• 7 months ago
In this episode of Bike File join Paul Johnston and Warren Pole as they take a look a 5 Cruiser bikes and score them based on Style, Performance, Practicality and value.

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Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:07 Hi I'm Paul Johnston, welcome to this week's Bikephile, the show which takes the very latest
00:26 that the two wheeled world has to offer and puts it to the test.
00:29 And I'm Wazza. On today's show we are chrome on the range in cruiser country, where style
00:34 takes pride of place over substance every time. We're going to be testing today's bikes for
00:40 styling, performance, value and practicality. And at the end of the show the one with the
00:45 most points will be the winner.
00:46 But before we saddle up for the first of our test rides, let's have a look at the machines
00:50 which we'll be jockeying for top spot this week.
00:55 First up this week is the largest V-twin motorcycle you can buy, it's Kawasaki's BN2000.
01:01 Then this being a cruiser test, of course we've got a Harley, it's a fat boy.
01:06 Then there's the ever popular Honda VTX 1800, that's our third contestant.
01:12 Fourth up it's the biggest motorcycle on the market and it's British, Welcome Triumph's
01:17 brand new Rocket 3.
01:20 And finally it's the bike that Kawasaki have built for Suzuki, the VZ1600 Marauder.
01:27 Well bike number one is the BN2000 and it is absolutely huge isn't it?
01:32 It's massive isn't it, yeah, 2 litre, well just over 2 litre actually. Used to be the
01:36 biggest bike on the planet.
01:38 It was for about 5 minutes but Kawasaki must have been gutted because then Triumph came
01:42 along with something even bigger.
01:43 That's right.
01:43 And now they just have to call it the biggest V-twin you can buy.
01:45 Yeah, still the biggest V-twin motor you can buy. But you know this VN range that they've
01:49 done for years now, the 800s, 1500s and all them, have always been a serious alternative
01:54 to American metal and there's no reason to doubt that this is going to be any different.
01:57 Yeah, take it away.
01:58 Here we go.
01:59 The Kawasaki VN2000 motorcycle is powered by the biggest V-twin engine currently on
02:06 the market and it produces incredible levels of torque.
02:14 When we talk about big custom cruisers I reckon that Kawasaki have got it just about right.
02:19 They've been tuning these things out for years and years and if you covered this name badge
02:23 up here on the tank you could quite easily mistake this for a piece of American metal
02:27 rather than Japanese. It's got everything a cruiser needs. Big footboards there to rest
02:32 your feet on, heel and toe gear changes on the other side and it's even got a belt drive.
02:37 At 2 litres or 2,053cc to be precise you might expect this to be a fast bike. Well it's not
02:44 but it is very powerful with huge amounts of torque, in fact 130ft/lbs of it. Compare
02:52 that to something like Harley Davidson's V-Rod which has a pathetic 77ft/lbs and you start
02:58 to get the idea. However there's a price to pay for all that size and power and that's
03:03 manoeuvrability.
03:07 Quite simply if the engine isn't running then this thing becomes an immovable object. It
03:12 just will not budge. It's too heavy. It actually weighs would you believe 340kg which is exactly
03:19 the same as two Honda CBR600s. Now I can only think of one heavier bike and that's a Honda
03:26 Goldwing but at least they've got a reverse gear. If this thing ever should fall over
03:31 then get your leg out of the way very quick, leave it where it is and wait for a passing
03:35 bus load of rugby players to help you pick it up.
03:39 Once on the move though things are quite different. The weight doesn't exactly disappear but it
03:43 does feel very well balanced and manageable.
03:47 The big question for many people when they're choosing a custom cruiser will be shall I
03:52 buy American or shall I go Japanese and at £11,000 this particular bike is certainly
03:58 well into Harley Davidson territory but personally I've always been a big fan of the VN range
04:04 and I have to say I think this is their best yet.
