The Powers That Be
So, you had to ride with us all the way to Texas and listen to us dither about this headlight nacelle and that braking system to get to the information you really tuned in for: power. Or maybe you were smart and just skipped to the juicy part. That is what these bikes are about, right? The juice? Well, the cup overfloweth.
Torque is the name of the game with big V-twin cruisers, and the real players are the Honda and Kawasaki. Both are tuned for immediate gratification, and both deliver serious grunt off the line. The Kawasaki's neck-wrenching pull is more visceral from low rpm than the Honda's, confirming the newish adage that "there's no replacement for displacement." It's a brute, plain and simple, and three out of four of us favor it over the Honda mill, which is only a tad less powerful, yet smoother and more gradual, making it feel strong and more usable. The Yamaha truly suffers in this category, and is completely outclassed by the other bikes. At the least it needs the Warrior cam treatment and fuel injection to get it in the beans. For most easy riders, the Yamaha will propel itself around nicely enough, but in the world of the Biggest Big Twins, it's a sad day for the Road Star. (For a more in-depth analysis of these engines, and to see their performance data, including dyno results, see, "Thinking Big," page 54.)
So, by a slight margin, the Kawasaki does get the nod in the category that counts the most for some of you: engine performance. But does the icing really make the cake? We think not. On our last day we rode all the way from El Paso to Los Angeles. Despite the rain, hail and crazy high-desert winds, we had plenty of time to sum it up.
Choosing one of these big twins is very subjective because they each do different things well. In some categories they actually have juxtaposed pros and cons, so it's paramount that a buyer knows what he wants going in. Long trips? Passenger? Sunday cruising? Stoplight showdowns? Canyon rides? Parking-space holder? On the whole, we think all of these cruisers are needlessly heavy and deserve more attention to suspension adequacy and less to keeping seat heights low, which limits ergonomics and ground clearance. All these rigs are well-finished and fun as heck to ride, however, and each is definitely worth its asking price.
So what's the big deal? Three out of four testers chose the Honda VTX 1800N, hands down, as the ultimate Big Twin cruiser, and all three were the core testers who put the majority of mileage on these models. The one rider who didn't choose the Honda said he'd buy the Road Star first for its value, out-of-the-box versatility and comfort. Surprised the V2K didn't come out on top? So were we. The Kawasaki was certainly the favorite to win when this comparison was still an on-paper assignment. And for those of us who didn't favor the newcomer for everyday riding before we left town, there was a certainty afloat that it would find its destiny on the open ride. It didn't take many miles to fall from grace, however, and a coolant leak and potentially problematic exhaust smoke midtrip furthered our dismay. Our advice to the would-be Vulcan purchaser? Wait until next year when the bugs have been sifted through. We are also quite sure there will be an '05 Voyager version truly set up for touring and, of course, Suzuki will eventually offer a V2K with different styling.
Yes, they sure do "grow 'em big in Japan," but we're happy to be the excess-minded Americans who get to enjoy the crop. In gluttony is honor...well, at the very least, a heck of a lot of amusement.
Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle Electra Glide
Milwaukee's Big Idea
Our roundup of the Biggest Twins had tech guru Marc Cook singing, "One of these not like the others." Harley's limited-edition Screamin' Eagle Electra Glide, made by H-D's Custom Vehicle Operations unit in limited numbers in 2004, fits the displacement requirement for our Maximum Motor roundup, but its limited-production status, a price that's almost twice the Kawasaki's and, most of all, its touring orientation made it the banana to the others' apples and oranges. But we wanted to sample it, not only because of its 1690cc (103ci in Harley-speak), but because we wondered if that engine might realistically make it as a full production Harley power plant.
Created by stroking the standard 1450cc H-D mill, the SE Electra Glide has its own exhaust system and FI mapping, but not a lot else to pump up power. Still, you can feel the extra inches all the way from idle to redline, where it still pulls with enthusiasm when the rev-limiter asserts itself. It makes 84.1 rear-wheel ponies at 5750 rpm. Peak torque arrives at 2750 rpm, where it pumps 94.3 foot-pounds to the rear wheel. The extra muscle down low allowed harder launches or the luxury of ignoring first gear and easing way into second with little clutch slip. Its full-goose power-as shown by its 13.09-second, 98.3-mph quarter-mile sprint-easily buried the standard Electra Glide (14.65 seconds, 87.0 mph), though the standard bike hauls a trunk. The SE Glide motor was perfectly civilized, with two exceptions: It usually coughed once while the heavy-duty starter was spinning, and it coated the mufflers' innards with black soot, meaning it was running rich. Other than that, the 1690cc mill seems ready for prime time.
Though putting a nasty engine in a tourer may seem contrary, it actually makes sense when you are passing with a load or simply keeping up with your colleagues on their big-motor twins. The upsized engine has done nothing to degrade the good road manners of the basic E-Glide. It's still as smooth as a tourer should be. The abbreviated, 4.0-inch-tall windshield may have been style-driven, but the result is fairly pleasing at 80 mph, when air is deflected over most riders' helmets with little buffeting. The lowers were also welcome, especially when temperatures dropped below freezing. The leather-wrapped saddle was a step down from the standard bike's in comfort, but was flat and allowed room to squirm. It provided a respectably comfortable ride, though big bumps use up the shortened rear suspension's limited travel. The AM/FM/CD audio was also welcome, though the sound was mostly swept away above 60 mph, and cruise control was appreciated on the highway.
Though easy to manhandle at low speed and offering more cornering clearance than any of the less luxurious maxi-twins, this SE Glide has one foul handling trait. When cornering at speeds above about 60 mph, hitting a large bump would start a pronounced wallow that would get worse if you rolled off the throttle, but would straighten out if you stayed on the gas. (If you needed to slow down, keeping the throttle open and riding the rear brake seemed to be the answer.) We initially blamed it on Friedman's effusive packing, but the bike turned out to do it even more-but not with quite the same magnitude- when it was unloaded. With the right combination of corner and bumps, it can get pretty exciting, as the long, stuttering tire mark left by the editor in one bumpy Texas turn will testify. We suspect the culprit is somewhere in the rubber mounting, but we can't be more exact than that.
Aside from that issue, the SE Electra Glide was fun to ride, and certainly drew its share of attention at gas stops. With 3200 units slated for production, it's relatively exclusive (though some manufacturers would like to sell that many total units in the U.S. this year), and that- along with a page-long list of unique components, finishes and processes-might make it worth the nearly $30,000 it takes to roll one into your garage. We sure hope to see more of this engine. An 80-hp Deuce or Dyna Glide Sport sounds like a great idea.