Boulevard Bravado
BOULEVARD BRAVADO
Cruisin’ with ’tude.
BLAKE CONNER
POWER-CRUISERS DO NOT SUFFER FROM SELF-ESTEEM ISSUES. Not only are they brash on the boulevard but they can scat through the esses with relative ease, and stoplight-to-stoplight, these bikes can embarrass more than a few unsuspecting sportbikes.
Our players: Harley’s latest incarnation of the VRSC family, the Night Rod Special; Suzuki’s outsized superhero M109R, new last year; and Victory’s made-over Hammer S, a butchier version of the base bike. Engine sizes are all over the map, varying between 1130 and 1783cc, as are prices, ranging from $12,599 for the ’Zook to $16,495 for the Harley and then up to a pricey $19,749 for the Victory. But performance numbers match up quite nicely. Zero to 60-mph sprints all fall within threetenths, while blasts up the quarter-mile are in the same ballpark-within three-quarters-of-a-second of each other. different approaches and distinct characteristics! The Night Rod’s 60-degree, 1130cc, four-valve-per-cylinder Revolution engine delivers its power to the ground in a completely contrasting manner to the other two. It doesn’t hit right off idle like the Suzuki but nonetheless has a nice linear power delivery that builds all the way up to its 9000-rpm redline. The “N-Rod” was beat by the Suzuki in the quarter-mile, but only by a hair. Same goes for the sprint to 60 mph, where the H-D was only a tick behind. It bested the Suzuki’s top speed by 1 mph with 131 registered on our radar gun. The Harley runs exceptionally smoothly, its engine character more akin to a sportbike Twin. The five-speed transmission is slick-shifting, clutch action is nice and the EFI is absolutely dead-on in delivery. The engine purrs right away when fired up, unlike the reluctant Victory that needs fast idle to come to life. Wear tall boots, though, because the Harley’s rear header pipe gets freakin’ hot against your leg. As for the other American, the Victory packs a 50-degree, air/oil-cooled, four-valve-percylinder engine that makes it more than capable when riding in conventional cruiser mode. It is at a disadvantage, however, against the two liquidcooled powerplants. With good bottom-end torque-although nothing like the Suzuki's-it pulls cleanly to its comparatively low 6000 rpm redline, but can't even think about touching the Harley's top-end. As a result of this more lazy nature, it doesn't like to play quite as rough as the others. The Harley and Suzuki can be tortured down the dragstrip time and time again and never show signs of protest. The Victory, on the other hand, will quickly let you know that's not its thing. The Hammer is in the hunt early at the dragstrip due to a 97 ft.-lb. dose of torque, but its lower peak horsepower and a transmission that doesn't like wide-open shifts-even jumping out of gear occa sionally-hurt it toward the end of the run. Giving up around 30 horsepower, the Victory got spanked in the top-speed runs where it trailed the second-ranked Suzuki by 12 mph. But he~ there is more to these bikes than flat-out combustion. Despite the Suzuki’s larger-than-life size, its cornering capabilities are excellent. Especially once the speeds get above parking-lot pace. At ultra-slow speeds, the bike’s weight and the protest from the 240mm rear tire are obvious. But things get better in a hurry as speeds increase, the bike hiding its 730-plus pounds quite well with stable and predictable handling. The peg feelers drag fairly early, but the bike is very composed while cornering, with barely a hint of wallow when pushed harder. At least the guy on the Honda CBR1000RR must have thought it handled pretty well as the 109 carved a line around him, sparks flying, on a cloverleaf onramp during testing! When it comes to ergonomics, the Harley is the odd man out. The Rod is long and really looooow, with a 26.5-inch seat height, making it almost an inch lower to Earth than either the Suzuki or Victory. Furthermore, it’s really skinny, making it seem almost tiny when you take a seat. That’s quite a contrast to the other two, especially the M109R, which feels more like a Chevy-small-block-powered Boss Hoss beneath you. The rider interface on the Night Rod is better than on the standard V-Rod; while footpeg location is identical, the Night Rod’s drag bar pulls the rider forward into a more street-racer