04:10 So it's over to the scoreboard. For styling it's 9 out of 10. VNs have always looked great
04:16 and this is probably the best yet. Performance 8 out of 10. It won't exactly rip your arms
04:22 out but there's loads of torque which is great fun to use. Practicality 7 out of 10. It's
04:27 big and it's very, very heavy. And for value it's 7 out of 10. At £11,000 there are much
04:34 cheaper cruisers on the market.
04:38 So she's done alright then Paul?
04:39 Absolutely, it's a cracking bike this. It's a brilliant bike. It's £11,000. I know it's
04:42 dear but you get a lot of bike for your money and if you're a bit out of shape, you know
04:46 you want to trim up a bit, this is what you need. Just hump it round the car park for
04:49 half an hour and you'll be fit as a fiddle because it weighs a ton. It's very heavy.
04:53 So you're not just getting a motorcycle, you're getting a gym in there as well.
04:55 That's exactly right. It's a mobile gym and if you want to do a three point turn, you
04:59 know, forget it. Go to the next roundabout, about three miles away, round that and back.
05:03 But it's brilliant, but it's heavy.
05:04 Now you said earlier that this was a worthy alternative to the American Metal. Well we've
05:08 got one of those. All the way from Harley Davidson, 101 years in the business. They
05:13 may not have got on the technological bandwagon but they have got the look right in that time
05:18 haven't they?
05:19 Yeah they've definitely got the look right. It's your classic American name but it's your
05:21 classic cruiser motorcycle and it's basic and if it doesn't need it, it hasn't got it
05:25 basically.
05:26 No it's very, very pretty I think but my wallet is wincing at that 13 and a half grand price
05:32 tag.
05:33 It's very expensive isn't it? And as I say, if it doesn't need it, it hasn't got it, there's
05:35 no extra.
05:36 There's nothing.
05:37 There's no T-maker on there, no TV, no DVD player. It's just a motorbike.
05:41 Right.
05:42 All we can do is ride I think.
05:43 Is it worth 13 and a half grand? Go and find out mate.
05:48 Launched in 1989, the solid wheeled fat boy has become one of the most iconic Harleys
05:53 around.
05:56 Obviously no cruiser's test would be complete without a Harley. So here one is. It's a fat
06:03 boy and ever since Arnie leapt one of these off a bridge in Terminator 2, it has become
06:08 perhaps the most recognisable motorcycle on the planet. So much so that your nan could
06:15 probably tell you this was a fat boy without even lifting an eye from her knitting.
06:23 Icon or not, the fat boy's not so fat in this company. In fact, it's fighting with the Suzuki
06:29 Marauder for the honours of smallest bike here. And then there's the power, or the lack
06:35 of it to be more precise.
06:37 From inside those 1,449cc of throbbing Milwaukee metal, you will get precisely 63 brake horsepower.
06:45 Which all told, is a bit rubbish.
06:48 In fact, the only thing that is still genuinely fat about the fat boy these days is the price.
06:54 Because at 13 and a half grand new, you'd have to be feeling very rich to buy one. So
07:00 why would you bother? Well, it's a tough one to explain, but I'll give it a go. You see,
07:06 when it comes to pottering about on a sunny day and never topping a single speed limit,
07:11 there are few things that are better than a Harley.
07:17 It's a very basic riding experience, but there's an almost meditative, serene quality to be
07:22 had just plodding through those solid gears, gliding along on a gentle waft of torque,
07:27 and watching the world slide past in the chrome of the fat boy's headlight.
07:32 If you'd actually like any more for your 13 and a half grand, however, like brakes and
07:37 a chassis that actually work, suspension that suspends, or a finish that doesn't rust as
07:43 soon as somebody sneezes on it, then I'm afraid you may want to look elsewhere.
07:50 Styling, 8 out of 10. She is an icon, but she's looking dated and a bit small nowadays.
07:56 Performance, 4 out of 10. None to speak of, really.
08:01 Practicality, 5 out of 10. The mirrors aren't much cop, the pillions average at best, and
08:06 the finish hates the British climate so much it does a runner at the first sign of winter.
