7 For Sturgis
7 FOR STURGIS
CW COMPARISON
From the Badlands to the Black Hills to Devil's Tower, mega-cruisers rock the rally
DAVID EDWARDS
MY FIRST DAY AT THE BLACK HILLS CLASSIC, I WAS INVITED BY THE mayor of Sturgis to go on a little ride, part of a 240-bike flotilla that-thanks to South Dakota's finest at every stoplight-rolled unimpeded the 65 miles to VIP parking at Mount Rushmore. Arriving back in town a few hours later, we were treated to a catered lunch of barbeque buffalo sandwiches and handed commemorative decanters of Jack Daniel's Single Barrel sipping whiskey.
Is this a great rally, or what!?
Even without the special treatment, being at Sturgis in early August is just about the best thing you can do with a cruiser. It's been that way since 1938 when J.C. "Pappy" Hoel, local Indian dealer, all-around riding enthusiast and founder of the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, convinced Sturgis businessmen to ante up $500 as the pot for a half-mile dirt-track race. That first year, all of 19 racers showedup, and there weren't many more than that in the stands. Sixty-six summers later, rally attendance tallied an amazing 515,000, almost doubling the population of South Dakota and bring ing in $lOOs of millions in revenue. Not a bad return on that original $500 stake. 01' Pappy passed away in 1989, but the one-time seller of Scouts and Chiefs, wher ever he is, has to be reveling in the glorious irony that his little gathering has gone on to become one of the major events on the Harley-Davidson calendar-fully 90 percent of rally-goers ride Milwaukee iron.
Cycle World was among the Sturgis masses this year, in town to conduct a mega cruiser comparison test with a difference. "Mega" being the operative word, we wanted fat fenders and at least 1500cc worth of serious piston packing-punier pretenders need not apply. We also allowed manufacturers the option of outfitting their bikes with any thing in the company accessory catalog, including engine hop-up kits if available. Finally, we threw away the sound meter and bolted on pipes either from the P&A brochure or from the aftermarket. The goal was to test the bikes not in their as-delivered form, as we usually do, but the way most of them get outfitted by owners. Sturgis hammers the point home: There is no such thing as a stock cruiser.
Seven bike-makers answered our call. To arrive at a win ner we laid out a true "Sturgis sampler," a four-day, 1000mile route that included the best of the Black Hills-so named for the thick strands of Ponderosa pine trees that from a distance appear black.
Day One had us looping southeast into the Badlands, bar ren but strangely, otherworldly beautiful. A required stop was Wall Drug, advertised for miles around on old-time billboards and home of a pretty good beef sandwich.
Day Two was a circuit of the Black Hills themselves, location not only of Mount Rushmore but some great two-lane twisters, including Iron Mountain Road, which pigtails on itself three times, and Needles Highway, quite literally threaded through ancient rock formations.
Day Three was a Sturgis-only excursion starting three miles out of town at Steve Barry's newly renovated Sturgis Raceway and its eighth-mile dragstrip. CW's usual testing regimen calls for quarter-mile acceleration, but Barry had the only operable strip for hundreds of miles-besides, an eighth-mile nicely coincides with the three-gear, stoplight-to-stoplight jousting that cruiser rid ers might engage in. After tripping the clocks, it was back into town and the Carl's Speed Shop dyno-in-a-truck, where nice guys Carl Morrow and son Doug worked our testbikes into their busy schedule. Thanks, gents. Next it was photo passes for ace lensman Jay McNally on Main Street, closed off to car traffic and chock-a-block with parked bikes for the duration of the rally. Pix done, it was every man for himself for the rest of the day and, for some, well into the night (see "Confessions of a Sturgis Virgin," page 43).
Day Four was an all-day run into Wyoming and the Devil's Tower National Monument, a giant, craggy tuft made famous as the Mother Ship's homing beacon in Spielberg's sci-fi classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This is a great ride through lush, rolling countryside dotted with log cabins and horse pastures. "Now I `get' cruisers," remarked one of our newbie testers afterward. It's true: Just as you'll never truly understand sport-tourers `til you ride one through the Alps or Dolomites, so, too, you can't fully comprehend man-sized Amen-cruisers until you've taken one to the Black Hills.
