| SPECIFICATIONS |
| | H-D V-ROD MUSCLE
| STAR VMAX
| TRIUMPH ROCKET III
| VICTORY HAMMER S |
| BASE PRICE | $17,199 | $17,990 | $15,399 | $18,499 |
| AS TESTED | $18,254 paint, ABS | | $17,169 accessories | |
| COLORS | Black, Denim, Red, Silver | Black | Red, Black | blue w/white |
| STANDARD WARRANTY | two years, unlimited miles | two years limited | two years limited | one year |
| ENGINE |
| TYPE | Liquid-cooled, 60-deg., V-twin | liquid-cooled 65-deg. V-four | liquid-cooled inline triple | air-cooled 50-deg V-twin |
| DISPLACEMENT,BORE X STROKE | 1250cc, 105x72mm | 1679cc, 90x66mm | 2294cc 101.6x94.3mm | 1731cc, 101x108mm |
| VALVE TRAIN | DOHC 4-valves/cyl. | DOHC 4-valves/cyl. | DOHC 4valves /cyl. | SOHC 4 valves/cyl. |
| COMPRESSION | 11.5:1 | 11.3:1 | 8.7:1 | 9.4:1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM | EFI | EFI | EFI | EFI |
| TRANSMISSION | 5-speed w/wet slipper clutch | 5-speed w/wet slipper clutch | 5-speed w/wet clutch | 6-speed w/wet clutch |
| FINAL DRIVE | Belt | shaft | shaft | belt |
| CHASSIS |
| OVERALL LENGTH | 92.8” | 94.3” | 98.4” | 93.1” |
| WHEELBASE | 67” | 66.9” | 66.7” | 65.7 |
| WET WEIGHT | 673 lbs. | 700 lbs. | 748 lbs. | 669 lbs. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 26.7” | 30.5” | 29.1” | 26.5” |
| RAKE/TRAIL | 34-deg./ 5.6” | 31 deg./5.6” | 32 deg./148mm | 32.7 deg./5.5” |
| WHEELS | Cast 5-spoke | cast 5-spoke | cast alloy 5-spoke | 9-spoke 3d cast alloy |
| FRONT TIRE | 120/70-19 | 120/70-18 | 150/80-17 | 130/70-18 |
| REAR TIRE | 240/40-18 | 200/50-18 | 240/50-16 | 250/40-18 |
| FRONT BRAKE | Dual semi-floating four-piston calipers with ABS | Dual 320mm wave discs with Brembo six-piston calipers, Brembo radial pump master cylinder, and ABS | Dual 320mm rotors with four-piston calipers | Dual 300mm floating rotor with four-piston calipers |
| REAR BRAKE | Single four-piston caliper | 298mm wave rotor with single piston caliper | 316mm rotor with two-piston caliper | 300mm floating rotor with two-piston caliper |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Non-adjustable inverted telescopic 43mm fork | Fully-adjustable 52mm telescopic cartridge fork with oxidized titanium coating with 4.7” travel | 43mm inverted telescopic fork | 43mm inverted cartridge fork with 5.1” travel |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Dual preload adjustable shocks | Single fully-adjustable shock | Dual preload adjustable coil over damper shocks | Single linkage-style shock with preload adjustable spring and 3.9” travel |
| FUEL CAPACITY | 5 gal. | 4 gal. | 6.3 gal. | 4.5 gal |
| INSTRUMENTS | Tachometer, clock, dual tripmeters, fuel gauge with low fuel light and countdown meter | Tachometer, clock, dual tripmeters, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, gear indicator and shift light | Tachometer, and dual tripmeters | Tachometer, and tripmeter |
| PERFORMANCE |
| FUEL MILEAGE | 27 mpg
| 20.5 mpg | 25 mpg | 33 mpg |
| AVERAGE RANGE | 135 miles | 82 miles | 158 miles
| 149 miles |
| QUARTER-MILE ACCELERATION | 12.11 sec. @ 111.9 mph | 10.45 sec. @ 136.7 mph | 11.59 sec. @ 114.95 mph | 12.33 sec. @ 106.63 mph |
| 60-80 MPH ACCELERATION | 4.2 sec. | 2.66 sec. | 3.18 sec. | 4.98 sec. |
| MEASURED HORSEPOWER | 109 @ 7750 RPM | 170 @ 8750 RPM | 140 @ NA | 79.9 @ 4550 RPM |
| MEASURED TORQUE | 80.2 lb-ft @ 6250 rpm | 109.9 lb-ft @ 6500 rpm | 147 lb-ft @ NA | 94.2 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm |
Riding Positions
Orlando Belotti
5'7'', 145 lbs., 29" inseam
I thought that the VMAX was the winner hands down the first day, but as the miles piled up, I had doubts. If this is just a Power comparison, there is a clear winner in the VMAX (even if the Rocket III has nothing to be jealous of, it's not quite the same). The VMAX and the Rocket III are the most qualified (V-Rod and Hammer are totally different animals).
