Triple Baggers

Triple Baggers

CW COMPARISON

A trio of retro-rigs heads out on the highway

PAUL SEREDYNSKI

IF YOU LIKE MOTORCYCLES AND THE OPEN ROAD, MAN, do you have options. Among them, the three bikes pictured here. Call them retro-rigs, call them nostalgia-tourers, call them whatever you want. These machines are designed to go the distance-long legs for the style-conscious.

Standard-bearer in the class, a visual benchmark, is Harley-Davidson’s long-running Electra Glide. Known officially in 1999 as the FLHTCUI Ultra Classic Electra Glide, this is The Motor Company’s ultimate touring rig, and the most expensive bike in the line. Decked out in twotone Mystique Green/Black, the top-shelf, fuel-injected VTwin was delivered with extra grunt, courtesy of a Screamin’ Eagle Stage I Big Bore Performance Kit. Loaded to the gunwales with touring goodies, the Electra Glide is blessed with a visual and mechanical character.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then Yamaha’s new Venture is quite a compliment, sharing many of the Glide’s styling cues. Based on the Royal Star cruiser, the Venture carries the same liquid-cooled V-

Four, but modded to make it more lively. With cool touches like an Oldsmobuick dash, and coated in a Bordeaux Red/Shimmering Silver color combo, the Venture is a stunning new entry in the genre.

Also along for the ride was Honda’s new-for-’99 Valkyrie Interstate. Derived from the muscular Valkyrie “power cruiser,” the new touring machine adds a framemounted fairing and integrated luggage to the engine-dominated machine. Sort of a touring tour de force, our example arrived in a classic two-tone Pearl Dark Green/Metallic Gray.

If you prefer a mix of motors, you’ve got unique choices among this trio. The H-D is powered by Milwaukee’s latest 45-degree, air-cooled Vee, the Twin Cam 88. Eighty-eight represents displacement in cubic inches, which didn’t apply to our Stage I example-the factory-warrantied, dealerinstalled kit ($800) includes new cylinders, pistons, rings, gaskets, etc., as well as mods to the intake for better breathing. Displacement jumps to 95 cubes (1550cc), and Harley also threw in a set of freer-breathing exhaust pipes ($319).

So configured, our test bike cranked out 72 horsepower (about 10 more than stock) and an impressive 90 foot-pounds of torque at a low 3170 rpm. This two-valve, pushrod Twin gets power to the rear wheel via a five-speed tranny and trademark belt drive.

Yamaha’s Venture adds a few cylinders to the mix, with its 79-cubicinch (1294cc) V-Four. This four-valve-per-cylinder, liquid-cooled, dohc motor got some needed performance tweaks for its new mission. Thanks to a counterbalancer, and subsequent solid mounting in the frame, there was room for four larger carburetors (32mm, up from 28mm), fed by larger airboxes, and the engine’s internal gearing was changed to take advantage of the increased power. Up approximately 12 bhp from the last Royal Star we tested, the Venture produced 75 horsepower on the CW dyno, with 73.5 ft.-lbs. of torque, delivered aft via a five-speed gearbox and shaft drive.

Also a five-speed shaftie, Honda’s Interstate is powered by the imposing opposed-Six from the Valkyrie. This mill received small changes in ignition timing and carb settings to boost midrange performance in the face of the Interstate’s additional heft. Six 28mm carbs feed this 1520cc, two-valve, liquid-cooled monster, which cranked out 96 bhp and 95 ft.-lbs. of torque. The massive power unit also gets a new rubber rear engine mount (replacing the solid mount) to reduce vibration reaching the rider.

None of these bikes has anything radical in the suspension department, and adjustments are minimal. The Interstate has a 45mm inverted (but non-adjustable) fork, and twin rear shocks adjustable for spring preload only. Both the Venture and Electra Glide provide air-assist adjustment for their front and rear suspensions; both have conventional front forks. The Harley provides twin rear shocks while the Yamaha uses a single shock operating through a linkage.

All three feature triple-disc-brake setups, with each of the Electra Glide’s 292mm discs grabbed by a single-piston caliper. The Honda uses twin-piston front calipers operating on 296mm discs and a singlepiston rear caliper grasping a 316mm disc, while the Yamaha employs two-piston jobs all the way around, grasping 298mm front and 320mm rear rotors. The Venture offered the best feel of the bunch, though the Interstate’s binders were equally powerful. We’re not suggesting a sixpiston affair for the Electra Glide, but its mono-piston pinchers could use more help in hauling down 800 pounds of motorcycle.

