The Reason We Came
Just when we were wondering why we were out there freezing our asses off on the least-scenic interstate in America, we turned off the slab in Van Horn, Texas, and headed south. The allure of Big Bend had diminished somewhat during our painful hump east, but we were open for a change of pace. The park, an 801,163-acre refuge set aside in 1944, promises Yosemite-like splendor unspoiled by tourists. We could definitely see why more people don't stop by. Even after we turned south on lonely U.S. Highway 90 we had 250 miles to go to reach the park gate. The first few sweepers sparked a sense of fresh potential, however, and we decided to take an even longer route on Highway 67 and 170, which would let us see Big Bend Ranch, a state park just west of the federal preserve.
We couldn't hear one another's maniacal "Whoohooos!" as we flew over the blind rises and twisted, stomach-wrenching dips of Highway 170, but we knew we were shouting in harmony. This is one of America's true roller-coaster roads: not for those weak of heart or short on riding skills. It was quite an unexpected reward at the end of such a boring trek, this crazy romp across the colorful jumble of river and rock and sky.
Without a doubt, the Honda was the bike to be on in this crazy-fun kind of stuff. In fact, it's our first pick for any cornering duties performed above walking speeds. Simply look through the corner, set your line and the VTX follows the intended path like a train on a track. This type of predictability not only makes cornering more enjoyable, it's also safer and lets you expand your capabilities as a rider. Stability is worth its weight in gold on roads like Highway 170, and the Honda's was complemented by tolerable ground clearance. If you wanted to walk on the wild side, you could mount up the Yamaha and try to keep pace with the Honda out there. Ground clearance on the Road Star is, let's just say, not a listed feature. It touches down when the wind blows. Add that aggravation to overly soft suspension and you have a wallowing badger on your hands. The Kawasaki offers the best cornering clearance of the three, but its capability on back roads is definitely blemished by its heft, and the lack of rebound out back can make a ride more interesting than you want if you happen upon pavement irregularities midcorner.
As in the city, the Yamaha's steering is preferred for low-speed maneuvers (parking-lot stuff) and tight, slow corners like those five-mph hairpins we came upon a little later on the Chisos Basin cutoff in Big Bend proper. This is mostly a benefit of its manageable weight and length, however. Most of us felt the Road Star was not conducive to stable travel in anything but this kind of walking-speed situation. Even on the highway it felt like you were making lots of small steering adjustments just to stay in the lane. We do think this could be improved by replacing the front tire, which is, oddly, almost square. The Honda's steering was very precise and manageable in low-speed situations, while the Kawasaki felt boorishly heavy in the tightest, slowest corners. Another peeve is that the Kawasaki's bar is so wide it's nearly impossible to hold on to the far end during a full-lock turn.
The Honda's flush, Rune-like...
The Honda's flush, Rune-like chevrons and bullet turns are as trick as can be. Most customs aren't this cool.
Brakes are quite good on all three of these machines, and when evaluated individually, each system would warrant compliments for strength and predictability. Comparatively, however, the Kawasaki's huge discs—with eight calipers up front&151outshined the others in sheer stopping wattage. As a group, we don't like the Honda's linked brakes because they deaden feedback and don't allow us to customize input, yet we do believe they are a benefit for the average rider, and certainly for the newbie (though they don't teach proper braking; they only correct bad technique). The Yamaha's brakes are adequate, with decent power and feedback (a huge improvement over the previous Road Star's).
Rock and Roll
It has been said that when God finished creating Earth, he dumped all the leftover rocks in the Big Bend area. You certainly know when you've arrived. The Chisos Mountains reside in the middle of the park, creating the Chisos Basin at their core. Impressive and seemingly holy, this place was worth the long, cold ride to get there. We spent the night at the only digs in the park, the Chisos Mountain Lodge, and wished for more time to explore the area on foot as well as on wheels. The whole park was eerily tourist-free, and locals say it stays pretty much empty all year. Riddled with ghost towns and vistas and laced together with premium motorcycle roads, Big Bend should be on every biker's Must-See list. We found it was not like Yosemite at all, despite the waterfalls and impressive cliffs. Big Bend is more a combination of Death Valley and Zion National Parks.
While the Kawasaki taillight...
While the Kawasaki taillight is bulbous and somewhat ugly, it is also the one that's the most visible at night.
Any of these enormous cruisers would get you to such an off-the-beaten-path destination in relative comfort and style. All are impressive and all are desirable. Collectively, we enjoyed the look of the Honda much more than the other bikes, and it received the majority of compliments on the road. The Neo-Retro style, especially the slick taillight treatment, clear-lens bullet signals and svelte new tank, really works on the long, lean chassis. As most of you know, Honda has implemented a custom-build program that allows you to order your VTX in one of three different finish styles, four colors and more than 40 dealer-installed options. Our test unit was furnished with the light tree, bags, backrest and windshield from the trove of accessories.
Yamaha's Road Star is a decent—though very basic—looking cruiser, which some might see as an advantage. In contrast to the others, however, its style seems very bland. Nothing to write home about, yet nothing to be ashamed of. The Kawasaki, on the other hand, always draws opinion, though more often negative than congratulatory. Most people point out the rotundness of the headlight nacelle, the Volkswagen Beetle-like taillight and the what-were-they-thinking wrinkle-black finish on the drive cases. The big tire is the Kawasaki's most exalted element. While it does have some nice appointments, and the finish quality is admirable, we agree that the V2K is a bit ugly overall. Why did they have to make it so fat? Wouldn't that engine look great as the centerpiece in a lean, chopperesque setting more like Victory's Vegas? The new Vulcan just seems big for the sake of being big, and we can't applaud that.
The new-for-2004 white lens...
The new-for-2004 white lens covers on the Road Star drew mixed reviews, both for style and visibility.
Instrumentation on the bikes includes the common tank-mounted speedo, odometer and lights, which we think is a poor choice of placement because you have to take your eyes off the road to read the gauges, especially the Yamaha's. The Road Star's fashionable white gauges and retro typeface did earn compliments. Sadly, the Honda's gauge presentation is cheap-looking, and the hardest to read. The Honda cockpit also lost points for exposed brake lines and floppy throttle cables. The Vulcan line is famous for clean, elegant instrumentation, and the V2K carries on the tradition.
As far as the out-of-the-crate exhaust, we found the Kawasaki's to be the best looking. It's also the sweetest-sounding stock cruiser we've ever heard. Anyone who changes the exhaust system on this bike with the sole intention of creating a different rumble is loony. It's perfect—deep and absorbing, yet not tiring or overly intrusive. The Honda emits a fine rumble as well, but next to the sultry note of the V2K, it withers. Because it's air-cooled, the Road Star is cursed with the most mechanical noise, and therefore the least-clean exhaust tone.
 Instrumentation varies only...  Instrumentation varies only in the details. The Honda's needs some upgrading when compared to the others. |  Instrumentation varies only...  Instrumentation varies only in the details. The Honda's needs some upgrading when compared to the others. |  The Star's pod has a nice...  The Star's pod has a nice white-face retro feel but is set so far back that you must drop your head to view it. |