The Sportster was considered a sportbike back in the 50s, stripped down to just the essentials, but with the passage of years has morphed into a Standard, then a Cruiser, and now an entry-level machine, (regardless of its suitability for these tasks). As an entry-level (and lowest common denominator) bike, it has an extremely compact riding triangle with slightly forward mid-mount pegs, pullback bars and a very low seat height. The seat is hard, but well-shaped and supportive. Tall (or even medium-sized) riders will probably want to swap the bars out right away. Paradoxically, our shorter-legged riders didn't like the footpeg location, as they were in the way of reaching for the ground.
Both the Kawasaki and the Star were more adapted to a wider range of riders. The pegs of the Vulcan were a bit of a reach for shorter riders, but only just, while the Star's boards fit everybody well. The most-loved handlebars were the 900's drag bars, with enough pullback for all to be comfortable with, while the wide bars of the 950 got mixed reviews: some thought they turned the rider into a perfect parachute to catch the wind with, while another didn't like the grip angle. The V Star's seat was acclaimed as the best of the bunch, though there were few complaints about the Vulcan's perch ( just one from a rider who thought it pushed on his tailbone a bit).
In case we hadn't made it clear by now, comfort on the Harley-Davidson is practically non-existent. Even our 125-pound tester repeatedly bottomed out the shocks, getting kicked out of the seat on big bumps. Riding this bike means scanning the ground for even small obstacles, and (using the mid-mounted foot controls) getting your butt out of the seat prior to the hit. Or just riding slower. Of course, on the rough, fast freeways of our Southern California testing range, slower isn't always an option.
In fairness though, all three bikes had issues at the 70-80 mph speeds that are the norm here. None of them have much top-end punch to accelerate past 70mph. Other than the whole comfort thing, the H-D was competent at freeway speeds, with just enough motor and gearing to happily hum along above the speed limit. The V Star was the best of the three at accelerated velocities with the most available power in top gear, and the most comfortable ride (though by no means perfect) on our rough, fast roads. The boards buzz a bit, and it bounces around a little on our concrete slabs, but it's nothing unforgivable.
The Vulcan's suspension suffered from an overabundance of compression damping at high speeds, which would make it bounce all over the place at speed. Compounding this problem was a transmission that seems like it was designed to cruise in top gear at about 65 mph. If that's as fast as you ever go, it'll be just fine, but if you like to push the limit, having it scream at normal freeway velocities (apparently past its powerband), is just not any fun at high speeds. We all looked for an extra gear when we got up to cruising speeds, but as first gear is rather short and the bike has enough torque to start in second, it seems like all it needs is a 1/2 gear ratio bump (see sidebar).
The Vulcan motor itself, a 50-degree liquid-cooled V-twin, feels strong, delivering solid torque through the midrange, then tapering off at the top end. Powered by the widely-spread 60-degree air-cooled V-twin common to the V Star models, the 950 is perfectly matched to its torquey motor, delivering a wide spread of power from bottom to top. It's very accommodating with gear selection, willing to be lugged or revved, delivering smooth, potent power either way. The H-D's powerband is very bottom-heavy, with a nice low-end hit, which, coupled with its lower weight and short wheelbase, makes it the only bike here capable of a wheelie. It tapers at the top, but is matched to its transmission well.