Café Cruise
CAFÉ CRUISE
CW COMPARISON
THREE BLENDS OF V-TWIN, CAFÉ STYLE
Don Canet
As I rolled out of bed lethargically, it was clear a bit of a pick-me-up was in order. This trio of hip café-inspired cruisers percolating in the Cycle World garage suggested we turn up the heat and hit the road in search of a good cup of joe. Cruising has always been about style, so it’s no surprise that a resurgent café racer culture should influence motorcycles in this otherwise distinctly American space. The Star Bolt C-Spec put an entertaining twist on the standard Bolt, while the Kawasaki Vulcan S Café took a similar path this year with hopes of capturing the minds of young riders. And while the Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight isn’t strictly café style, the bobber cues and sporty stance fit the stylistic mash-up perfectly.
To make sure we were sharp for our ride, our first stop was Hidden House Coffee in San Juan Capistrano, a few miles south of the office. Inside the historic cottage is a Wall of Honor adorned with old photos of US Marines. It felt appropriate I down an Americano prior to mounting the Sportster for the freeway stretch past Camp Pendleton en route to our lunch stop at Pier View Coffee Co. in the beachfront town of Oceanside.
The Forty-Eight’s classic lines have been treated to a beefy fork and fat tire, slammed drag-style bar with under-mount mirrors, and stripped-down rear-end styling, all lending it contemporary café culture appeal. The slammed low-slung look leaves minimal suspension travel to soak up bumps much larger than minor pavement ripples, resulting in a ride that’s harsh on rough surface streets and taxing on the freeway. Such is the price of style, something the Sportster delivers in spades.
While having the largest engine capacity of the three (nearly twice that of the Vulcan S) the Sportster also offers the most compact chassis and
narrowest waistline. Its i,202cc Evolution engine provides fluid power delivery with plentiful torque throughout the rev range and produces a pleasing lope that emits subdued vibes, even when keeping pace with an 8o-mph freeway flow. In mixed riding, the Forty-Eight’s 2.0-gallon peanut tank was good for about 75 miles between top-ups. Perhaps an espresso is the more appropriate drink for this bike?
Speaking of which, a blended-mocha chaser after lunch elevated the pulse for a stint aboard the Kawasaki Vulcan S Café. Introduced a year ago as the Vulcan S, the addition of a stubby forkmount fly screen is the sole premise for its Café name. Ergo fit options at time of purchase allow buyers to select among three saddles, two handlebars, and choice of three foot control locations.
A Ninja 650-derived liquid-cooled 649CC parallel twin injects the Vulcan S with sporting spirit and a horsepower endowment to make it capable of run-
ning with bigger steeds in the middleweight-cruiser category. Engine vibes are notably higher in pitch than those of the V-twins here, largely due to a 9,500rpm redline and gearing that dictates nearly twice the revs when cruising in top gear at similar road speeds.
Despite a stretched, raked-out look and lengthy wheelbase, the Vulcan’s wide mid-height handlebar provides plenty of leverage, resulting in the lightest steering feel of our trio. This, along with excellent stability, compliant suspension, superb ABS brakes, and more cornering clearance, gives a nod to the Kawi Café when it comes to back-road play.
An unscheduled fuel stop for the Sportster allowed a seat swap onto the Bolt C-Spec for the duration of our cruise to Cafe Moto, a two-wheel caffeine junkie’s destination of choice on the notso-mean streets of southern San Diego.
A first impression astride the Star’s taller saddle is mid-mount footrests that get underfoot and in the way at
stops. It also has an asymmetrical feel as the large airbox interferes with the rider’s right knee. The roomy saddle is deeply padded and allows more fore-aft movement than the others—a blessing since the reach to the low-mount clip-on handlebar dictates a more prone position. Decidedly cool, this dedicated posture, along with piggyback reservoir shocks, fork boots, solo seat cowl, and racy graphics, combine to make the Bolt the most café of the lot.
A very weighty crank tames this 942CC air-cooled twin’s throttle response, making the engine extremely easy to operate smoothly, albeit a bit less invigorating on the boil. Stability is superb, and the
ride rivals the Vulcan’s compliance. The only non-ABS model here, the Bolt also has the longest measured stopping distance, plus footrests and exhaust drag early in corners, belying the aggressive styling.
At first taste, the Vulcan S Café hits the palate like a decaf caramel macchiato—sweet, smooth, and easy on the nerves. But tip the throttle and this sporty 65OCC cruiser comes on like an espresso double shot. A stout kick in a small cup!
Holding the middle ground in price and overall appeal, the Bolt C-Spec is a hipster’s ticket to ride. Styling and performance are 90 percent there with great aftermarket support to add cream on top.
At $n-large, the Forty-Eight carries a cost of admission that includes membership into a fraternity with more perks than a coffeehouse punch card: big(ger) twin presence/performance with an irre
sistible look blending deep paint, black powdercoat, and a light dose of quality chrome in all the right places. It’s an allAmerican brew that can’t be beat.
Whichever your flavor, head to Café Moto and order the highly caffeinated high-octane 24-hour cold brew. Trust me, you’ll be up for a spirited cruise home.
HARLEYDAVIDSON SPORTSTER FORTYEIGHT KAWASAKI VULCAN S CAFÉ
UPS * Big Twin perks ’ Quality fit and finish •Crade-A Americana • Peppy performance ’ Light handling •Ergo fit options •Perfect canvas for customization * Fork gaiters rock • Rumblin’ cruise
DOWNS ’Harsh ride * Frequent fuel stops • Most expensive * Bland Starbucks styling • Elubman café bars not optional • Pegs underfoot at stops • Knee-knocker ergos • Drags pegs in corners too easily
BIKE Price G Dry weight © Wheelbase G Seat height © Fuel capacity G Fuel mileage © 1/4 mile © 0-60 mph © Top gear, 40-60 mph © Top gear, 60-80 mph © Horsepower © Torque © Braking, 30-0 mph © Braking, 60-0 mph ©
H-D SPORTSTER 48 $11,549 547 lb. 59.3 in. 27.3 in. 2.1 gal. 41 mpg 13.23 sec. @ 98.18 mph 4.3 sec. 4.0 sec. 4.6 sec 61.6 @ 5550 rpm 67.8 lb.-ft. @ 3450 rpm 32 ft. 139 ft.
KAWASAKI VULCAN S CAFÉ $7999 486 lb. 62.2 in. 28.0 in. 3.7 gal. 47 mpg 13.40 sec. @ 93.57 mph 4.3 sec. 4.5 sec. 5.0 sec. 53.5 @7150 rpm 42.7 lb.-ft. @ 5650 rpm 33 ft. 130 ft.
STAR BOLT C-SPEC $8690 533 lb. 62.2 in. 30.0 in. 3.2 gal. 48 mpg 13.87 sec. @ 91.17 mph 4.8 sec. 4.2 sec. 5.2 sec. 50.8 @ 5350 rpm 58.0 lb.-ft. @ 2900 rpm 38 ft. 152 ft.
