More $8000 Fashionistas
The bikes listed here may seem like a disparate group, but they do have one thing in common; they were all new for 2009, which means nothing's changed in 2010. Since we did this test, more makers have stepped up with pocket attitude machines, while one had beaten them all to the punch years ago.
Honda Shadow Phantom
Walking the same dark road as H-D's Iron, the Shadow Phantom is a blacked-out and stripped-down version of Honda's extant Aero. For a $1000 bump over the other Shadows ($7999), this 750cc machine gets fuel injection and a raft of blacked-out parts, complemented by a dull metal finish. A gunslinger-style seat and drag bar complete the look.
Suzuki M50
While Suzuki has never been a company to go to town in the style department, they have at least endowed their smallest M' with a look that apes their larger muscle cruisers. It's roughly the same bike that's been around for years, but with a new set of bodywork. We have yet to sample the revised seat and bar setup.
Kawasaki Vulcan 900
The pioneer of this class opened the doors to full-featured cruisers for under five figures. With Classic and Custom versions, it trod a familiar road, yet managed to stand out from the crowd. With all of these bikes competing for its coveted spot, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes Kawasaki to do a re-do.
Riding Positions
Scott Hodgson
5'11", 195 lbs., 34" inseam
The Triumph Bonneville's, riding position was pretty good for me, and the bar, seat and peg relationship felt natural for a "sit up" style of bike. Engine performance was very smooth and strong; throttle response was crisp and controllable making it very easy to transition from off-throttle to on mid-corner without upsetting the bike. Its transmission action was smooth and precise. Also, finding neutral or first gear was easy. The front suspension felt soft to me as it quickly dove under front braking. The overall feel of the bike is light and nimble and it was very fun to ride.
The V7's riding position was pretty cramped, in particular the seat- to-peg relationship. At 5'11" with a 34" inseam, I felt like my knees were up under my helmet. To make matters worse, the rear brake pedal was positioned too high for my toe to reach with out lifting my foot completely off the peg. Once I got moving and started focusing on the engine performance, I found myself wishing I was back on the Triumph. It pulled strong right off idle with a burst of torque, it revved slowly yet predictably, and then.....it stops revving and you have to shift. Going through twisty corners, the V7 really doesn't like to transition through a series of left and right turns.
The V-Star 950's riding position was really comfortable. All the controls were just right for my preferences. The seat felt like I could ride for miles, and engine performance was smooth and strong. It was strong off idle and revved nicely through its wide powerband till the next shift. Mid-corner transitioning from off to on throttle was smooth and offered no disturbance to the chassis. The rear suspension was smooth but a bit soft and loose. I bottomed on a few occasions through very mild dips, and the rear end is a little busy going through rolling bumps in the road. The overall feel of the bike is heavy compared to the other three, but still very fun to ride. I easily of dragged the floor boards on the V-Star, but even that had a mild feel.
The Iron fit me well, the seat was comfortable and the bars/seat/pegs relationship felt natural. Engine performance was OK. The motor delivers smooth power and the chassis stayed settled during mid-corner throttle transitions. The front suspension is soft and plush, however dive control is virtually nonexistent and the front end has little rebound control. This allows the front end to kind of "bob around" during cornering on roads with bumps in them. Rear suspension is very soft and extremely easy to bottom out. There is simply no real suspension travel on this bike. Overall, this bike was fun to ride on smooth roads, but it generally left me wanting more...more power, more rebound damping up front, more suspension travel in the rear.