08:11 Value, 7 out of 10. Very expensive, but for many, that Harley X-Factor makes it all worthwhile.
08:18 Well it's clear from those scores that the American medal is not going to be top dog
08:22 this week.
08:23 It's definitely not. It's a bit of a shame, but with Harleys I think it's that unquantifiable
08:27 X-Factor that really lifts them above what they might be as a motorbike, but for me,
08:31 when I look at the price tag, it's still got to be a Y-Factor.
08:34 Yeah, it is Y, is it so expensive.
08:36 60 mile an hour I think, you could sit on it all day.
08:38 It could be the best bike in the world at that.
08:41 Yeah, and in a dream garage.
08:42 I'd have to have my money no object, but money is an object. I need something cheaper.
08:46 You need something cheaper, right. Well, walk this way, I have something considerably cheaper.
08:50 3,500 pounds cheaper.
08:52 A bargain, so that makes this what, just 10,000 pounds?
08:55 Round about 10,000 pounds, we'll buy you this bit of a Japanese medal, Honda's VTX 1800,
09:00 which is not brand new, it's been around, what, 3 or 4 years now, something like that.
09:05 Looks okay, doesn't it?
09:06 I'm not massively swine, it's leaving me a little limp, I have to say.
09:09 It's a problem, isn't it?
09:10 I think it's the colour, you know, it's the colour.
09:12 This reminds me of an old Virago, the old Virago colour.
09:16 Or perhaps a bad old hotel bar from it. It's one of the two, isn't it?
09:19 Possibly, yes, but it's 3 and a half grand, cheaper than the Harley, so it's worth a go, isn't it?
09:23 Take it away.
09:25 When it comes to cruisers, Honda's motto is, the bigger, the better.
09:29 The VTX providing an immense 1795cc fuel injected V-twin engine.
09:35 This used to be the biggest bike on the planet, alongside, of course, Honda's giant Goldwing.
09:40 That's also 1800cc, but that uses a flat 6-cylinder motor.
09:44 The VTX has 52 degrees of V-twin power.
09:48 And when I attended the launch of this model a few years ago,
09:51 I was presented with a lighter which was inscribed with the words,
09:54 "It's like nothing on earth."
09:57 That may well have been the case then, but it's not quite true anymore,
10:01 because as we know, Kawasaki and Triumph both use bigger motors in their cruisers.
10:06 But for many, the VTX will still have more than enough grunt from its 95 horses
10:10 to make it a serious contender in the world of big bad boy cruisers.
10:15 I say big bad boy cruisers because I think that's the image that this style of bike has,
10:20 and of course, that appeals to lots of people.
10:23 Perhaps those who fancy themselves as the next Dennis Hopper or the new Steve McQueen,
10:27 something like that.
10:28 I mean, this bike, it's long, it's low, it's mean, and it's moody,
10:32 and it really wouldn't look out of place cruising up and down the strip in LA.
10:36 But really, for this particular model, that's as far as the bad boy thing goes.
10:42 Remember, this is a Honda, and like lots of other bikes in their range,
10:45 it does pretty much all you ask of it with absolutely no fuss at all.
10:49 I wouldn't say that it's boring, but it's so smooth and stable
10:52 that for some, the ride may seem to be a little uninvolving at times.
10:58 I know that sounds like criticism. Well, I suppose it is, really.
11:01 But also, it's testament to how well this bike has been developed and then put together.
11:06 It actually weighs 320 kilos, this thing, so don't expect to start throwing it into corners.
11:12 There's very little ground clearance as well.
11:13 You'll soon discover that if you go into a bend a little bit hot.
11:16 But I have to say that really, it handles surprisingly well for such a big lump.
11:22 So it's over to the scoreboard for Honda's VTX 1800.
11:26 For styling, it's 6 out of 10.
11:28 Looks a little bit bland and lacks charisma.
11:31 Performance, 6 out of 10.
11:33 You might expect a little more oomph from the 1800ccs of V-Twin.
