Twist the V-Star's throttle and it responds immediately. At 942ccs, it has the largest mill of this lot, and it shows. Its sound is deep and it makes good power all through its considerable powerband. Shifting from one gear to the next was a smooth affair, and gear ratios are perfectly matched to the engine, with wide spacing complementing the torquey nature of the engine for vibe-free cruising at highway speeds.
Compared to the other spry testees, this cruiser felt heavy, though not heavy-handed. Handling was sharp, and the V Star felt stable at full lean, which came sooner than anyone wanted. The floorboards touched down fairly quickly-sooner than even the Iron. Like the Iron, the V Star sits low but that's because both bikes have almost the same seat height (26.3 inches for the Iron, 26.5 inches for the Star). However, the V Star's suspension has almost double the travel of the Iron (5.6 inches in front, 4.3 inches at the rear), making for a plush ride over road lumps. That same plushness can bite you though, as the Star swam a bit in bumpy corners.
While the Iron and V Star sit low to the pavement, the V7 and Bonneville are just the opposite. Because they're styled on classic racing motorcycles. The two taller machines didn't have the same limitations with lean angle, and the upright stance also meant a higher vantage point for reading traffic patterns. Aside from similar origins, though, the two bikes are night-and-day variants on the standard style.
The Iron keeps it simple with a solo seat for a perch, while both Guzzi and Triumph slide a one-piece vintage-style bench saddle under your keister. Star's two-piece unit is the most comfortable of the lot.
Most testers felt the Moto Guzzi had ergonomic issues. The relationship from seat to peg to bar felt odd, with taller riders commenting that their knees reached near their hands, and shorter riders not loving the taller seat. The transverse-mounted V-twin is unsettling at first as it torques the bike to the right at a stop, and the starter sounds like it belongs in an old Chevy. The motor is torquey, however-it's all bottom end, snapping fairly quick acceleration right off the bottom and running out of steam on top. We found ourselves looking for an extra gear as the bike crawled past 65mph. Around town and on tight roads it wasn't a problem, but on California's banzai-style freeways it was.
Shifting was a similar adventure, with a mushy feel at the V7's lever combined with a long throw. Missed shifts were fairly common. Braking felt positive at the front with a 320mm 4-piston Brembo, but just adequate out back with a single-piston caliper actuated by a hard-to-reach foot lever. Suspension was soft in front and firm in back making for excessive dive under braking. The Guzzi's quirks might not have been quite so glaring if it hadn't been for a similar bike staring us in the face.
Triumph's new Bonneville, on the other hand, is a great all-around mid-sized motorcycle, combining nostalgic style with modern tech in all the right places. Its air-cooled 865cc parallel twin ran smooth and strong; throttle response was crisp and easy to control. As the only parallel twin in the test, its engine character stood out, smooth and linear to the others' somewhat lumpy gaits. The other machines also concentrated their torque at the bottom end, while the Bonneville came on in the midrange and pulled strong to the top. It was so strong on top that one of our testers had trouble keeping it at legal speeds. Shifting was extremely light and accurate, and in a class of bikes with good fuel economy, it was the mpg king.
Part of the Bonneville redesign included new, lightweight cast alloy wheels for improved agility and low-speed handling, and they worked as advertised; this is one of the most agile bikes we've tested. In fact, some riders may be put off by how easily it falls into a corner,. Its 310mm front and 225mm rear disc brakes sport 2-piston calipers and provide ample stopping power. Add to that its low center of gravity and adjustable rear shocks, and the Bonnie was a joy on curvy roads, inspiring confidence with every flick of the bike.