In performance testing, the Venture and hopped-up Electra Glide (with similar horsepower figures) posted nearly identical acceleration numbers and top speeds (high-13s in the quarter, 105/104 mph on top). The muscle-bound Interstate lopped more than a second off those dragstrip times and had 10 mph in hand on top. The Interstate’s taller gearing made for nearly identical roll-on times among the three.

Picking a touring bike based on numbers alone is about as relevant as choosing a president based on character, so we loaded up and hit the highway. On looks alone, you’d never get on anything but the Electra Glide. This bike makes you ache in a patriotic way, and the parade-ready paint looks deep enough to fall into. Starting it also produces the finest sound of these three. The Stage I kit and pipes drop that signature, soothing rumble another octave, and inspire runs up the tach. Which the engine is perfectly willing to do, but the chassis is less mad about.

Harley has made note of the stiffness of its new engine/transmission coupling, but the Electra Glide still feels as if it has an additional hinge in the chassis when pushed hard, or when pointed through heavy crosswinds. It also buzzes the bars more than other new Harleys we’ve encountered (plus, the rocker shift lever buzzes so bad, you almost feel like your foot just grounded the alternator).

Ridden at a leisurely pace, however, the 814pound Glide is all smiles. The plushest of this crowd, it offers excellent weather protection, and the best sounding stereo, which includes a cassette player and weather band. Harley has also integrated the CB/audio/intercom controls into very highquality switchgear, without resorting to protruding barmounted pods.

The car-stereo-sized tuner/player sits in a view-robbing, automotive-style dash, but with the lowest seat height, the Electra Glide is easiest to handle in parking lots or around

Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Price (stock) $19,290 Dry weight 814 lb. Wheelbase . 63.5 in. Seat height 27.3 in. Fuel mileage 40 mpg 0-60 mph 4.6 sec. 1/4-mile 13.67 sec. @ 92.49 mph Horsepower . . . . 72.0 bhp @ 5233 rpm Torque 90.0 tt.-lbs. @ 3170 rpm Top speed 104 mph APPS A Good sounds A Stunning looks A Bags-o-torque (once kitted) A A kitten around town, a pillow on the interstate ,owns v More buzz in the bars than usua( v Tall dashboard v Wish chassis was as stiff as the price

town. It also proved most frugal, averaging 40 mpg, but this thrift is countered by the smallest fuel tank (5 gallons). The saddlebags ^ work well, with the rear trunk top opening sideways (nice touch, as it seems there’s always either a passenger or helmet on the rear seat), and the bags come with high-quality removable liners.

Approached from behind, the Honda Interstate’s 1950s curves and spider-eyes taillight treatment are a welcome presence in the highway-beautification program. The seat is wide, reassuringly low, and seems almost too firm at first. Once rolling-an easy prospect for the torque-laden Six-the Interstate is impressively solid, as if you’re piloting a well-suspended engine block. With even more midrange snap in its new digs, the Valkyrie motor is addictive. Riding the Interstate is like hanging out with the biggest kid in school-a situation impossible not to take advantage of. The Interstate doesn’t have motor, it is motor.

It’s also impressively stable, with a granite-like presence on the road (not shocking at 818 pounds), regardless of wind conditions. In typical Honda fashion, all the Interstate’s controls operate with a velvety feel. The audio pod has more of a bolt-on demeanor, though, and the Honda lacks the others’ cruise control and cassette player.

Ridden at speed in a heavy spring downpour, the Valky displayed excellent hand and lower body protection. Unfortunately, the Interstate creates an annoying amount of helmet buffeting (side to side) in windy conditions. On the plus side, it has the only wind screen an average-sized rider can look over.

The only downside to all that six-cylinder power is thirst, as the Interstate averaged only 35 mpg, with readings dipping to 32-per on enthusiastic flogs. Fortunately, tank capacity has been increased to 6.9 gallons. The hard luggage is spacious, but the saddlebags are difficult to open or close with one hand.