Our Sturgis Seven, then, in alphabetical order:
First up, the Boss floss, and you can stop already with the snickering. Manufactured in Dyersburg, Tennessee, everything about the Hoss is gargantuan, stretching almost 7 feet between its axles and possessing a dry weight measured by the half-ton, not pounds. Yet, there's a lot to like here. "Biggest surprise of the group," exclaimed Executive Editor Brian Catterson. "It works like a real motorcycle!" That it does. . .up to a point. This is, after all, a Chevy 350 small-block situated between two tires, with handlebars and a seat on top. It displaces a whopping 5 700cc and with the optional roller cam ours had is good for 385 horses and almost 400 foot-pounds of stump-pulling stonk, working through a two-speed (plus reverse) automatic transmission and belt final drive. Both those fig ures are manufacturer's claims, by the way-the bike was too long to fit on Carl's dynamometer.
BOSS HOSS
ZZ4
$37,050
A Meet the new Roll-On King A Always draws a crowd A Underseat trunk big enough for raingear, extra gloves, spare throttle ferrules... A Balls of steel? Order up the 502-cube version
owns v Rodeo-cowboy leg spread v Boot-BBQ manifold location v Sucks gas (good thing it carries 8.5 gallons)
"Motor is what the Hoss is all about," said Editorial Director Paul Dean. "That huge lump of `Mercan V-Eight is the bike's reason for being. Everything else is a support system."
Not exactly state-of-the-art support, either.
The inverted fork yields all of 2.5 inches trav el-better than the rear end, which, despite twin shocks and a swingarm, gives the impression of being weld ed into position. Factor in limited cornering clearance, and turning tight corners doesn't call for countersteering as much as it requires hand-to-hand combat. Even speedboy Mark Cernicky was tentative in the twisties (there's a first time for everything). Not helping were the triple Brembos, commend ably top-line stuff, but not up to repeatedly hauling down 1500 pounds of bike and rider.
“Maybe it needs a parachute,” offered our unofficial tour guide Bruce Fischer, veteran of 24 Sturgis rallies.
Still, there’s no denying the Boss is a crowdpleaser almost without peer. Spectators literally tripped over our other bikes to get a closer view of the V-Eight monster.
“A great conversation piece for those who need a spotlight,” said Assistant Art Director Keith May. “Shaquille O’Neal, your chariot awaits.”
In the end, while everyone was glad to have Boss Hoss seat time entered into their personal logbooks, we won't be among the 300 people who will throw down $30-some-large for one this year
- "There's more to motorcycling than straight-line accelera tion and trying to win the dick-waving competition," summed up Mr. Dean.
On the other hand, if that's your thing...
Here's commentary on just how outsized mega-cruisers have become in the past couple of years: The HarleyDavidson CVO Fat Boy came across as, well, petite in this jumbo septet.
"Inabizarre twist of the space-time continuum, the Fat Boy felt modern and refined in this group, almost Honda like, in the best sense of the term," noted Catterson. "It was also the quietest, not to mention the smallest, both peculiar things to say about a Harley."
In fact, a stock Fat Boy, at 1450cc, was too small to quali fy for our mega status. Lucky for us, H-D's Custom Vehicle Operations group, established in 1999 to satisfy buyer demands for limited-edition, factory-built customs, had just unveiled its 2005 models, including a tasty Screamin' Eagle Fat Boy, its counterbalanced, fuel-injected Twin Cam V Twin bored and stroked to 103 cubic inches, or 1690cc.
Its extra cubes add about 15 bhp to the mix, a useful amount. And that's with an EPA-legal exhaust system only a little throatier than the standard-issue Fat Boy's. Figure another 10 ponies with louder pipes and some ignition work, but our testbike was quite lit erally yanked from the Harley Owner's Group display area, so there was no time to delve into the Screamin' Eagle parts bin. Besides, at $28,000, the Niño Gordo was already the most expensive (non-car-motored) bike in the test.
