Cruisers, Choppers, Baggers

Jul/Aug '13

2013 Star V Star 1300 Deluxe: Yamaha Adds a Budget-friendly Bagger

> Yamaha’s Star cruiser division has launched its new 2013 V Star 1300 Deluxe, which it calls a “midsize” bagger. My, how times have changed. Why, it wasn’t that long ago that an 80-cubic-inch motorcycle was considered full size! A bright multi-reflector headlight, LED taillight, and turn signals

May/Jun '13

2013 Honda Gold Wing F6B: Power Cruiser

Honda has been churning out a slew of exciting new models lately. The new F6B makes a cruiser out of the flagship Gold Wing GL1800 by removing the trunk, trimming the windshield, and reshaping the seat and rear section. Jon Seidel, Honda’s PR guy, told me that the moniker

Mar/Apr '13

2013 Honda Lineup

> At a time when consumers are pinching every penny, some companies respond by doing the same, a few focus on bringing in repeat business, and others ramp up advertising. A brave handful will put all their chips on the table by offering a variety of original products. Honda has

Jan/Feb '13

2013 Harley-Davidson Lineup Limited-Edition Bikes

Limited-Edition Bikes, Candy Coats, & Blessings from the Pope The Motor Company is celebrating its 110th anniversary by throwing a dozen parties around the world and offering jazzed-up limited editions of select models. Harley also is launching a styling movement dubbed the Hard Candy Custom and has two new releases

Jul/Aug '12

2012 Star Cruiser Lineup: Something for Everybody

> Star Motorcycles offers 14 different models that beat to the tune of seven different engine configurations, making it the broadest range to choose from in the cruiser segment. With so many choices, there’s an option for every type rider, from beginner to long-distance warrior. Star offers a V-twin

May/Jun '12

2013 Victory Judge: Here Come de Judge!

> Victory Motorcycles’ PR department says its latest cruiser model, the Judge, “has a powerful silhouette and details that evoke visions of classic American muscle cars.” It’s no coincidence, then, that in 1969 Pontiac launched a new GTO muscle car model called “The Judge.” The name came from a

Jan/Feb '12

2012 Harley-Davidson Model Introduction

> Harley-Davidson rumbles into town with 32 different models on six platforms for 2012. The number of models that come standard with the bigger Twin Cam 103 engine is expanded to all Touring and Softail® series, all but the two least-expensive Dyna® models: Super Glide® Custom and Street Bob®. The

Nov/Dec '11

2011 Honda Interstate

> Although the three models in Honda’s Custom sector (Sabre, Interstate and Stateline) are quite similar, each has a specific purpose and personality, and the Interstate is the touring one of the trio. It comes with a windscreen, floorboards, saddlebags and, new this year, an optional ABS/CBS brake

Sep/Oct '11

2012 Harley-Davidson® CVO™

> Each year Harley-Davidson®, the iconic American motorcycle-maker, shows off its best and brightest parts, accessories and paint by creating a collection of motorcycles branded with the CVO™ (Custom Vehicle Operations) moniker. This run of limited-production bikes is packed with more than hand-painted bodywork, hoards of chrome, and exclusive new

May/Jun '11

2011 Triumph Cruiser Lineup

> Triumph gives customers seven new models to choose from in 2011, and they  will be pleased with the direction that new CEO Greg Heichelbech is taking the fast-growing motorcycle manufacturer. Just outside Phoenix, Triumph presented the new Thunderbird Storm, along with the Speedmaster, America and Rocket III. Thunderbird Storm

Jan/Feb '11

Three New Harley-Davidson® Models for 2011

> For 2011, The Motor Company has introduced three exciting new models: the Road Glide® Ultra, plus a pair of Sportsters®, the SuperLow™, and XR1200X™. Harley's lineup now boasts 32 models, including long-haul touring machines, urban brawlers, contemporary customs, retro-style bobbers, sport roadsters, and standards. As mentioned in

Jan/Feb '11

2011 Star Stryker

> One morning not long ago some folks at Yamaha's Star Cruiser Division woke up and decided they needed to fill the gap between their V Star 950 and 1854cc Raider. The new Stryker was penned with help from custom bike-builder Jeff Palhegyi, an outside design firm named

