, but no matter I)ow you look at it, the Triumph Adventurer has unique, retro styling that turned a lot of head on the Strip. We also liked the smooth power the threecylinder motor delivers and its nimble handling. y staff has already written about the virtues of a ciuiser. What it should be, what it shouldn't be. Sure, it should look the part, have an adequate supply of throaty power, and vibrate just enough to keep you awake, but what about its name? Look at the amount of time we spend naming our children. We pore thrQugh books, look at the family tree, search for heroes, role models, anything we can find to come up with the perfect appellation. We try to picture them in the third grade. Will Richard become Dick? Now 1 wonder why some of the manufacturers didn't put as much thought into naming their top-of-the-line cruisers as they probably did with their sons and daughters. Let's see, on our trip we had the Royal Star, the Valkyrie, the Fat Boy, the Vulcan, the Intruder and the Adventurer.... Hmmm. Royal Star. That's pretty wimpy. It kinda sounds like something you would name your horse. "Giddy up, Royal Star, giddy up." Fat Boy. Now that's not bad. Fat Boy. It's got a nice ring to it. Yeah, Fat Boy's good. "Honey, me and the Fat Boy are going for a cruise. n Vulcan. I can live with that, too. Vulcan - the god of fire. "What kinda bike you ride, boy?" "Why a Vulcan, sir." M The day the Royal Star was introduced was the day the cruising world changed. Up to that point, there were basically two classes of Japanese cruiser motorcycles: The ones that were unabashedly aimed at Milwaukee's finest (Honda American Classic), and those that fell in the Japan~e "custom" category (Virago). Then came Royal Star. What Yamaha did with the Royal Star was in many ways to chuck the mechanical template that made up the Harley ideal, while keeping the visceral and stylistic elements that make the American brand so successful. Sounds easy, but it obviously wasn't - it took Yamaha years of research and testing to settle on the final design. The result was a pure, classic-looking (and big) form, unmistakably modern, melded with the function and refinement of a modern Japanese motorcycle. It has a V motor, but one with four cylinders and overhead cams. The 1295cc engine is no powerhouse, though few felt that the 62 hp output was a liability, even in light of the 672-pound dry weight. It's no Valkyrie, but Yamaha will refer you to Intruder. Another bad name. Let's listen in, shall we, to the naming meeting over at Suzuki. "What shall we call the new cruiser, boss?" "Bank robber." " 0, too strong." "Hmmm. What do they caU the guy who goes into your home uninvited, but doesn't steal anything?" "An intruder?" "Bingo, Intruder it is." Adventurer. Now that'll work. It's got a nice bold ring to it. It makes you feel like skipping your next shave, buying some Birkenstocks, reading poetry... under a tree, naturally." My favorite name, though, is the one that the guys from Honda came up with - the Valkyrie. Go ahead and say it: "Valkyrie." It rolls off the tongue as smoothly as the rubber of its rear tire at a stop light. Its meaning is even cool: After all, in Norse myth, Valkyries presided over battles, chose those who were to die, and bore heroes' souls to Valhalla. Cool stuff. The rest of the staff has been poking fun at me since we returned from our trek to Las Vegas. The tease me about the love-affair that I struck with the Valkyrie and a few of them question my logic. I, on the other hand, don't understand what the fuss is all about. I've always enjoyed riding motorcycles that can spin the rear tire with a simple twist of the throttle. I like riding off-road bikes because you spend most of the ride going sideways, something that's easily attainable when the surface you're riding on is dirt. Rare is the street bike, however, that is so over-horsepowered or under-chassised that you can spin the thing up whenever you feel the need. The Valkyrie is such a motorcycle. Ditto for another of my all-time favorites, the Yamaha V-Max. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning tireburning, adrenaline-pumping horsepower as a cure-all for everything. But it's nice. You can have a freezer full of chocolate ice cream and not eat it all. But it's nice to know you've got it if you want it. Ah, but the Valkyrie is more than just the German Goddess of Burnout, it's comfortable, stable and well... ugly. Actually, its gone full-circle on the ugly. It's "coolugly." Sure, it may look like you stole the engine out of your dad's Honda Civic and crammed it into your Schwinn Stingray, but isn't that all we've ever wanted... "Hey, Paul, are you going to write about the other bikes on the trip?" The other editors asked as I spoke to thern of my lust for the Valkyrie. Other bikes? There were other bikes? - Paul Carruthers