HARLEY
CVO FAT BOY
$27,995
A The Genuine Article A Attention to detail A True factory custom A All Big Twins should be 103-in chers
owns v Bring deep pockets v Not the Official Bike of the NBA v "Buns of Steel" seat cowl a little odd v "Roman Candle" cornering show
That price tag is roughly :1 $llKuponastocker,but you'd be hard-pressed to turn a run-of-the-mill Boy into a Screamer for that amount, especially if someone else is pro viding the labor. Besides the built-up motor, the list of chromed, polished, drilled, braided, etc. items runs well past 50. The whole plot is topped by two-tone paint accented by cleared-over bare-metal scallops, and build-quality rivals any thing on two or four wheels.
“It’s a beautiful machine with a dazzling paint scheme and classic proportions,” noted Dean. “It’s compact, taut, efficient, precisely manufactured. Mechanically, everything worked as intended, and the suspension delivered a ride that was almost the best of the bunch, topped only by the Yamaha.”
We only had a couple of complaints-one you can work around; one that may be a deal-breaker. Because the CVO’s suspension has been dropped .3-inch for looks, the bike grinds that much sooner in comers. We adapted by lifting our boots off the floorboards and letting them fold up as they tink-tink-tinked through tums-besides, we tend to ride harder than the average cruiser pilot, as the exultations and hand gestures directed our way by fellow rally-goers indicated after one particularly curvy section of backroad.
Sorry, bros, magazine test in progress...
The more serious matter goes back to the Fat Boy’s size, or lack thereof. While its ergos seem hand-tailored to sub-6footers ("A perfect fit," said 5-foot-9 Fischer), taller riders feel cramped in the saddle ("My knees are on the same plane as my elbows," lamented 6-foot-2 Dean). While giraffes may have to look elsewhere, there's no doubt the CVO Harley held the home-court advantage in South Dakota. Cernicky may have put it best: "The Fat Boy was at home in Sturgis, and gave me the same feeling," he said.
Funny thing about the Honda VTX 1 800N-either you love it or you.. .ignore it. Thumbs-up declarations came mostly from riders already in the Honda camp. For instance, at the Outdoor Motorsports dealership in Spearfish, just north Of Sturgis where the bike awaited our arrival, interest was so high that shop manager Bill Hearne had to hang a "Sold" tag on the Honda to stop incessant offers to buy the bike right out from under us.
One of four VTX 1800 models, the new-for-’04 N (for Neo-Retro) piqued interest from the Big Red faithful mainly due to its Rune-like tail-dragger rear fender complete with frenched-in LED taillights, its Stage 3 chrome package (an $1850 upgrade) and its Magenta Metallic paint (plus $100). Our testbike also came with a Hondaline lightbar topped by twin PIAA halogen spot lamps, a $360 option, and a neat little Cobra tachometer, a $230 spiff. All in all, a handsome and tidy machine.
Out on the road, though, the VTX was mostly invisible, an apathy reflected in our test notes. “Nothing good or bad to report,” stated one. “A reasonably good motorcycle, but no real flash or panache," said another. Others were more vehe ment: "The main problem with the VTX is that it's a master piece of blandness. Riding it is about as boring as watching a documentary on the perils of pocket lint." Ouch!
HONDA
VTX1800N
$16,669
I Ups A Son-of-Rune styling A Typical Honda finish, feel A Linked brakes perfect for cruiser duty A Good ergos, ride, cornering
owns v Slowest of the seven V Who at R&D liked the sound of an old motorboat? V Sloppy riders should take Dramamine
Nothing all that wrong with the 1800N's road manners. Horsepower and torque are middle-of-the-road in this group, cornering abilities better than average, suspension and comfort likewise. Honda's linked brakes-sometimes a sore point with sport riders-are almost transparent in cruiser mode. A big demerit, though, goes to the VTX's shaft drive and its severe chassis-jacking effect. Alternately whacking the throttle open and closed in first gear almost gets the 800-pound bike to porpoise into the air. Okay, a deliberate act of immaturity, but that same chassis-jacking dynamic can be bothersome during normal riding, especially with a less-than-smooth rider at the controls.
