Mid-Size Baggers Comparison Test

Southern California has its problems, but lack of good places to go for a ride isn’t one of them, even in February. We shoved off from CW HQ in Irvine under warm, partly cloudy skies and rode a couple of hours southeast to Lake Henshaw, elevation 2656 feet, where the temperature was in the 40s and dropping fast. And it was beginning to rain. The snowplow that pulled up out front while we were swilling coffee and beef barley soup was not encouraging. So instead of executing Plan A and turning right to ride to Julian (elevation 4221 ft.), where they were expecting six inches of snow, we took a left and then a right and then another left onto S22, which plunges from Ranchita (4057 ft.) to Borrego Springs (elevation 590 ft.) in 11 miles of spectacular, deserted pavement. Up top in Ranchita, the first flurries were beginning to swirl from a low, iron-gray sky. Twenty minutes later, we were peeling off layers of clothing in warm sunshine under swaying palm trees.

On sportbikes, in svelte leathers, we might not have made it (given the forecast, we might not have even made the attempt). But behind these bikes’ big windshields, and thanks to all the winter gloves and extra layers we were able to pack (an electric vest was already wired up and in the Honda’s left bag if it came down to it), things never got much worse than “chilly.” Our experience on the road shows that mid-sized baggers have definitely evolved. Some more than others.

The Honda Interstate, for instance, has barely evolved from the Fury chopper Honda introduced in 2009. You can practically hear the boardroom conversation. We need a bagger! Lop the trunk off the Gold Wing! But that'll take time, Spock, we need a bagger now! How about a Shadow? No, 745cc is too small. What's left? The Fury! On with the bags, footboards and windshield. Done!

on a motorcycle for once; we conveniently swapped him onto the Honda at precisely the beginning of the best part of S22. Guest tester Todd Eagan and I were then left alone to duke it out down the mountain on the Suzuki and Star as Dudek wobbled off in our mirrors like a man trying hard not to do any off-road editing on this day. Later, in the bar (where Dudek was uncharacteristically scared straight), there were comparisons to the Honda and a hook-and-ladder fire truck.

Really the Honda is not that bad, but the V Star 1300 Tourer and Suzuki C90T B.O.S.S. are both surprisingly convincing at playing sportbike, like a pair of graceful dancing bears. Both bikes go happily and swiftly around corners, feathering their chunky cruiser tires nearly to the edges, and both have power to leave the Honda behind on the straights, the Suzuki by way of 150cc more displacement, and the Star via a way more oversquare, rev-happy V-Twin. In the end, the Suzuki wins the sport-riding battle partly because its rear-brake master cylinder is in a better spot; the Star's cornering clearance on the right is compromised by its master cyclinder being located under the footboard. The B.O.S.S. heels right over, feels stubby and short, with the rider shoved farthest forward toward the 44mm fork tubes for good front-end feel, and its firm-enough suspension does the best job keeping it on the level. On this bike, the Duder could probably beat eight out of 10 guys on new Aprilia RSV 4s on S22. Downhill, anyway. (Maybe uphill, too? The dyno tells us the Suzuki makes 86.5 foot-pounds of torque 1000 rpm sooner than the other bikes' low 70s readings, and 69 horsepower to the Yamaha's 67 and the Honda's 57.)

Later that night, Borrego felt like it was in the eye of a hurricane. We looked up at desert stars through a big hole of circling clouds, then slept through a Biblical deluge. Bright desert sunshine in the windless morning revealed fresh snow extending far down the mountainsides. Our motel offered a Continental breakfast, but didn’t specify which continent. A malnourished one, probably Africa. Spotty banana? Tepid coffee? I wipe the rain off the bikes with the hotel towels, and we ride!

immediately, with its comfy seat, standard backrest and most spacious saddlebags. The Honda’s passenger pad, meanwhile, is narrow and slopes rearward. The Suzuki’s passenger seat is good, too, but you’ll spend another couple hundred for the backrest, on what’s already a pricey motorcycle at $13,999. With ABS, our test Honda is also a bit spendy at $14,240 ($1K more than the non-ABS model). The Star’s $12,290 makes it the bargain here.

Eagan tells us the Yamaha rides like the world's best '54 FLH Harley-Davidson, and we'll have to take his word for that, though we know for a fact no Harley from that era runs as smooth and has as much power in reserve as this thing does. The 1304cc eight-valve Twin we loved in the Star Stryker last year also works great in this application, and the five-speed gearbox works okay, though not as happily as the Suzuki's best-in-show transmission. The Yamaha passes power on to the rear wheel through a nice, efficient belt; the other two are shaft-driven. The Suzuki won the bagger GP coming down the mountain, but the Star gets it back when it comes to straightline plushness, with 4.3 inches of travel out back and 5.3 in front. Smooth sailing. But the B.O.S.S. is right there on smooth roads, with 804 fully fueled pounds of blacked-out bulk to smooth out any wrinkles its slightly tauter suspension lets through.

None of the leather-covered ABS bags (the Suzuki’s may be pleather) on these bikes are big enough to contain a helmet (all three bikes have helmet locks), but any storage on a motorcycle is, of course, better than none at all. Each machine has plenty of room for a warmer jacket and overpants, a rolled-up rainsuit, shaving kit, etc.—all the stuff you’d carry on a weekend ride. Packing for two will be more challenging, but it’s doable if you’re efficient.