We rounded up the four bikes and five riders (we also brought a Suzuki V-Strom as a photo bike) and headed north to spend a week playing on the roads along the beaches and coastal mountains of California north of San Francisco, using Mendocino as our base.
When four big bikes come rumbling into a gas station or restaurant parking lot, the question you'll frequently hear is, "Which one's fastest?"
The answer's easy in this group. It's the Suzuki. The M109R may not pack the displacement, but it definitely packs a wallop, easily leaving the other three behind when the tach needles are climbing and the throttles are open. Though a little softer than the others down at low rpm, the M109R pulls hard once the engines get spinning, and it also makes the most rpm of any of this quartet. Where the others run out of breath well below 6000 rpm, the Suzuki revs almost to 7500 rpm, and it's pulling fiercely up there.
Though the Roadliner and Vulcan 2000 actually accelerate harder than the VTX1800F, the Honda feels like it has more power, in part because its powerband provides more of a surge than the other two. The Yamaha in particular has a smooth power curve, which makes its acceleration seem mellower than it actually is.
That smooth power delivery makes the Yamaha top-rated in terms of engine control and manageability and drivetrain response. The Suzuki, on the other hand, was unanimously rated dead last in this regard. The M109's power-delivery problems start with abrupt throttle response from the fuel injection. To make a smooth transition from trailing throttle to acceleration, you have to roll it on very smoothly and slowly or it will accelerate with an initial jerk. Exacerbating this problem is the most lash and drive-shock-absorber take-up of any of the bikes here, as well as the most chassis jacking from the shaft drive. This is a minor problem when you're riding around town solo or out on a straight road, but it significantly slows you down when you apply throttle at the apex of a corner. It's also an aggravation when carrying a passenger. This is something of a surprise because Suzuki shaft-drive systems have traditionally been very smooth. Both the Honda and Suzuki use shaft final drive, but the VTX (which has smoothed out its drivetrain significantly since the first versions) was considerably smoother than the M109. Our comparison ride made at least one tester a belt-drive convert, and that would be the drive of choice in this class.
Most riders scored the Yamaha or Honda best for shifting. The light-shifting Kawasaki actually changed cogs pretty well for most of us, but the rider who spent the most time on it reported a few false neutrals between the top gears and some clutch grabbing during high-power launches. The Boulevard 109's shifting, which one tester termed "truck-like," received the lowest scores for its noisy gear changes and the heaviest clutch pull in the group. The classically styled Kawasaki and Yamaha have floorboards with heel-toe shifting arrangements, which some riders prefer but others dislike.
For many cruiser buyers, the way an engine sounds can be as important as how it drives. If you simply want volume, the Suzuki is tops. However, not everyone wants the noise. When we were pulling out of a motel at dawn, those aboard the Suzuki and Yamaha (the second loudest) were acutely aware of all the sleepers who would awaken swearing at them. Those who prefer quiet bikes gave the Honda top marks. The issue is complicated by engine layout, as well. The Suzuki and Honda use staggered crankpins to smooth the engine vibration, but this also creates a cadence that's different from the traditional single-crankpin rumble of the Kawasaki and Yamaha. As a result, there was little agreement among testers on which sounded right (to one the Honda was "mellow," to another "tinny"), but the Kawasaki received the highest combined scores.
Riders can use earplugs if a motor-cycle is uncomfortably loud, but other sources of discomfort can be harder to remedy. You won't find too many ergonomic shortcomings on the Star Roadliner, which all five riders rated tops for comfort. The Yamaha has but two slight ergonomic flaws: Its handlebar, at 37.4 inches wide, spreads you out too much in the wind at speed, and it vibrates just noticeably. The wide, relatively flat, roomy Roadliner saddle was rated best by all but one tester, both for its general comfort and the fact that it doesn't lock you into one position the way the more dished seats of the others do. The Yamaha's roomy floorboards also let riders of varying sizes find a comfortable posture. Finally, its suspension delivers the plushest ride in this group despite coming up slightly short in rebound damping.