Perhaps the Honda's biggest sin is its exhaust note. Even with our friends at Cobra trying their best, the noise emanat ing from their angled slash-cuts was uninspired at best, tinny and cheesy at worst. Blame the VTX's dual staggered crankpins. Potato-potato-potato, it ain't.
"I likened the sound to an elephant farting underwater," said Dean, "though please don't ask me how I am qualified to make such a comparison."
If Honda wants to make more of an impact in the mega Twin sweepstakes, gain some market share and really set itself apart, the answer may be as close as its VTX Techno Cruiser concept bike, which, so far, has generated SOO pieces of positive mail following CW's story in the September issue. Keep the TC's chain drive, guys, and think seriously about a single crankpin.
No noise-abatement program evident on the Kawasaki Vulcan 2000, its 2053cc pushrod Vee universally acclaimed as the best-sounding "real" motorcycle engine in this shootout. Even card-carrying disciples of Willie G. swiveled their heads at the rap produced by Japan's biggest ever bike motor and a set of Cobra's shorty Speedsters.
This is a superb engine. If Harley had wanted a "Bigger Twin" with liquid-cooled heads and a semi-unit tranny, it might look like this-and run like this. Crank it on at any engine speed in any gear and prodigious torque is your new best friend. Almost anytime the twistgrip is off its stop, there's at least 100 foot-pounds of oomph on tap. Horsepower peaks a shade under 100. You're looking at a $5K bill then some, parts and labor, before a Twin Cam 88 could be persuaded to achieve those numbers.
It's even remarkably smooth for a big-inch V-Twin, espe cially when you consider that there are two 1000cc Singles thundering away down in the engine room. Counterbalancers can be wonderful things.
Another standout feature is the Vulcan's serene highway aplomb. Ride is quite good, but the stability of the brute is unparalleled. Once you aim the Kawi down the road, it tracks straight, true and unerring, virtually unaffected by wind, pavement irregulan ties and any little twitches the rider might accidentally feed into the handlebar. That's a genuine benefit when you're just cruising down the inter state, because you can look around and take in the scenery without discovering that you've inadvertently changed lanes or are about to nerf into the guardrail.
"In that regard, it's better than a Gold Wing or an Electra Glide.. . or possibly a Greyhound bus," opined Paul Dean.
"This will make a great bagger," agreed Online Editor Calvin Kim.
But is the Vulcan, at 818 pounds fully fuelled, simply too much of a good thing?
Under most circumstances, the bike doesn't feel as big as it actually is, the two notable exceptions being maneuvers at trolling speeds-cruising downtown Sturgis, for example-or when pushing hard through the turns (see aforementioned angry hand gestures). Herding the Kawasaki around corners demands considerable pressure on the handgrips, plus cor nering clearance is typical low-lean cruiser fare. "Do bikes have to grow physically as the displacement increases?" Fischer wanted to know.
To which the Triumph Rocket III shoots back, "Quit yer whining, girley-man!"
With its 6.6-gallon tank brimming, the Triumph nudges the 800-pound mark, true, but it's also got the biggest purpose-built powerplant ever put in a motorcycle, a `north-south Triple that displaces a brochure-busting 2294cc. If the Vulcan's power curves are prolific, the Rocket's are Mount Rushmore monumental. "That 140-inch motor is an animal!" enthused Harley/Ducati owner Fischer, no longer so concerned with the creeping onset of avoirdupois.
KAWASAKI
VULCAN 2000
$19,804
A Optional signed & numbered "El Diablo Azule" paint by Damon's Creations A With optional lightbar ($460), more illumination than a MENSA convention A Best-sounding Metric Vee
owns v Paint job costs $3630 v Why hide the motor in wrinkle-black? V Buck Rogers, your head light nacelle awaits V Sport-cruiser version, 1 P
TRIUMPH
ROCKET III
$19,330
ps A Torque up the ol' whazoo A Quickest at the strip-though the Boss would have caught up in the 1/4-mile A Serious brakes (good thing!) A Distinctive exhaust note
owns " Wide rear tire tries to steer front v Fit-and-finish not up to Harley, Honda standards V Nobody really crazy about the styling
"Torque, torque, torque. Easily outruns all but the Boss Hoss in roll-ons and matches the V Eight's dragstrip numbers."