11:38 Practicality is 8 out of 10.
11:40 It's a Honda, so it will probably last forever.
11:43 And for value, 7 out of 10.
11:45 For £10,000, you might want a few more shiny bits and pieces.
11:50 Well, you're still awake then, Paul.
11:52 Oh, I am, yeah, very much so.
11:53 It's a great bike.
11:54 There's nothing wrong with it.
11:55 It's very smooth, but it is a little bit uninvolving and not quite boring.
11:59 Almost.
12:00 Almost, yeah.
12:01 But it's not the best-looking cruiser in the world.
12:03 I know that.
12:04 There again, it's not the most expensive at £10,000.
12:06 True.
12:07 But if I wanted a fully chromed up, you know, big, muscly-looking cruiser,
12:12 I'd spend a bit more money and get something a bit better-looking, personally.
12:15 Yeah.
12:16 Maybe you'd want to go for something like the VN 2000 or the VTX.
12:19 The VN 2000, which is currently streaked into the lead,
12:22 while Honda's VTX has been left possibly as a candidate that should have been shot in the paddock.
12:27 We've also had Harley's fat boy, which has rather fallen at the first furlong,
12:30 but do join us again for the second part of the show,
12:33 when we'll be bringing you Suzuki's Marauder and Triumph's absolutely gargantuan Rocket 3.
12:47 Welcome back to Bikephile, where this week we're looking at huge, massive, chromed-up cruisers.
12:52 In the lead so far is Kawasaki's enormous VN 2000,
12:56 but we've also ridden Honda's VTX 1800 and a Harley-Davidson fat boy.
13:01 But two more bikes left to go, and now we're on to a really big boy.
13:04 And I don't mean you, was I? I mean the Rocket 3.
13:06 Huge, isn't it?
13:08 It is absolutely vast.
13:10 I mean, oil tankers, QE2, they're going to pale into insignificance next to this thing.
13:15 2.3 litres, bigger than the average car.
13:18 Those tyres are bigger than the average car tyre.
13:21 It's just brilliant what a motorbike.
13:23 It is, and it's one of those things, isn't it, it's funny because we work with bikes a lot.
13:26 All the time.
13:27 You know, and you don't jump on them as soon as they arrive,
13:29 but when this arrived, we both said, "Give me the keys."
13:31 We were fighting.
13:32 Yeah, it gets you that way, doesn't it?
13:34 I'm just dying to get back out on it.
13:36 You are clear for take-off, Mr Paul, so mind how you go, won't you?
13:38 I'll see you when I get back.
13:40 The Rocket 3 could just be the best thing to come out the Hinkley ever.
13:45 At 2.3 litres, it's also the biggest production motorcycle money can buy.
13:50 Now it's time for a little bit of patriotism.
13:54 It's time to stand up, fly the flag, salute our dear old Queen,
13:59 and give thanks for being lucky enough to be born British,
14:02 because our proud nation is now home to this,
14:07 the V-Triumph's utterly brilliant Rocket 3.
14:11 It's roughly 18 times bigger than anything those weedy Americans
14:14 over at Harley-Davidson can manage,
14:16 and it's also at least 12 times faster than anything
14:19 those clever Japanese chaps can muster.
14:21 So if you're watching, stand up and take a bow, Triumph.
14:24 This bike deserves to make you million.
14:28 If you haven't sat on one of these yet,
14:30 nothing can prepare you for the enormity of it.
14:33 But this was nothing compared to opening the throttle a few moments later.
14:38 Holy cow, this thing is fast.
14:41 Bikes this size have absolutely no right to be as quick as this.
14:46 But as Triumph have squeezed 140 horsepower,
14:49 and more importantly, 147 foot-pound of torque
14:54 into that whopping 2.3-litre motor,
14:57 that's where your speed comes from.
15:01 So the size and motor dominate the Rocket 3 experience.
15:05 What about the rest?
15:07 The gearbox is spot-on, as are the brakes and the riding position,
15:11 while the bike's weight isn't a problem at all on the move.
