Caval Vs. Aspen: the Battle of the Cades

CAVAL VS.ASPEN: THE BATTLE OF THE CADES

CYCLE WORLD COMPARISON

STARTING LAST IN THE FULL-DRESS TOURING RACE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN FINISHING LAST

WINNING RACES WHEN THE competition has a 10-year head start is difficult if not impossible. Nevertheless, with the Cavalcade, Suzuki spots Honda's Gold Wing those 10 years and makes a race of it anyway. Even though the 'Wing has been continuously developed and refined since its introduction in 1975. Suzuki's first full-dress touring bike is in many ways a better motorcycle than the current benchmark of tour ing machinery, the Aspencade.

We come to this conclusion after spending considerable time out on the open road comparing the Cavalcade to Honda's latest top-of-the-line touring rig, the same Gold Wing Limited Edition we tested in our March, 1985 issue. Granted, the Limited Edition is fitted with some equipment that is not included on the Aspencade, such as an on-board trip computer, electronic fuel injection and two additional stereo speakers. But aside from those, the Aspencade and Limited Edition are identical. And in the end, that difference in equipment had no effect on our opinion of the Honda.

Where the Cavalcade far and away outshines the Gold Wing is in its overall engine performance. Vibration-free at any rpm, the Suzuki is much smoother than the Honda. While both bikes have virtually no vibration in their mid-range, the Honda tends to buzz a bit at higher rpm and has a mild, lower-frequency shudder at low rpm. Also, when you close the Honda’s throttle, you feel a vague tingling in the grips and pegs. This trailing-throttle vibration is never severe or uncomfortable, but it is persistent, regardless of how fast the engine is turning when you close the throttle.

Not only does the Suzuki feel smoother than the Honda, it has stronger acceleration as well. Of course, the Cavalcade has a bigger engine, 1 78cc bigger, and it is geared lower than the Aspencade; so in any sort of speed contest, be it standingstart quarter-miles or top-gear rollons, the Suzuki leaves the Honda for dead, even though it weighs 35 pounds more. The Cavalcade’s performance, however, takes its toll at the gas pump. Even when the two bikes are ridden in a similar fashion, the Cavalcade always uses slightly more gas than the Honda.

In addition to offering better performance, the Suzuki is more comfortable than the Honda. Physically it is a big bike, much bigger than the Gold Wing, and offers more room for both rider and passenger. The seat is firm but comfortable, although its shape does lock the rider in one position. Nonetheless, the Suzuki's overall ride makes it more comfortable than the Honda on a long trip, especially when carrying a passenger.

If touring long distances required only a strong engine, good suspension and a comfortable seat, the Suzuki would be the better bike. But there’s more to American-style touring than just that; and it is in the smaller details, the comforts that make passing over endless miles of featureless terrain bearable—perhaps even enjoyable—where the Honda’s decade-long development shows.

For example, the Honda’s fairing has several large, easily accessible pockets and bins that service the rider's need to get at certain things—cassette tapes, toll-road change, chewing gum, etc. —while moving without having to use a key. The Suzuki’s fairing is just as large, but it doesn’t offer much storage capacity, and doesn’t allow keyless access to what little space it does have. Moreover, the Suzuki's fairing has no lowers, thus it exposes the rider’s legs, from the knees down, to the elements. The Honda’s full fairing, however, protects most of the body; even the engine design, with its horizontal cylinders sticking out, helps keep rain from getting to the rider’s feet.

In addition to its greater storage capability and better rider-protection, the Limited Edition has a substantially superior sound system, even if its two rear speakers are turned off so that the system is just like the Aspencade’s. The stereo image issued from the Honda’s speakers al-> lows you to hear a clean separation of voices and instruments at just about any reasonable speed. The Suzuki’s radio sounds fine in the parking lot. but the fidelity deteriorates rapidly once you begin to move. Furthermore, once you are rolling you don't have to take your eyes off of the road as far or for as long on the Honda in order to work the controls. Searching for the radio controls on the Suzuki can be especially disconcerting because the bike tends to move around on the highway, especially on grooved surfaces. You can feel the buttons more readily on the Honda, particularly when wearing heavy gloves, and its controls are easier to see at night than the Suzuki's.

Feeling or seeing the cruise-control buttons is no problem on either bike, but getting the Suzuki’s system to do what you want takes more effort than does the Honda. The controls are similar in design, but the Honda allows you to adjust your speed up or down in one-mph increments. The Suzuki lets you increase but not decrease your speed incrementally with the control, and trying to drop your preset speed with the decelerate button involves a lot of guesswork.

Much like the cruise-controls, the auto-leveling systems on these bikes show strong similarities of intention. If you don't like the feel of the Honda after the leveling, however, you can, independently of the auto system, increase or decrease the air pressure in either the front or rear suspension to suit your style. You are also given a digital readout of the air pressure in the fork and shocks, and you can even adjust the Honda's suspension while you’re moving.

What all of this means is that out on the open road, the Cavalcade is the smoothest, most comfortable touring bike in existence. But that doesn't tell the whole story. You don’t just magically appear on the open road from out of nowhere; you have to get there first, and once you are there, the little comforts, such as a quality stereo and well-thought-out storage facilities, become more than superficial gadgetry. They become the comforts of home on your twowheeled home away from home.

So in the end, the Aspencade emerges as a better all-around touring motorcycle than the Cavalcade; one that copes with urban environments about as well as with wideopen spaces; one that is not superior in every respect but is extremely competent in all of them.

That 10 years' of refinement shows. E3