Riding Position Evan Kay,...
Riding Position
Evan Kay, Associate Editor
5'4", 168 lbs.,
29-inch inseam
As the New Guy here, I'm both impressed and disappointed to varying degrees by these bikes. The Suzuki's riding position is best suited for those with very long arms and very short legs. I have a 29-inch inseam, and I'm cramped on the S83. It vibrates, the clutch grabs like nobody's business and the brakes don't. But I do like the sidestand. The Honda looks great, but falls short in action. The engine vibrates hard like the Sportster, though it does have a broad spread of power in all gears. The forks absorb bumps OK, but the rear is only marginally better than a hardtail. The Star is the-ahem-star of the group. For a V-twin, the engine spins smoothly at all rpm. The suspension works well, and the chassis is more composed than the others. The floorboards are well-placed, and the seat and bar are comfortable. Then there's that cool toggle on the handlebar to operate the functions on the speedo...
Alas, the S83 bonks you with a near-fetal tuck. The cramped, sit-up-and-beg riding position (created by a small, narrow seat, mid-mounted footpegs and narrow bars) means you ride "as if you were on the pot reading a magazine," as one tester put it. The saddle itself offers limited real estate for shifting positions and drew criticism from all testers (and even a new Suzuki owner we spoke with). It's not inseam-bias either-shorter riders also ripped the S83's riding position. That tiny seat coupled with a narrow frame, however, does offer a straight shot to the ground, making those same short-legged folks feel planted at stops.
Start 'em up and count the differences yet again. Thanks to carbureted fuel systems (the VTX has a single carb, the S83 two), both the Honda and Suzuki required judicious choke on cool mornings to settle into normal idle speeds. We can't imagine either bike will continue this arrangement for long though, what with more stringent emissions standards coming in the near future. The Star's fuel injection meant it started on the first crank every time.
When The Whistle Blows
Threading the 1300s through rows of idling cars in L.A.'s glacial rush-hour traffic is a sight easier than with full-on heavyweights-handlebars are narrower (save the Star's), and with considerably less tonnage to haul, the cruiserweights are far more maneuverable.
The S83, at 587 pounds, is the lightest of the bunch, though it carries its weight up high and its skinny, 19-inch front tire tends to flop around at walking speeds, no thanks to a narrow bar set on tall risers, which gives little leverage. The considerable rake (36 degrees) and trail (6.54 inches) keep the steering from getting any easier when you get above walking speeds, despite that narrow front tire. All testers lamented the grabby hydraulic clutch, especially in first gear-the friction zone was short, with the engagement point coming at the very end of lever travel, making a clean launch nearly impossible.
Once under way, the Honda felt like the Harley-est of all the bikes here- the 1300 has a single-crankpin design, for a more pronounced engine personality. The 689-pound Honda also rolls on a 19-incher, but because rake is less pronounced, it's easier to toss around than the Suzuki (though you still need muscle). Stability is good at low speeds. The clutch pull is firm but smooth, engaging with a solid clunk. All agreed that the sound exiting the staggered dual exhausts is strong and textured.
The Star may look substantial, but it managed not to feel heavy under power, with good balance. Low-speed maneuvers were a snap, though the low bar proved problematic for larger riders initiating a full lock turn, as the bar ends occasionally contacted their knees. Thankfully, the V13's clutch was easy to modulate with a fairly light pull for a cable-actuated unit. Stirred by a heel-toe shifter, the five-speed 'box shifted with precise engagement. The 67-inch wheelbase means great stability, but the ground clearance wasn't as generous as on the VTX-hinged floorboards started grinding when we tossed 'er in aggressively. The Suzuki had the best clearance of all; none of the testers recalled touching the footpegs down even once.
On The Road Again
Out on the superslab, we goosed the bikes for all they were worth. The Star surprised everyone with glitches in its power delivery. On/off throttle transitions were a tad abrupt, requiring a steady hand to make them smooth, but overall the Star motor's a gem. The SOHC mill has a fairly high 9.5:1 compression ratio, and torque was delivered with more subtlety than the others. That's probably because the Star's 1304cc displacement comes through an unusually oversquare bore and stroke (100x83mm). Engine tuners generally feel this design trades low-end torque for higher-end power. The VTX1300 and S83 motors have more punch right off the bottom, with their competitive torque peaks coming earlier (3000 and 2800 rpm respectively), but the V Star motor overpowers them from the midrange on up. That engine is eerily quiet, snuffed as it is by single-axis, double-crankshaft balancers, but the 2-into-1 exhaust still punches out a bassy exhaust note.