Swing a leg over the Yamaha Venture and the first thing you notice is the seat height, a good inch taller than the others. Though heaviest of the three (850 pounds), at parking-lot speeds, the Venture is easy to guide, and has a light-but-stable nature at a walking pace.

Twist the right grip and you’ll be happy with the Venture’s throttle response, though aural accompaniment from the 4-into-2 exhaust plumbing isn’t as soulful as the Royal Star’s quad-array of individual pipes. More mechanical noise reaches the rider, too, thanks to reflection from the

Honda Valkyrie Interstate Price.................$15,999 Dry weight. Wheelbase Seat height. Fuel mileage 0-60 mph.. 1/4-mile. $15,999 8181b. • 66.5 in. • 28.7 in. 35mpg 3.6 sec. 12.45 sec. @ 103.27 mph Horsepower . . . . 96.1 bhp @ 5768 rpm Torque 94.9 ft.-lbs. @ 4286 rpm Top speed 115 mph A M-M-M-Motor! A Super-solid chassis A Ultra-smooth powertrain A M-M-M-Motor! `~owns V Feels way long V Low screen leads to head buffeting v No reprieve from sportbike speeding tickets

fairing and leg shields.

Though the soundtrack could be better, the handling is first-rate. The Venture is the nimblest of the group, with a lightness on its feet that encourages hustling down your favorite byway. Likely aided by a relatively narrow rear tire (150/90-15), the Venture is actually fun in the tighter stuff, transitioning from turn to turn like a much smaller motorcycle. Combined with an engine that likes to rev, a fíne shift linkage and excellent brakes, the Venture encourages you to find the route less traveled.

All the tour goodies are here, including a well-integrated electronics package and cruise control. Cruising range with its 6-gallon tank (and averaging 38 mpg) is a comfortable 200 miles. The Yamaha’s bags are the best of the bunch, allowing easy one-hand access, and the tall windscreen offers the best wind protection (narrowly better than the Harley, which provides superior hand coverage). The Venture is a healthy combo of function and fun.

Any of these three baggers will look good getting you down the road. In the parking-lot concours d’elegance, the Electra Glide is champion and (with pipes) sounds the best. Spendy, at $20,409? (Including the Stage I kit and pipes.) No doubt-but it comes standard with just about everything except onboard movies. The Electra Glide is also the plushest, and the easiest to maneuver in town, with its low saddle and sitting-in-not-on feel. But if motorcycles are about riding, then the Glide is about the slowest pace (which many will find only strengthens its appeal). For those of you who enjoy more acrobatic mounts, the Electra Glide may disappoint.

The Honda is (literally)

this group. Like the Yamaha, it could use some pipes (be the envy

of Porsche drivers everywhere!), but you’ll love its deepdown grunt. In fact, the Interstate may just change your opinion about tourers, retro or otherwise: It flat scoots. The power is addictive, and starting at $15,499 in basic black, the Honda is a thrill-ride bargain for two. The big guy can dance, too, though you’re always aware of the Interstate’s concentrated mass. Also, it’s less integrated as a touring mount than the Electra Glide or Venture, surprising coming

Yamaha Venture Price..........$15,999 850 lb. 67.1 in. 29.5 in. .38mpg 4.6 sec. 13.75 sec. @91.14mph 75.1 bhp @ 6126 rpm Torque 73.5 ft.-Ibs. @ 4425 rpm Top speed 105 mph )UPs A Well-integrated touring machine A Excellent brakes, responsive chassis A Revvy motor A Best bags here owns v Motor's good at 75 ponies, would be better with 85 v Short-asses will find seat a little tall v Lacks weather protection for hands Price Dry weight. Wheelbase Seat height. Fuel mileage. 0-60 mph... 1/4-mile. Horsepower

from the makers of the Gold Wing.

That leaves the Yamaha, which falls between the two. Once rolling, the Venture is the nimblest of these three, and its controls, especially the brakes, inspire you to entertain yourself with the road, not just the scenery it passes through. The Venture is beautiful in its details, and finely finished at a decent price (loaded for $15,999). Its motor is snappy and gives the bike an eager character-and a trip to the muffler shop should bring back some of that NASCAR growl we love so much.

For pure comfort and as a showpiece, take the Electra Glide. The power-mad will appreciate the Interstate. Those looking for the best combination of style and ability should check out the new Venture.

See you on the highway.