Billy Bartels
6', 198 lbs.,
33 inseam
When Cherney first approached me with this odd-duck matchup, I thought he was nuts. With so many entrants in both the frame-mounted fairing touring class and even more with a traditional fork-mounted rig, why match up these two odd bedfellows? But in our inner-city riding adventures it all became clear to me: They're no longer touring bikes, they're heavyweight cruisers with luggage; as adept at tooling around town running errands as tearing up the highway.
I know it's "what the people want" but the short suspension on the Harley hamstrings its performance in several areas. On the freeway, look out for the big high-speed hits (ouch!); while in a jacked-up urban center (like in LA) you'll be bottoming the shocks with regularity. Which leaves backroad riding. The Road Glide is great in such a setting, but now we're comparing a tube frame pushrod twin (the Harley) to a cast frame overhead cam twin with an inverted front end. In other words, the Victory has it covered-except for the brakes. Either with or without the optional ABS, the Road Glide Custom's brakes are the bomb.
While the H-D has a styling edge, the Cross Country is just a tick off with a few kludgey bits like the radio and cruise controls. The overall lines, sculpted tank, and wrap-around fenders are all nice touches. As always, Victory paints best with a broad brush. That said, I don't like the feeling that I'm forced to go back to the dealer for things that are standard on most bikes in the range, like a fork lock or an audio auxiliary plug.
So I pick the Cross Country by a hair. If Harley had left the height in the Road Glide, I'd have picked it.
Andy Cherney
5'7", 160lbs.,
30" inseam
Funny thing: when I rode the new H-D Road Glide Lo-sorry, Custom-at Harley's 2010 model year intro back in August, I couldn't stop crowing about it. Interesting what context and a fresh bike to compare with will do. Yea, I still love the look and feel, the sound and the brakes, but otherwise, the Harley feels just a bit oafish next to the Country, which bests it in almost every regard. Mind you, it's not an ugly thrashing, like the kind the New Orleans Saints gave the Patriots a few months back; it's a more subtle thing, the sum being more than the parts, but make no mistake the Country was the bike I wanted to be on most of the time in this shootout. Both bikes have serious buffeting issues (wind tunnel-tested, my ass), but that really shouldn't surprise anyone. Look at Harley's brochure, kids- it even calls the Glide a 'hot rod custom'. You want a tourer? Hey, how about an Electra Glide? Or if you really dig the look that much, then spring for an accessory windscreen: both bikes offer them.
To my mind, the biggest dig against the Victory was its less-enthusiastic braking power. Other than that, the Country is a winner. I think Bartels said it best when he blurted out that the Harley just feels archaic next to it.