As we mentioned, the finish on the V Star is impressive. Nevertheless, there are niggles that betray its price point: The exposed back area at the driveshaft and rear hub looks unfinished; the plain-jane air cleaner is as generic as it gets; and headlight illumination pales when compared with the Harley's brighter halogen setup.
Worst of all, the V Star 1100 carries no fuel gauge or low-fuel warning light, which we discovered the hard way while doing 65 on the freeway. As we ran out of fuel, it was all we could do to swerve out of the way of the truck bearing down from behind, switch the petcock to reserve and sputter off.
The Sportster's more utilitarian gauges include a tach next to the speedo (yes, there's a low-fuel light as well as an LCD clock).
But the extremes in price and finish that used to sharply separate the bikes in this group have pretty much disappeared-along with most of the competition. (There's still a style disparity between these two remaining stalwarts, though). The midsized Star deserves a look if only because it's one of those bikes that just cruises well. It stops, turns and rumbles down the road with a capability that never seems to intrude on the riding experience. The Classic's combination of accessible power and predictable handling mean a relatively high degree of comfort along with a lack of bothersome vibes from the 75-degree V-twin. It's a well-balanced, easy-to-ride bike, especially for more entry-level riders, and a great value for anybody. (And we're not so sure Yamaha will keep it around much longer-carbureted bikes are fast becoming a rarity.)
But if you're an edgier rider with a nervous throttle hand and are somewhat long-legged, you'll quickly hit the limits on the Star. The Sportster has just slightly roomier ergos, and 136cc displacement advantage notwithstanding, the Sportster really is the sportier of the two. It revs higher, goes faster, leans farther and is a blast to ride in the twisties. It's probably a slightly better choice for taller riders (once they upgrade the seat, anyway)-inseams longer than 32 inches will likely feel cramped in the V Star's cockpit (one of our 6-foot-tall testers kept hitting his leg against the Star's handlebar on full-lock turns). And the addition of a large passenger on the V Star may hamper performance (though the passenger will be happier on the Star). The good news in this day of $4-per-gallon gas is that both bikes offer superb fuel economy, returning an average reading of 37 mpg.
So while bigger twins might provide more prestige and a little more room for the long haul, it's hard to argue with the bang you get for your buck with these most-middle twins. Who needs glamor, anyway?