Big shout-out to the l34 rear-wheel bhp and 148 foot pounds of torque that big block of a Brit motor lays down. No other stock motorcycle engine (okay, the Triumph had pipes, a $1000 option) Cycle World has ever tested made that much horsepower and that much torque. Maybe we need a new performance category, "Horque?" If so, here's your winner.
"This is more like it!" said ajazzed Catman. "Fabulous motor in a decent-handling chassis, `cept for too little rear wheel travel and a tendency for the 240mm-wide rear tire to play backseat driver."
Brian had quite correctly identified the Rocket III's slight handling quirks. All that rubber out back certainly looks badass, but it also affects steering, especially as the center of the tire wears. And the rear suspension, though substandard, at least did a good job of controlling driveshaft effect-in fact, several testers swore the Triumph had belt final drive!
No such confusion about the Rocket’s, er, well, distinctive appearance. Comments ran from a polite, “Styling is not everyone’s cup of tea,” to a more succinct, “It’s UBF (Utt-Bucking Fugly)!”
No denying the hulking Triumph has a definite stage presence, intensified by our testbike’s silver-metalfiake flames (a $2340 upgrade), but it does lack a certain grace and unity, with exposed plumbing and bracketry and geegaws galore.
“Take away the motor, and all you’re left with is a forgettable collection of tubing and sheetmetal,” was Dean’s take.
Catterson, again, bringing some needed perspective to the critique:
“Ordinarily, its Gigantor size and Rocketeer styling would seem cartoonish,” he said, “but with the Boss Hoss around, the Triumph seems almost normal! At least it’s not another copy of a Flarley.”
Nope. The motor is the Triumph's message, and we like what we hear.
"Minnesota rocks!" wrote Catterson about the Victory Kingpin, referring to the company's headquarters state. To a man, our seven test riders agreed. New for 2004, the Kingpin is based on the Vegas plat form, but wi an upside-down fork and 18-inch wheel re la in •.t ike's~nventionaI tubes and skinny 21-inch hoop. It also gets stretched, deeply valanced fenders for a new-wave retro look. Showroom stickered at $15,299, our testbike was gussied up with the $1500 Tribal Flame paint option, billet wheels ($1000), a HID headlight ($350) and a grand’s worth of extra chrome bits.
Taking a page from Harley's Parts & Accessories book, Victory offers engine hop-up packages. Our Kingpin came with the $850 Stage 2 big-bore kit, which bumps displacement from 92 cubic inches (1507cc) to an even 100 (1639cc). Expelling gasses and adding an authoritative rumble was an $800 Victory performance exhaust system, which also includes a K&N air filter and vented airbox cover. Motor mods com plete (figure another $800 for labor if you farm it out), the Kingpin picks up a satisfying 6 bhp and 18 ft.-lbs. of torque over the stocker-not to mention more of an edge.
“This bike felt much more alive,” said Kim.
Dean seconded that emotion: "The 100-incher makes great power throughout the entire rpm range, and although it is very smooth for a big-inch, narrow-angle Vee, it hammers out every power pulse in a visceral way that makes the rider feel directly connected to the engine."
In this group, the Kingpin was also judged one of the bet ter handlers, with neutral steering, decent brakes and above par cornering clearance. And despite its willingness to turn, the KP displayed good straight-line stability. Our taller testers-cramped on the Harley Fat Boy-raved about the Victory's ample cockpit dimensions.
“I liked the seating position,” said Kim, a 6-footer. “Very ‘cruiserish’ without being too much—legs and arms weren’t hyper-extended.”
“The Kingpin fit my 6-foot-2, 215-pound anatomy to a T,” said Dean.
Aside from the fenders, which most of us thought were a tad too-too, criticisms were limitedmainly to cosmetic nits.
VICTORY
KINGPIN
$20,799
ps A Nicely narrow, light on its feet A Engine mechanically quieter than predecessors A Shifts better, too A Is Victory the new Indian?