posture. Combine this with the N-R’s speed screen and it makes for a fairly neutral riding position, free of the windblast that on the standard V-Rod makes the rider latch onto the handlebars pull-up style. The only problem with the low-down seat height is that there is 1.1-inch less suspension travel at the rear, which passengers complained about, especially after crossing railroad tracks and hardedged bumps. Around town, the Hammer is a friendly ride, with a good seating position and a relaxed reach to the bars. The seat isn’t the softest but the footpeg placement is excellent. If you only ride the bike around town and on slower secondary roads, it’s great. On the freeway, though, the Hammer isn’t a favorite for longer distances. Windblast not only makes the seating position that was fine at slower speeds become uncomfortable on your back, but also makes you grip the bars hard just to hold yourself forward. The Harley and Suzuki can be comfortably cruised at 75 mph for long periods of time, but the Victory quickly wears you out. In the curves, the bike is capable of more lean angle than the footpegs allow, so we frequently dragged the feelers in tighter corners and sweepers-so much so that they’ve gone to Hardware Heaven. A motorcycle’s details always leave an impression with the rider, so things like gauges, info screens and controls stand out. Of the three, the Night Rod is the most polished and finished; it exudes quality through and through, and everything functions perfectly and looks integrated with the design of the bike. The Suzuki, on the other hand, has way too much plastic, including the air-filter covers, dash, tach, mirror housings, fenders and gauges. All that plastic makes the Ml 09 feel cheap compared to a very limited use of the material on the other two. The Victory’s gauges are straightforward analog units, and idiot lights display other information. Its hand controls are of good quality and easy to use. One thing that was a bit of a surprise is that the mirrors on all three bikes hardly vibrate at all—and we thought these were V-Twin cruisers we were testing! That’s a testament to how smooth these counterbalanced Twins are.
CW COMPARISON
For many, cruising is all about loping along at a gentle pace, looking at the scenery and hoping that the “scenery” is looking back at you. But these bikes want to blast on past and raise a little hell along the way. Sure, they look like cruisers, they sound like cruisers and, before the clutch is let out at least, they feel like cruisers. But there’s a lot more attitude and performance here than with the ordinary fat-fendered floor-boarder.
Of course, the engines are all V-Twins, but talk about
The Suzuki’s 98 foot-pounds of torque hit like a light switch from just off idle. It makes for a nice smoke show leaving stoplights. In fact, sometimes the tire will chirp by accident if you get a bit ham-fisted. The M109R packs the biggest motor of the three, a 109-cubic-inch, 54-degree, liquid-cooled Vee. This thing defines grunt; it’s immediate and comes in abundance. The Suzuki took honors in two of the three measured performance categories. Its 11.73-second quarter-mile at 115.47 mph is impressive for such a heavy bike, while the sprint to 130 mph proves that it has the legs to keep running as well.
Trying to find a steady cruising speed on the freeway at around 75 mph-between 3000 and 4000 rpm-is difficult, because the M109R rider hunts for an optimal throttle opening. The problem is a combination of really light throttle action, a comparatively light flywheel and reverse-torque reaction from the shaft drive when the throttle is closed. These traits combined in normal riding can be annoying and make it difficult to ride smoothly, especially on bumpy roads and over freeway expansion joints.
Transmission action isn’t as crisp as the Harley’s, but it is better than the Victory’s when you are doing your best Matt Hines impression. Further, upshifts between first and second are notchy, grinding a little on occasion no matter how lightly you tickle the shifter. The M109R’s shaft drive gets mixed reviews; a positive trait is virtually no maintenance, but the reverse-torque reaction is more noticeable than on other shaft-drive bikes. Belt final drive would likely provide smoother, more forgiving operation and look better from a styling standpoint.
