MSRP: $16,499
Caretaker: Zimmerman
Measurements: 6 Ft./180 lbs./33-in. inseam
Odometer: 1907
Miles this cycle: 1607

MSRP: $11,240
Caretaker: Bartels
Measurements: 6 Ft./190 lbs./33-in. inseam
Odometer: 1753
Miles this cycle: 404

In cruiserdom, baggers are still all the rage, and more makers are getting into the act every year. To parapwhrase our sister publication Baggers, these bikes are designed to straddle the line defined by Custom Touring. While the more popular sub-niche of the genre sports a fork-mounted fairing, riders more concerned about handling often opt for bikes with a frame-mounted fairing, which puts more weight on the front wheel, but less north of the steering head.

Dee-AH-vul: it means ‘devil’ in the Bolognese dialect of Italian… and to Cruiser readers, it will no doubt live up to its name. The hate mail comes on hot and heavy whenever we feature a Ducati in these pages, so we’ll keep this brief. The gist is this: though Ducati thinks they have themselves a cruiser, we can confirm that this is abundantly not true.

We all know that production “customs” have become the norm. But while just about every manufacturer offers a less-is-more blackened model to the market, shape is now changing, as well as color. Ape hangers are in, straight bars are out. Enter the production bobber.

The dog days of summer are truly upon us. The air is thicker, the wind calmer, and the days longer—extending before us like endless tarmac shimmering in the late afternoon light. The natural human reaction is to dream of escape, and for cruiser riders, that usually means one thing: Road Trip.

We all know that old adage about comparing apples and oranges; they're so different that any matchup would be worthless. But did you ever sit down and really think about that literally? Sure, the taste and texture might be worlds apart, but they're both sweet, seed-delivery devices grown on trees, sold around the world at a handsome profit. So even though experientially apples and oranges are very different, on paper they're very similar.

The entry level cruiser segment hasn't seen activityfor years, but all of sudden, it looks like a hot commodity. There have been entries from Honda and Harley recently, and in 2010, the Hyosung ST7.

When Kawasaki chose to do a press launch for its new Vulcan bagger in a semi-rural enclave north of Houston, Texas, it's entirely possible the location was chosen for its proximity to a population of Stetson-topped ranch hands-you know, for background scenery. After all, 'vaquero' means cowboy in Spanish.

Back in 2005, Harley introduced the now-hugely successful FLHX Street Glide-the fusion of a venerable touring chassis and custom iron the Motor Company is known for. It was essentially an Electra Glide dropped into the weeds, with some nice custom touches like fairing-mounted mirrors, color-matched saddlebag latches, and a mean, stripped look with less trim and no box. Unlike the super-stark FLHT Electra Glide Standard (no longer with us) however, it retained practical stuff like a radio and cruise control. It wasn't an "old guy" touring bike, and even Gen Y folks lined up to buy it.

Shoot Out
When Honda rolled out a bona fide 2010 Shadow RS a couple of months ago-after taunting us for nearly a year with claims that it was a "Sportster-slayer"-we thought, Eureka: we can finally stage a clash of new, lightweight standard-style cruisers. Harley's iconic, 50+ year-old Sportster versus Honda's venerable Shadow line, in existence for over 25 years. Both series now sported new machinery, and both models were eerily similar in looks, specifications and price. But something happened on the way to the comparison. The standard Sportster, as we had long known it, had disappeared; 2008 was the last year for the non-lowered XL 883.

They only come in red. That's right, these three models, all competitively priced and equipped, are only available in the glorious cop-attracting color you see here. With a little give-and-take on the specs, and looks and price, they basically court the same rider... and apparently that guy likes red. They're all within 100ccs of each other, all are belt-driven, all have metal fenders and no unsightly tank seams, all for the guy who wants a full-sized bike with the bare minimum of touring amenities. Did we mention they're red?

This is a weird time for cruisers. The two hot commodities right now are baggers and mid-displacement bikes, and we've been doing lots of bagger tests lately, but it's not like we can do it every issue. So we went casting about in the middle class.