Nov/Dec '10

2011 Victory Lineup

Transports of Delight The New American Motorcycle, as Victory likes to call itself, is now moving comfortably into adolescence. It's been 13 years since the first 92 cubic-inch Victories went on sale, and the 2011 range now comprises 12 models across the cruising spectrum from boulevard bruisers to

Jul/Aug '10

2010 Honda VT1300 Sabre, Stateline, & Interstate

Just months after releasing its Fury "factory chopper," Honda has unleashed a trio of new 1300cc V-twin cruisers: Sabre, Stateline, and Interstate. All within the same family, each one of this trio offers an individual take on the factory custom theme, so folks shopping for a cruiser in

May/Jun '10

2010 Star® Stratoliner Deluxe

> With "baggers" being the hottest trend in the cruiser scene right now and cruisers being the best sellers of all motorcycle categories, we enjoyed a couple days in Southern California riding the new 2010 Star® Stratoliner Deluxe bagger. Star Motorcycles - Yamaha's cruiser division -

Jan/Feb '10

2010 Victory Cross Roads

> For many motorcycle travelers, having all the bells and whistles is an integral part of the touring experience. But for a growing number of riders, some wind protection and a good set of bags is more than enough to carry the day. In 2008, Victory Motorcycles dove headlong into

Nov/Dec '09

Review: 2010 Triumph Thunderbird

> Triumph revives an iconic name from its past to launch its heavy-middleweight cruiser. In North American indigenous mythology, the Thunderbird is a supernatural avian of immense power, said to create thunderstorms by flapping its wings. It's often depicted atop the totem poles of Pacific Northwest peoples. On

Nov/Dec '09

2010 Harley-Davidson Lineup

> Battling a tough recession, Harley-Davidson unveiled its new lineup in Denver recently with some exciting changes. Bill Davidson, Vice President of Core Customer Marketing, said, "This ambitious new motorcycle launch reaches to our riders with the incredible passion that Harley-Davidson has inspired for more than a century. We

Sep/Oct '09

2010 Harley-Davidson CVO Production

> For 2010, Harley-Davidson's CVO division is marking its eleventh year with two returning favorites and two new flavors. For discriminating buyers with distinguished credit limits, these limited-edition models represent the pinnacle of panache from Milwaukee's ultimate fashionistas. In each of the past eleven model years,

Jul/Aug '09

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Range

> In his best-selling book, Blink: the Power of Thinking without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell describes the usefulness of rapid cognition, the two-second critical judgment we all make when meeting someone new, walking into a building for the first time - or when riding a new motorcycle. I thought it would

Mar/Apr '09

2009 V Star 950

> Once upon a time, the motorcycle tester's job was much simpler. There were good motorcycles and not-so-good motorcycles. It was only necessary to decide the category in which each particular test subject fell. Major manufacturers no longer build bad bikes, however. Some models may not appeal to

Mar/Apr '09

2009 Suzuki Boulevard M90

> In the cruiser world, bikes often fall into one of two categories. Either they are staid and mature icons of comfort and style, or they're raucous, straight-line bruisers creating drawn curtains and the frantic summoning of children. Is it asking too much for a taste of both?

Jan/Feb '09

2008 Honda VTX1800T

> Comfort and style always seem to be the talking points when the subject of cruisers comes up. Lots of chrome, thumping V-twin motors, and a relaxed riding position top the list of prerequisites for boulevard supremacy. And while that's all well and good for the short hoppers,

Sep/Oct '08

2008 Victory Vision Touring

> Before I laid eyes on it and spent four days touring with it, the Victory Vision wasn't on my short list of "must rides." But all of the preconceptions I had - that the bike's styling was too futuristic, it wouldn't

Jul/Aug '08

2008 Suzuki Boulevard C109/C109RT

> On March 9, 1862, the first "modern" naval battle took place off Sewell's Point, Virginia, between the ironclads USS Merrimack and CSS Virginia. On the previous day, the Virginia had pummeled the wooden-hulled ships of the Union fleet until the Merrimack arrived to defend them.