What's not to love? Any bike with a beefy big twin gets an asterisk in my book. Dress it in finery and it gets two. Nearly all of these cruisers asserted such dynamic charms it was difficult to focus affection on just one. So I didn't. The Vulcan FI is my intellectual favorite for balance of function, efficiency and clean, good looks. I like 'em fast, and the Kawasaki finally fills that requirement. The smoothness is fantastic for a big-twin powered bike, and the overall manageability refreshing. The Drifter, I think, is the hands-down looker of the group and the Fat Boy's had an astonishing mechanical makeover.
But for uniqueness, subtle beauty and big power the Victory was my emotional favorite. I know, I know, I rated it nearly last in our sport cruiser comparison...and in that athletic arena it truly was lacking. Comparing big twins is more of a drop-your-pants-and-pose affair though, and the V92SC's attributes were hard to ignore. Strength of character speaks louder than chrome.
The biggest class in cruiserdom has become the hardest to choose from. When Friedman came around barking, "Which one's your favorite"? - I rolled my eyes. How could ya pick only one?!
Which is not to say they're all perfect. It comes down to whether you like your pizza with pepperoni or sausage. That said, I'd chuck the two Suzukis. They had none of the fire I'm looking for in a big cruiser. The Drifter's biggest assets, besides its fenders, was a pillowy saddle and a comfortable ride. That's just not enough. The carbureted Classic grunted well and held its own in the canyons, but the competition was tougher. The Excelsior gets beaucoup style points and bushels of respect as a newcomer in a class of wily veterans - not too shabby for a first timer. The Harley Dyna Glide slid through twisties with all-around gusto, though it skimped in the styling department. I expect better from a $14,000 motorcycle. The Victory V92SC was my dark horse favorite - and though I liked it as a sport-cruiser, the tractor-trailer transmission and truckish steering took the V92SC out of my top ranking.
Which leaves us with my top dogs. Though you can't find much wrong with the bodacious Road Star, it is, at this point, yesterday's news. Been there, though I'd be happy to do that again. Kawi's fuel-injected Classic was an efficient companion, and a smooth operator. You didn't see the word "passionate" in there, did you? Which is why the Harley Fat Boy is getting my vote, by a chromed nose. The new 88B engine and stronger brakes launch El Gordo into the increased performance department without sacrificing its elusive, intangible excitement. Yes, the Fat Boy's more fun and more functional, but it still has the same character. And character is what makes the Boy, er, man.
What we have here is two distinct camps.
There's the Japanese Way, where smoothness and refinement are the hallmarks. Then there's the American Way, which accepts a little roughness around the edges to deliver a more gritty, mechanical character. So how cool is it that the Harley Fat Boy manages to stick a big, leather-clad paw into both camps? Suddenly, its running vibration, control action and general level of polish are right there with the Road Star and Vulcan Classic. Yet it still retains that Real Steel Feel.
This is a huge development, I think, and further evidence that they're a lot smarter over at the Motor Company than some of the rattly old products might have suggested. I'm impressed and pleased.
Kevin SmithMotorcycle Cruiser's former editorial director has gone over to the Dark Side. He now does his thing at Motor Trend magazine.
I really tried to be professional about choosing my favorite Big Twin. Tallying relative strengths and weaknesses, I even narrowed the field down to the top three with two relatively close runners-up. I struggled with how to order the Fat Boy, the Vulcan Classic FI, and the Road Star. Every time I rode one, the order shifted. Until the dragstrip. After logging the second-quickest time and the fastest speed on the Victory V92SC, I knew that the timing slip had proved what my heart had whispered to me all along. The ride home, swooping down national forest roads, finalized the SC's jump from fourth to first. Despite all the rational reasons for choosing the other three, I have to vote with my passion. Cruisers will understand.
My choice for fifth? The Excelsior-Henderson made a surprisingly strong showing. Ground clearance aside, the bike worked well in most respects and offered the best brakes of the bunch. I hope the company comes back online so we can see how the E-H line matures.
Evans BrasfieldMotorcycle Cruiser former associate editor has gone over the Light Side and become a freelancer. You can reach him through his website.
At this rate, we are going to have to run cover blurbs that say, "All Big Twins Are Good! We Investigate!" The state of the art among big V-cruisers has progressed so significantly in the last 16 months that there are no longer any bikes here that I simply want to avoid.
I could easily attain cruising bliss on five of these bikes: We threw a pretty demanding array of roads at these ten, and the Harleys, Kawasaki's Classics and the Yamaha Road Star pleased me no matter what we were negotiating. It would be easy to make a case that the Fat Boy is the functional winner here, and I won't argue with that. However, since I'd rather ride something that I won't encounter at every other intersection, I probably wouldn't take one of the Harleys. The Classic FI and Road Star both play my song, and the original Classic still knows all the words.
Still, I can find reasons for picking the others. Take the Suzuki 1500 for its open-road comfort, the Victory V92Sc for its distinctive style and mountain-road prowess, the Excelsior for its uniqueness, the Drifter for its comfort and singular style, or the Intruder 1400 for its clean looks and distinguishing lines.
Our testing did settle one thing. Which bike you ride is much less important than the people you ride with, the roads you ride on, and destinations you choose.
Art Friedman The senior editor's email address is ArtoftheMotorcycle@hotmail.com.