This is a double-dutch throwdown of two Motorcycling Heavyweights: Arlen Ness, the self-proclaimed King of Choppers, versus the man who helped re-define cruisers, Willie G. Davidson. Arlen, a longtime supporter and proponent of the Harley brand, banished to the wilderness by a Milwaukee giant eager to keep aftermarket dollars in-house, has shifted his design focus to a young upstart company whose flowing designs jibe so well with his own. Willie G., scion of the founding fathers, has honed the H-D design team to a point where it arguably contributes more to H-D's success than anything else. When these two guys go to town, it might be a good idea to lay low until the thunder passes.

Highway 76 drops steeply and fast as it unfurls out of the Palomar Mountain Range into Warner Springs, and the Led Zeppelin opus churning out of the Stratoliner's speakers makes me ride faster than I normally would. So when the two-laner widens and straightens out its relentless kinks, I pull over and contemplate changing the iPod's playlist to something more mellow, like say Johnny Cash, or heck, even Sinatra. After all, we're headed toward the serene-but-swinging desert city of Rancho Mirage.

We know most cruiser riders just want to... well, cruise. But there's a significant subset of cruiser riders who either come from sportier backgrounds or are simply more aggressive in attacking the roads. These riders don't want to be spooned onto a sportbike's torture rack, preferring a more feet-forward riding position, but still want ground clearance, handling, and power. They seek out roads that wind through twists and turns, and hopefully gorgeous countryside. There are machines that take this formula to the extreme, like Star's VMAX, but that bike's 190 rear-wheel horsepower requires a fairly high degree of skill and concentration to ride, and it's more than we're talking about here. At the same time, a traditional cruiser, with its considerable weight and squishy, comfortable suspension can also be a handful, touching down regularly and bouncing through the curves. No, these riders would prefer a bike that operated much like an extension of themselves, lithely taking the demands of the road and letting it flow through them naturally. Casual Aggression if you will, or more simply, just fun bikes.

For years, it was a foregone conclusion that cruisers with touring accessories like fairings and hard saddlebags-baggers, in two-wheel parlance-were designed for a mission, and one mission only-to, uh, tour. They were purpose-built for the open road, constructed for the long haul, made for piling on the miles. But like everything in the 'aught' years (or the double-0 decade, or whatever we've decided to call this slice of the 21st century), it seems 'kustom kulture' has filtered down to the holiest of motorcycling archetypes- the bagger. If you need examples of the new breed of touring machine, look no further than Harley's Road Glide Custom and Victory's Cross Country, both recently released for 2010.

The simple truth is that these are not your daddy's, granddaddy's or even big brother's tourers. The obvious difference is styling: lines are stretched, and the profile sleeker, more minimal and decidedly edgier than on traditional retro rigs. We got a pretty thorough look at both machines during their respective launches (Feb. CR), but it's always a different story when you can ride them side by side. Although the Cross Country will never be mistaken for a Road Glide (and vice versa), its basic elements are remarkably similar beyond the fairing. So when a Road Glide became available for two days, and the Cross Country free for a week, we jumped at the chance to do a quick comparison.

• 2010 Fat Boy Lo

• 2010 Kawasaki Vulcan 1700

When Honda first announced its new Shadow Phantom last fall, we didn't think much of it-I mean, it was just a blacked-out Shadow Spirit, right?

• Harley-Davidson 883 Iron
• Moto Guzzi V7 Classic
• Star V-Star 950
• Triumph Bonneville

Shoot Out!
• Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Limited
• Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager
• Star Royal Star Venture
• Victory Vision Tour

Star Road Star S
MSRP: $13,090
Caretaker: Bartels
Measurements: 6'0"/198 Lbs/33" Inseam
Odometer: 3220
Miles Since Last Issue: 97

*Honda Shadow Aero
*Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD
*Star V-Star Silverado
*Suzuki TU250X
*Triumph Bonneville

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 Classic

MSRP: $13,899
Caretaker: cherney
Measurements: 5'7"/155 lbs/30" Inseam
Odometer: 2515
Miles Since Last Issue: 422

*Softail Convertible
*Fat Bob
*Street Glide
*Ultra Classic Electra Glide