Disc wheels help distinguish...
Disc wheels help distinguish the Fat Boy.
On Broadway
These 10 bikes have a lot in common since they all take aim at the same sort of riding style with similar equipment. However, they are different enough to satisfy different tastes. The differences also make some of them work better or perform better at certain tasks. So, in alphabetical order, this is how they stack up after hundreds of miles.
It may be America's favorite motorcycle, but the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy was the least popular big twin by the end of our test. Vibration, unimpressive performance, the greatest number of problems and no particular strength other than ease of customization prompted more than half of our riders to rate it last in this group. The highest anyone ranked it was fifth. At a suggested base price of $14,835 (the second most expensive bike here) it is hardly a bargain, though you can still expect a Harley to retain its value better than other brands.
The responsive handling, strong performance, rubber-mounted engine, and unique styling made the FXDX quite popular. Although one rider put it at the bottom of his rankings, one ranked it first, and most listed it in the top half of their ranking lists. If sporting handling is important and the style and ergonomics fit your taste, the Dyna Super Glide Sport ($12,995 base price) may be the big twin for you.
Although the $16,995 MSRP makes it the most costly bike here -- and its limited-production status means you'll be lucky to pay the suggested price -- the look and cosmetic detail of Harley's FXR2 make it easy to justify the cost. It looks like a well-done custom. Two riders said the FXR2 was the most desirable of these bikes (though only one of them said they'd pay their own money for it) and ranked it first. Only one rider ranked it last. And as the last of Harley's still-valued FXR series, it will probably retain more value than any other bike here.
Although, at $7995, it is the most affordable bike here and most riders liked the way its engine performed, Kawasaki's original 1500, the Vulcan 88 didn't inspire anyone. Even with price factored into it, the best ratings it garnered from our testers were a couple of second places, one of them from someone who owns one. Dated styling, difficulty of customization and comfort limited by ergonomics kept its rating to the middle or lower portion of most riders' lists.
The Vulcan 1500 Classic demonstrated why it's Kawasaki's best-selling bike. Although only one rider ranked it best, all but four of the rest rated it second. Those four were split between third- and fourth-place rankings. Although it's not as powerful as most of the rest of the 10 twins, it is stylish, very comfortable, and fun and easy to ride. The Classic enjoys plenty of aftermarket support for those who want to personalize it. Its $9999 price makes it affordable, too.
Unique styling distinguishes the Drifter. If it attracts you, you'll find middle-of-the-class power, stately handling, first-class comfort for rider and passenger, and a growing number of aftermarket goodies for customization. One rider picked it as his favorite, and all but one of the rest ("It's not my style") placed it among the top five. The priciest of the imports here at $11,499, the Drifter may hold its value better if it becomes collectible.
The original version of Kawasaki's...
The original version of Kawasaki's 1470cc twin in the Vulcan A uses 2 carbs.
Suzuki's 1400 is powerful and proven with styling that is clean and original, despite being slightly long in the tooth. But even after taking its $8199 price into consideration, only one rider liked it well enough to rank it in the top half. One rider placed it last, but for most it was simply an uninspiring ride.
No one placed the other Suzuki -- the LC -- in last place, but no one ranked it among the top three, either. Some riders enjoyed its comfort but that was balanced by unimpressive looks, handling and performance. It seems to be a difficult bike to customize, with few companies offering bolt-ons. No one was motivated to love it or hate it, even though its $9899 price puts it within reach.
You'd have a hard time drawing a consensus about the Victory from our riders. One rated it first, two rated it last and four of the rest placed it among the top five -- three in the bottom half of the group. Some praised its appearance, comfort, novelty or handling. Others were put off by its appearance, slightly rough functional aspects (such as the shifting) or handling. For those who love it, the price is $12,995.
The Classic brought the cleaner...
The Classic brought the cleaner single-carb version of the engine.
Last but definitely not least, Yamaha's Road Star impressed us all. Half of our riders picked it as the bike they'd buy, and of the rest all but one (who said it was simply too big to enjoy riding) ranked it among the top half. Although the engine output falls slightly short of the promise of 1600cc, the Road Star is comfortable, fun to ride, easy to customize and pleasing to the eye. The aftermarket plans to support it energetically, and that $10,499 price might leave some budget for accessories.
Big twins speak to different people in different ways. One rider's dream machine may not stir another in the least. But if you have read this far to find out which big twin we recommend, you already know the answer. Yamaha's Road Star is the undisputed leader of the pack.
RIDING POSITIONS
Andrew Trevitt: I've never been that involved with cruisers, preferring the performance of sport bikes and the occasional standard model instead. On a lark one day, I took a brief spin on the Victory in the parking lot a few weeks before the big-twin test, and my interest was piqued. Before I knew it, I was drafted for the cruise-off.
With the Drifter engine you...
With the Drifter engine you get more traditional finishes and fuel injection.
In some ways, cruisers are great compared with the sport bikes I usually ride: mirrors that actually work, seats that are comfortable and horns you can hear (for the most part). While all the bikes steered surprisingly lightly considering their bulk, front-end feedback was vague -- and I never had any confidence on twisty roads. Aside from the Road Star, the brakes on these things are terrible; single front discs on bikes this heavy just don't cut it. And who came up with the idea of putting gauges on the tank where you can't see them?!
There are two distinct groups in this batch, the laid-back big-wheel bunch, and the newer generation of vintage-look-alike bikes. I much preferred the latter for comfort, styling and handling, and these five (Star, Classic, Intruder 1500, Drifter and Victory) topped my ratings in all the categories. The Victory, despite superb handling, falls a bit behind power and refinement-wise. I thought the styling of the Drifter was bitchin' but those big heavy fenders don't do a lot for the handling and comfort. The clutch on the Suzuki spoiled an otherwise great motor. I was pretty tossed up between the Vulcan Classic and the Road Star as my favorite, but the super brakes on the Yamaha made the difference for me.
Canadian transplant Trevitt is the new Associate Editor of our sister title, Sport Rider.