Turn It On Again
When it came time to flog these bad boys in the turns, the unexpected surfaced again. Because the Street Bob looks like it was made to brawl, no one expected it to be so mild-mannered. But with a brief 64.2-inch wheelbase, it was a breeze to get 'Bob to turn in, and it proved supremely easy to maneuver. "The only problem", a few testers opined, "is the $5 suspension and weak brakes." But it's styled to be an old-fashioned motorcycle, right?
There were no gripes about the Warrior's handling prowess. The Warrior's aluminum frame and swingarm not only meant it was the lightest bike here, but also gave it rigidity for a stable ride. Road manners were only enhanced by the reasonable 65.6-inch wheelbase, comparatively shallow 28.1 degree steering angle and a manageable 200mm rear tire. "The bike turns well, steers predictably, and has impressive ground clearance," said one tester. The 41mm Kayaba inverted forks (5.3 inches of travel) and a single rear shock (4.3 inches of travel) also teamed up to provide a relatively smooth ride.
With a pair of radial-mount calipers, the Warrior stops as well as any OEM cruiser on the market, though the smaller testers wished for adjustable levers to better fit their hands.
To one rider, the M109R handled better -it felt more solid and planted in turns. But its handling is impressive nonetheless, considering the M109R is the heaviest bike here-it tracks well and holds a line stably in fast sweepers, even with a somewhat twitchy throttle. We also give Suzuki kudos for patching up the heinous clutch engagement issue marring first generation M109Rs. Plus, if you get into a corner too hot, the Suzuki's excellent four piston brakes or powerful throttle can usually save the day. The wide tires (130mm front and 240mm rear) provide admirable grip and manage to keep the bike stable.
Alas the suspension didn't always garner such accolades from the group. When the road got bumpy, all riders scattered. "The Suzuki has absolutely no rebound damping," opined one. An aluminum alloy swingarm working with a progressive shock linkage and an adjustable rear shock (for 4.3 inches of travel) weren't quite able to harness lateral wheel hop or jacking. When the road unfurled into long, gentle sweepers, things were peachy-the M109 stuck to pavement like a massive slug. But when irregularities came into the picture, the jig was up. Most large bumps (usually sharp-edged) were enough to upset the chassis.
The 8-Ball however, did a decent job ironing out bumps on the mean streets, thanks to its 66.3 inches of real estate between the wheels. The 43mm fork offers a generous 5.1 inches of travel while the preload-adjustable shock provides a fairly smooth ride, though its 3.9 inches of travel get overwhelmed fairly easily. With that way-low seat, the sharper edged bumps come through every now and then.
The Kingpin, with its single front disc, never set any records for stopping, but its 4-piston caliper and 300mm front disc manage to slow the bike effectively (though it's best if a rider also adds some power from the 2-pot caliper out back).
The lack of overdrive on this Freedom engine isn't an issue unless you plan to pile on highway miles, and even then the engine is smooth enough that vibration doesn't annoy. The gearbox offers solid shifting, and driveline lash is nearly non-existent. All were impressed by the bike's friendly manners.