Riding Positions
It's always great to ride a gaggle of bikes and switch off between them. In most cases they're not necessarily better or worse, just different. To say one is better usually comes down to the subjective pluses or minuses of a particular rider.
The Vulcan gets my most serious body blows thanks to its odd ergos. It'd be hard to design a riding position that takes a greater beating from the wind. The engine sounds cool, but it just doesn't "pop" compared to the others.
The Harley has funky ergos that can't be overlooked either. I just couldn't get comfortable on it. It's probably more the primary drive case's protrusion than the peg location, but other than that, its engine is sweet and the styling wonderful. I loved the dual headlights.
The Suzuki also takes a hit for the godawful looks of the chromed panels hiding the shaft and for the ridiculous clutch that was a major irritant in low-speed situations. The Victory rose to the top with its wonderful engine. It's a joy to rev from bottom to top, and it was fun to leave the others in the dust. But I couldn't overlook the weak front brake-just a single rotor.
This leaves the Star. It didn't have any serious flaws-everything worked as it should (especially the brakes), it was easy to ride, and it had classic cruiser styling. That it made it a winner for me. Bart Allan, 5'10", 185 lb
Inseam 32"
Harley: 3 stars
Kawasaki: 2.5 stars
Star: 4 stars
Suzuki: 2 stars
Victory: 3.5 stars
Although I loved nearly everything else about the bike, I found the Fat Bob's riding position (particularly footpeg placement) unworkable. The Vulcan's handlebars have a wheelbarrow feel, and it was fatiguing to stay forward on the bike at higher speeds or longer stints. The seat is heavily dished also, offering no options to move around. With an aftermarket seat and bars, perhaps this could be remedied.
So it was a three-bike race and a close one at that. Any of the three could honestly work-perhaps it'd depend on my mood come decision time. If I'm feeling practical, the Suzuki is a great bike, fits me the best and is the least expensive of the bunch. I didn't expect to like the C90, but it grew on me. If I get a little extra cash in the bank (or perhaps a midlife crisis), it's the Victory. Great motor, surprising comfort and definitely the most attitude. But for my hard-earned money, the Star is probably the best all-around bike. It was the second most comfortable for me and works very well in nearly every category. It seems the Star engineers really took their time, and all the little details add up to a great cruiser.
Marty Estes, 6'3", 210 ib, 34" inseam
Harley: 2.5 stars
Kawasaki: 3 stars
Star: 4 stars
Suzuki: 3.5 stars
Victory: 3.5 stars
For me these bikes break down into two subgroups: fast bikes and touring bikes. The Fat Bob and the Kingpin both have some serious power. The Fat Bob's weird ergos are a major negative, with slightly forward but raised footpegs that cramped my lanky 5-foot 4-inch frame. But, oh, how I loved twisting that throttle. While I don't care for the fenders, the Kingpin wins for rider friendliness with a comfortable riding position, good brakes (but a second front rotor would be nice) and a mill capable of generating warp speed.
For the touring bikes, let's scratch the Boulevard off immediately-a 3.7-gallon fuel tank? Not acceptable-there are places in the uSA where that isn't enough to get from one gas stop to the next. The Vulcan is just wide: The tank forces my legs apart, but then the floorboards position my feet inwards-not comfortable. That leaves the Road Star. The only flies in its ointment are the lack of cornering clearance and grabby front brakes. However, the Road Star does everything else very well-stable handling, a comfortable seat and ergos, decent fuel mileage and compliant suspension. Good around town and on the open highway? That's the bike for me. Evan Kay, 5'4", 159 lb, 29" inseam
Harley: 2 stars
Kawasaki: 1.5 stars
Star: 4 stars
Suzuki: 1 star
Victory: 3 stars