But as a cruiser, I don't know. The VMAX has no wind protection on the freeway, and the small tank, accentuated by poor gas mileage means frequent stops at the gas station. The Rocket III has that small fairing (aftermarket, and there's one available for the VMAX as well -BB), and a huge tank. Comfort is the same with an upright position and the softer suspension on both. Dialing in the suspension for more aggressive riding on the VMAX is easy, but takes away the comfort.
The Hammer just didn't fit a short guy like me, I had to reach my legs around and in to get to the controls. The bike was okay, but all the others had more going for them.
In the end, my personal favorite was the V-Rod Muscle, for the way it carves the corners and sweet motor. But, I understand that this comparison is not about canyon rides, so the VMAX ends up back on top.
Mark Downs
6'2", 214 lbs., 34" inseam
The VMAX made huge power that was useable, fun, and electric smooth throughout the powerband. When ridden in the higher RPM range the acceleration was just incredible. After studying the bike for a day or so it became apparent that Yamaha had put a lot of effort into making this machine look finished and not just thrown together. If I were to classify this bike I would call it a hooligan cruiser. As far as handling goes, it cornered very well at speed and had to be pushed hard to drag anything. Between that handling and power of this machine the smile per mile factor on this bike is huge and I would put one in my garage in a second.
The Triumph Rocket III is a big heavy girl that I found to be attractive in many ways. The Triumph had tons of torque and quite a bit of power as well so much so that you had to be very smooth on the throttle when cornering to keep from upsetting the suspension. It does take some effort however I found it to be a really fun ride. As far as comfort goes this big athletic girl was soft in all the right places, on the road and around town a very cushy ride. I really liked the look of this machine partially because it is so different and because it just seems to somehow work.
The Harley V-Rod and Victory Hammer finished well in back of those two, as they just didn't appeal as much to me.
The Muscle has some great power in the higher RPM range but really needs to have a quicker throttle put on so you don't have to grab two handfuls to make it really fly. The bike handled really well, but for me at 6'2'' I had to reach about 3" too far forward and put me into a gorilla position. When I held on with just my fingertips it felt much better. If this were fixed this bike would have been my second choice.
The Victory Hammer was a very clean looking bike that worked just ok. The transmission is way too clunky and the engine felt very basic; nothing special, just there. The bike handled alright, but I prefer a more refined ride. I did not hate this bike nor did I really like it.
Billy Bartels
6', 193 lbs., 33" inseam
I have a secret. I hated V-Max 1.0. A weak chassis coupled with that weird powerband and really crappy shaft effect, made for a very uneven ride. Not much would happen at the bottom of the powerband, and when it finally kicked in, it was all bad with the chassis twisting itself up and uncoiling. I'm sure its part of the "visceral thrill" the V Max junkies love, but it was not for me.
VMAX 2.0, on the other hand, is one of my favorite bikes of all time. It blends form, function, detail and attitude with that outrageous motor that starts out pulling hard and just goes insane after 6000 rpm. It solves the shaft issue for the most part, and it has the chassis and brakes to deal with that otherworldly motor.
In many ways the V-Rod Muscle is like VMAXlite, and its my first choice to take down a twisty road. With a wide, flat seat that easy to move around on, and good (but not overwhelming) power, it rails corners. And maybe it's my love of weirdo custom bikes, but the clamshell seating position didn't bother me much. Funny enough, for the first bike to actually be named "Muscle," it's more of a sport cruiser.
I had trouble deciding which bike should bring up the rear. On one hand, the Hammer is a nice bike. Comfortable for someone my size, good handling, etc. But it's also the most expensive bike here... and for what? On the other hand, the Rocket III is the epitome of a musclebike: big, powerful and rambunctious. However, I've got the same problem with it as I had with the first V-Max, it's simply too much work to ride. It's fun around town, but I had more fun on just about everything else.
Missing Pugilists
There are many bikes that could be considered contenders for this category, but the Suzuki M109 stands out as the one that might have done best here. In our past tests of the bike its shown itself to be a powerful, fun steed with few bad habits, and has the pedigree to fit right in with this crowd. We tried and failed to secure one in time for the test, and we know its presence would have been felt.
Other bikes that might have had a shot at the limelight include Star's original MuscleHead, the Warrior which has comparable power to the Hammer for thousands less. The Vulcan 2000 also fits the overblown vibe, but is more the heavyweight cruiser than a true MuscleBike. Or like a '70's Impala if you will.
Suzuki M109R2 | 
Star Warrior | 
Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 |