Billy Bartels
6', 193 Lbs., 33-Inch Inseam
As far as I'm concerned, nothing here can touch the V-Star 950. It fits riders tall and small, has great power, fuel mileage, look great, sounds great, and has the best bags in the test. I've spent some time on the Vulcan 900 and it's a good bike as well, but the Star just took it and fixed all the warts. The Sportster recalls my days of riding a rigid chopper only not nearly as cool or comfortable. As a Sportster owner I know what this bike is capable of, but the bike as it's currently sold is not particularly suited for its mission as Harley's entry-level model. It's just a gutted 50's sportbike.
Triumph's America is easily the best of the non-tourers, especially for lanky folk like me. It's smooth, deceptively fast and ridiculously easy to ride. I like riding cruiser where I mostly don't have to think about when the boards are going to touch. Honda's Aero is a good bike in need of an update. It fits a special niche, now that 750s are an endangered species. Though the power isn't up the standards in this class, it's way better than most 650s, giving smaller riders something to aspire to between the bottom and the top.
Mike Calabro
6'2", 193 Lbs., 34 Inch Inseam
The Harley is way too expensive. It's pretty much unfair to even review the bike since it is obviously made for little girls. No man over 110 pounds should ride this. A scooter might be a better option.
The Honda is the cheapest of the bunch. You get what you pay for. It felt squirrelly at speed and the seat ended up giving me hemorrhoids...
Triumph is nice and wins in the looks department. But I felt it was a bit top heavy and I'm not sure if it's worth paying an extra $1000 just for looks. It feels a bit less torquey compared to the Vulcan and Star. Yet, it feels like a solidly-built bike. It's a tough call between the 3.
You can't go wrong with the Kawi or the V-Star. As a less experienced rider, I felt that both of them are fairly well-matched. Since they are the same price, my top pick would be for the bike that had the larger and harder bags, the V-Star. Hard sidebags and a stock sissybar is the stuff needed to make a good touring bike. But I didn't get to ride enough since all the other testers bogarted her.
The Sidebar Suzuki is by far my favorite. As said before, you get what you pay for. I'd like to compare it to a closely-priced sporty tourer. I really think it is worth the extra money for the Boulevard. I feels like a solid bike with substantial power compaired to the rest. If I had to stay within budget and wanted to save cash I would buy the Star.
Toph Bocchiaro, PHD.
5'9" 153 Lbs., 32 Inch Inseam
The Honda's got a completely anemic motor and mushy suspension, which was not controlled on rough pavement. Basically, no springs and no damping. Next to the other bikes it felt like a Rebel 250. Harley's most affordable bike mostly showed its age. The 883 motor delivers impressive torque and was very fun to ride in the mountains, but the chassis, combined with basically no suspension was sub par. Fun around town too, but nothing you'd want to put any miles on. The Triumph's motor was a bright spot for it, though only 865cc it revved high and delivered the power. Its higher ground clearance let it lean way over in the twisties and not scrape like all the others. The add-on touring pieces were okay, but not like the real touring bikes. That and the price drops it to third for me.
If the V-Star wasn't so good, the Vulcan would have shined in this test. A very nice bike to rack up the miles on. It's got better ground clearance than the Star, and slightly better ergonomics for shorter riders. But the Star beats it on tourworthiness. It's gearing is too short for the freeway; I kept reaching for an extra gear at 80. The huge windscreen provides great protection, but too mch for this relatively light bike, causing it to get pushed around in gusts. The unlockable soft bags were the final touch, with the Star's locking faux-leather plastic bags taking the cake.
I really enjoyed the V-Star 950. You could easily pack this 950 up and go for an extended tour. Ergonomics were perfect for my 5'9" frame. The windshield was perfectly sized for the bike, blocking wind and rain, while not getting in the way. The low seat height and rake made it a very nimble machine, unfortunately that means the floorboards drag early, but that never upset the chassis, so its forgivable. This is no budget compromise motorcycle- it is a true touring bike, just smaller.
Brad Olshen
5'10", 168 Lbs., 32 Inch Inseam
The Shadow had a nice ride, but had issues with its soft suspension. It's a bike that was made for women. Had decent power, handling and a low center of gravity. Looks good, but could use a little styling.
The Sportster is good around town, but it's not a highway bike. It's got looks and personality, but it too needs some more style and that seat has got to go.
The Triumph has great styling, handles great in the corners, and is a great everyday bike but not as good as the other two (Star and Kawasaki) on long trips. The Kawasaki handles really well, rides smooth and low to the ground, and has nice style. But its small saddlebags were not enough to handle the loads I like to bring. I pick the Star, which does all of the same things the Vulcan, but has the locking saddlebags and even better styling.