`~owns V Could use a better shock V And a second front brake ` Dali is alive and well and designing fenders for Victory?
"The flamed paint job looks good from a few feet away, but get closer and it (like the Triumph's flames) could use some pinstriping to really finish thiff~~. noted Catterson. -
That's about it. In short, the Kingpin isn't just a terrific cruiser, it's an excellent all-around motorcycle. Victory got off to a shaky start in 1998, but evidenced by this bike and the upcoming Hammer model (100-inch motor stock, six speed gearbox, dual discs up front), the company is now hit ting its stride. Parent firm Polaris recently was forced to close its personal watercraft division because it lacked the know how, the technology and maybe the desire to build competi tive product. The motorcycle group has no such problems.
Finally, the Yamaha Warrior, picked by almost every one here as a favorite ride, but ultimately disqualified for a significant rules violation.
YAMAHA
WARRIOR
$24,880
A Looks like a one-of-a-kind custom A Cool "Blue Grotto" instru ment lighting A Yamaha, build this bike!
owns V It is a one-of-a-kind custom V Hard-to-see speedo/odo numbers v Passengers? Don't need no steenking passengers!
"Danced in the hills of South Dakota like it owned them, outhandling all who dared challenge," said Cernicky.
"Love at first sight," said a smitten May. "Singing motor, flawless transmission, light and nimble chassis, secure riding position."
"Exhaust system much more attractive in both looks and sound than OE garbage can," said Fischer.
"Suspension is perfect," said Kim.
The problem? When we requested a fat-fendered retro cruiser for this comparison, we expected Yamaha to outfit a Road Star 1700 with its own line of add-ons and maybe even a Speedstar hot-rodded motor. Instead, Yamaha decided to enter a Road Star Warrior power-cruiser. Okay, that we could live with. Likewise, bolting on items from the compa ny's extensive collection of billet trinkets, perfectly legal. But then Yamaha handed the bike over to in-house customiz er Jeff Palhegyi, who really went to town, stretching the fuel tank, chroming various parts, powdercoating others (includ of this shootout. ing the CW-en graved handle bar clamp, flatterer), fitting Performance Machine wheels and drivebelt pulley, ordering a custom saddle and laying on an eye-popping seven-coat, pearl-and-candy paint job. The finished product, double the cost of a stocker, is quite capable of taking home first-place hardware at almost any Metric Cruiser bike show, but, sadly, doesn't fit the spirit
Dean put it in a nutshell. "Yamaha made the Warrior as a kind of anti-cruiser cruiser in the first place, and the alter ations made to this one distance it even farther," he explained. "It's ultra-cool, it's flat gorgeous, it's competitively fast and it's the best-handling on a twisty road, but it's a ringer." Good news is that underneath all the verboten bling, the Warrior's advantages in handling, suspension and braking remain. Think of it as the serious rider's cruiser-add acces sories as your tastes and checkbook allow.
So, a summation from Sturgis? First, every real motorcycle enthusiast in America should experience the rally at least once. Put it on your list, right next to Daytona, riding the Rockies, attending the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca and shooting the Pacific Coast on Highway 1.
While you’re at the rally, stop by the Boss Hoss factory rig and book yourself a V-Eight demo ride for a blast you’ll not soon forget. In the VTX1800N, Honda has built exactly the bike its customers asked for, and it’s hard to fault a company for catering to its clientele. Give Kawasaki credit for creating what just may be the world’s best big V-Twin-we look forward to having this motor around for a long time in many different models. Speaking of motor, how ’bout a round of applause for Triumph just for having the industrial-strength stones to build such a different piece? Stout stuff, Hinckley. And Yamaha, bless your cheatin’ heart, take solace that the “Rainbow Warrior” special was the one most of us wanted to ride home.
That brings us to the two top bikes, Victory’s Kingpin with three first-place votes and Harley-Davidson’s Screamin’ Eagle Fat Boy with four. As much as anything, inseam size determined the ballot-33 inches and above it was Minnesota; below that it was Milwaukee. Not since Indian’s good old days has Harley had such a worthy made-in-America competitor. On the road to Sturgis, both bikes felt just right. □
