RIDING POSITIONS
Evans Brasfield: OK, I admit it, I had a bunch of fun riding these entry-level cruisers. Although, when I was given the assignment of organizing the ride, I felt a little like someone told me to wash the dishes. Despite my initial grumpiness, riding these lightweights forced me to change my usual perspective from that of an expert rider to a novice's view. Consequently, I became reacquainted with an old truism: Judge a tool by the task for which it was designed.
If these four lightweight cruisers' job descriptions are to provide low-cost unintimidating transportation, then they've succeeded -- only some are more successful than others. Despite its sharp looks, the Eliminator just can't make up for its 50 percent displacement deficit. The remaining three deliver practical utility. However, when it comes time to choose, I'd narrow the field down to the GZ and Virago. Price, styling and the phase of the moon would determine my final selection. All in all, these bikes are properly suited to do their jobs -- only look in the used market to pick one up after it's depreciated.
Andrew Cherney: I thought this quartet of peewee bikes (as we called 'em) would end up trying my patience, sewing machine engines and all. Well -- and don't make me say this twice -- it wasn't as inhumane as I envisioned. I was almost pleasantly surprised at how much fun these half-pints were to ride down a country road. I found the Virago's motor responsive, and its seating position the best of the lot, even if the buckhorn-style bars did come a bit too close to my knees. The Honda Rebel was a favorite mount around town because of its responsive brakes and decent acceleration, and the Suzuki's comfortable bar height and riding position create an appealing cockpit for the beginning rider. The tiny Kawasaki Eliminator strutted the rakish styling of a streetrod -- although its brakes and throttle were flimsier than they needed to be and I never felt substantially safe on it.
Any one of these midgets would inspire confidence in a beginner rider, but if it's the best all-around beginner bike you're looking for, you probably can't beat the Rebel. But if you're thinking of taking any of these babies out into the dog-eat-dog reality of urban traffic, however, you might just find yourself struggling to get out of your own way.
Jim O'Connor: Let's put this test into perspective, shall we. These bikes should be evaluated a little differently. First, the Eliminator 125. Well, it won't do much eliminating, especially if it is going uphill. The Honda Rebel 250 is a perfectly respectable bike. The engine is capable (when getting off the 125) and the clutch is predictable. Unfortunately, the footpegs were too high for my taste and they felt odd when combined with the low handlebars. Next, the GZ250. It has a nice big seat and wide bars, so maneuverability was easy. The brakes worked the best, and smooth input created predictable results, even if they were a little mushy. This bike ties for the lead with my emotional side giving the Virago the final nod.
I guess I subscribe to the grin-factor mentality of riding. It doesn't need to be the best bike out there, I just need to smile when I ride it. In this crowd, I grinned the most on the Virago. The 250 V-twin sounded the best and had the most power (and even if it didn't, it sounded more powerful). Jeers would have to include its brakes, which needed firm commitment from my right hand to get them to work. Once committed, however, they hooked up well.
All of these bikes are good for beginners and people who need basic transportation, but I think most riders would outgrow each after a very short time.
Andrew Trevitt: It's hard to take these bikes seriously, but then learning how to ride -- and doing it properly -- is a serious undertaking. All of these bikes are well suited for that purpose; their low seat heights and mild-mannered engines are quite unintimidating for beginning riders. Choosing a bike would be more a matter of finding the one you are most comfortable on rather than basing a decision on any performance criteria, because being at ease on a bike will give you more confidence.
I found out on our ride that the characteristics which make the 125 and 250s easy to ride and hard to get into trouble on -- modest power, brakes and suspension -- make it difficult to get out of a bad situation, which could be exited from easily with a better-equipped bike. These small cruisers are great to learn on, but do yourself a world of good (once you have some miles under your belt) and don't to confine yourself to this class for an extended period of time.
Additional motorcycle road tests and comparisons are available at the Road Tests section of www.MotorcycleCruiser.com.