15:15 Handling is far from nimble, thanks to tyres better suited
15:18 to the average family saloon and the sheer weight of the bike,
15:22 but even so, the Rocket can still be hustled along
15:25 at a pace that's capable of giving the odd sports bike
15:28 more than a passing shock.
15:30 In short, this bike rocks.
15:33 I'll take two.
15:35 Style, nine out of ten.
15:39 Could have been a ten if it wasn't for those tattoo decals.
15:43 Performance, ten out of ten.
15:46 So much more than you could ever need, it is wonderful.
15:50 Practicality, seven out of ten.
15:53 It'll be rubbish in traffic, and motorways won't be much fun either.
15:57 But who cares when the rest is this good?
15:59 Value, nine out of ten.
16:01 £1,500 less than a Harley.
16:03 Need I say more?
16:05 I don't think it's any surprise that this Rocket has launched itself
16:10 straight into the lead this week.
16:12 Thoroughly deservedly. What a brilliant, excellent, wonderful,
16:15 I've run out of superlatives, motorcycle.
16:17 It's just superb.
16:19 Gob-smacking, I think it is, isn't it?
16:21 - It really is. - So fast.
16:23 - Words fail you. - They do.
16:25 It's so big and it's heavy, but it's so powerful.
16:27 - It's really fast, isn't it? - I'm sure this would do
16:29 an R1 or any other decent sports bike off the lights up to 60.
16:33 It is marvellous, but we need to stop dribbling.
16:35 We need to move on to something a little bit smaller.
16:37 There's one more bike to go.
16:39 We're going to go from the biggest bike on show this week
16:41 to the cheapest bike on show, just £8,500.
16:44 - It's tiny, isn't it? - It just looks like there's nothing there
16:46 after that Rocket, doesn't it?
16:48 But yeah, Suzuki Mirada, 1,600cc, still a big bike,
16:51 but this is a bike that Kawasaki have built for Suzuki.
16:54 This has to do with that partnership between the two.
16:56 Yeah, so really underneath, I suppose it's a Kawasaki,
16:58 but it says Suzuki on the tank.
17:00 It's £8,500, so it's got to be worth a look, hasn't it?
17:03 Definitely. It's all in black. You're all in black.
17:05 It's not very safe, but you're going to look really cool.
17:08 This bike was built by Kawasaki for Suzuki,
17:13 and it's the first cruiser that the two companies have actually shared.
17:17 Suzuki is probably not the first name that springs to mind
17:22 when you talk about big custom cruisers,
17:25 but if everybody else is making them,
17:27 then who can blame them for having a go,
17:29 even if they have had quite a bit of help from Kawasaki on this particular bike?
17:33 After all, it's quite a simple formula, isn't it, a cruiser?
17:36 Just take the biggest V-twin engine you can find,
17:38 stick it in a low-slung cruiser-style bike,
17:41 add a few bits of chrome, and as for colour,
17:43 well, anything you like, sir, so long as it's black.
17:46 There's no doubt Suzuki have tried very hard to make this bike look mean,
17:50 and I have to say they've done a pretty good job.
17:53 Suzuki uses the biggest engine in their range, a 1,552cc V-twin,
17:58 which comes with electronic fuel injection, liquid cooling,
18:01 and a very sensible low-maintenance shaft drive.
18:04 Apart from the Harley-Davidson,
18:07 this is the least powerful of our line-up of bikes this week.
18:10 I wouldn't say it's actually greatly underpowered.
18:12 It's got 72bhp, but when you ride these machines back-to-back,
18:16 you do realise that this hasn't quite got the same kick when you open the throttle.
18:21 Where it does score, though, is on manoeuvrability.
18:24 At 290kg, it's by far the lightest of our machines this week,
18:28 which means a three-point turn is actually possible without giving yourself a hernia.
18:33 I'll tell you what this bike's most impressive feature is,
18:36 and what will really sell it, and that is the price.