This is where things get fuzzy. It seems that our Fab Three had different ideas when determining how to get around a curve. The Harley behaved as though it were a little confused by corners. At first, the 240mm-wide rear tire seems more intrusive upon handling than those on the Suzuki or Victory. Slow-speed turn-in is truly compromised and requires more effort. Above 25 mph, however, the fat tire is almost forgot-
H-D NIGHT ROD SPECIAL
Price...........$16,495
ten, and the Night Rod steers with much less resistance and only a touch of wide-tire-handling sensation through the bars. The footpegs drag earlier mid-corner, as do the lower exhaust pipe’s heat shield for an added aural indication of angle.
After the beating it took in the engine department, the Victory fires back a volley with its handling
prowess. The Hammer S has the best chassis of the three bikes. Its turn-in is the most neutral, and it weighs 60 pounds less than the M109R. The Victory is easier to manage around town and the rear tire isn’t fighting you all the time, despite being an even wider 250mm meat. Surprisingly, its width is barely noticeable in most situations, and getting the bike to turn is never a wrestling match.
The Victory’s suspension, like the M109R’s, includes an inverted fork that works very well if you decide to head out onto a tight and twisty road. What may have seemed a little harsh around town becomes settled and responsive in the curves. Additionally, the Hammer’s Brembo brakes are the best in terms of outright power, topping the radial-mount fourpiston Suzuki and four-piston Harley front units in that regard.
SUZUKI M109R
!rIce. SSURU~5 $12,599
On the highway, the M109R is super-comfortable. The bikini fairing and an LCD tach mounted high up on the bars block a significant amount of wind, keeping most of it completely off the pilot’s chest. At freeway speeds, the Suzuki is the most comfortable of the group. The seating position is neutral, with an easy reach to the wide bars, while the soft, comfortable seat and good wind protection invite you to crank out some miles. It’s a nice place to sit except that there really isn’t a good spot to rest your feet once on the open road. Problem? Barely enough room to rest your heels on the pegs without rubbing either the shifter or rear brake. If your boot is placed in the proper location on the peg, the ankle’s angle becomes uncomfortable after just a few minutes. This gives the Suzuki a bit more bank angle for cornering, but the Victory’s slightly wider pegs offer a roomier, more relaxed place to stick your feet.
VICTORY HAMMER S
$19,749
When it comes to styling, personal taste defines what’s right. Around here, the Night Rod Special is hands-down the winner in that department, the coolest of the group. The black base coat with flat-black racing stripes, blacked-out engine, radiators, speed screen, wheels and just about anything else that would normally shine give this Harley a “hot-rod” cool look. Conversely, if our white Suzuki was placed on the wrong showroom floor, it might be mistaken for a large appliance and end up in someone’s kitchen. The Suzuki looks like something a comic-book superhero would ride. It absolutely dwarfs the Harley and is noticeably larger than the Victory. The pipeside view of the M109R is modem and refreshing, but we wish the shaft drive were more integrated into the styling on the left side. The Hammer S, meanwhile, is definitely striking; the beautiful Sunset red paint, unique styling, color-matched wheels and nice details make it a looker. The California evaporative-emissions charcoal canister stands out like a sore thumb and takes away from the left-side view, but luckily the pretty red rear rim will suck your attention right back.
All three bikes have attributes that earned them kudos in different areas. The Hammer S is a great cruiser but only a good power-cruiser. A bit more performance is needed to run with the big dogs (see “Sledge Hammer” sidebar). But sharp, clean styling combined with well-chosen components make it a top-quality option if outright power isn’t a huge concern. The Suzuki is a pleasant surprise as it provides performance like few cruisers before it. Honkin’ torque, good brakes and a comfortable riding position make it a strong candidate. It’s still not cheap but is without a doubt the performance bargain of these three. Harley’s Night Rod Special is very impressive in almost every facet. The engine is exciting, powerful, smooth and perfectly suited to the bike. The styling is in our opinion the nicest of the group, and the fit, finish and details are well-thought-out and expertly executed. Add it all up and that’s why it would be the power-cruiser parked in our garage. □
For additional photography of the Power-Cruiser Comparo visit www.cycleworld.com