18:39 It's just over £8,500,
18:42 and when you park it next to something like Kawasaki's VN2000,
18:46 then apart from a few extra cc's,
18:48 it's difficult to actually see what you get for an extra two-and-a-half grand.
18:52 So it's over to the scoreboard for Suzuki's Marauder.
18:58 For styling, seven out of ten.
19:00 It's long, low, it looks mean, but it doesn't really stand out from the crowd.
19:04 Performance, seven out of ten.
19:06 It definitely feels underpowered when ridden back-to-back with the rest of this week's company.
19:11 Practicality, seven out of ten.
19:13 Personally, I found the handlebars to be slightly too narrow.
19:16 The wider ones would be much more comfortable.
19:18 For value, it's nine out of ten.
19:20 It's £8,500, and at five and a half grand,
19:23 cheaper than a Harley, it makes lots of sense.
19:26 Well, you're done with Suzuki's Marauder.
19:30 Now, even though the name sounds like something you're more likely to find in an adult novelty store,
19:35 how was the ride?
19:37 I'll tell you what, it's a great bike, this.
19:39 It's not the most powerful. It's 1,600cc, we know, big engine,
19:43 but I'd have expected a little bit more kick.
19:45 You never get massive shove for your cc's with a cruiser, do you?
19:48 You don't, but when you ride it back-to-back with the others, like I just said,
19:51 it is a bit lacking.
19:53 It's not a bad-looking thing. I quite like this front end.
19:56 I'll go with that.
19:57 Bit of Kawasaki mean streak in there, but Kawasaki, of course, got a big hand in this bike.
20:02 It's a big thing, and the thing that makes a lot of sense is it's £1,500 cheaper than the Honda.
20:07 It's £2,500 cheaper than the Kawasaki.
20:10 It's five and a half grand cheaper than the Harley.
20:13 Can you believe that? It's only eight and a half grand.
20:14 I'm glad you sorted that out, because I was always a bit rubbish at maths,
20:17 but I can see your point, and frankly, I couldn't have put that better myself.
20:20 But we're all done with the five motorcycles now.
20:23 All we've got left to do is check up on the scores.
20:25 First up, we had Kawasaki's VN2000, which scored an impressive 31 points.
20:32 Then there was Harley's Fatboy, which scored a much less impressive 24 points.
20:37 Then I went out on Honda's VTX 1800, which came back with 27 points.
20:42 Triumph's Rocket 3 romped itself home with an all-time record score for bike file, 35 points.
20:48 And finally, the excellent value-for-money Suzuki VZ1600, which came in with 30 points.
20:54 All of which means Triumph's Rocket 3 has stomped all over the competition to romp home for the win this week.
21:01 And I'll tell you something, it's not been that close this week, has it?
21:04 It's not. The Harley we would have expected to have done better,
21:07 but you just can't quantify that certain thing they have, and the scores weren't too pretty.
21:10 Not pretty at all. Honda was a little bit lacking in charisma.
21:13 It was. It just didn't quite have the oomph that was needed.
21:16 Marauder did very well, particularly on that price.
21:18 Yeah, about £8,500. Great value-for-money. And not a bad motorcycle.
21:22 Not at all.
21:23 VN2000 is the biggest V-twin motorcycle you can buy.
21:26 And really a very nice thing. Could have been the winner in any other year,
21:29 but frankly, didn't stand a chance against the daddy.
21:33 A country male. A country male.
21:35 Have we had a score this big on bike file before?
21:37 This is the most anything has ever scored on bike file. 35 points.
21:40 Just awesome. Truly awesome.
21:42 It's my favourite bike in the world. Today, tomorrow, next week.
21:45 At least that far ahead, until we get something else.
21:47 All that we've really got left to do is have a bit of a scrap to see who's taking it home tonight.
21:52 Yeah. Well, we'll sort that out, and meanwhile, we'll see you next week
21:55 when we'll have five more bikes on test.
21:57 Right.
21:58 [Music]
22:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]