Street Motorcycle

Remember the FLHS?
Harley-Davidson never really discontinued the Electra-Glide Sport, they merely created two models from one. First came the Road King, a stunning model resplendant in chrome and classic styling touches. Now weve got our hands on the second spawn from the Sports demise, Harleys FLHT, or Electra Glide Standard.
The FLHT is less expensive than its Road King cousin, for it lacks that models extra chrome and optional fuel injection. But if youre worried that your Electra Glide might come up short when compared to The King, fear not - for this bike is much more than just an Elvis impersonator.
Differences start at the front where our Standard wears a wide touring fairing in place of the Sports smaller windscreen. Instruments have moved from the original tank-mounted location and are now fairing-mounted. Our only complaint with the layout was a gaping hole left in the dash where a stereo should be. We dont have a problem with Harley lowering its price by not fitting a stereo, but surely they could place a little plastic door over the area so owners might get some extra storage space for small items.
Besides the stereo, other cost-cutting areas include chrome. While some FLHs have chrome engine covers and saddlebag trim, an Electra Glide does without and instead relies on the appeal of its basic black paint and real steel.
But while you dont get fancy chrome or a stereo, you do get that wonderful 80 cubic inch lump of Milwaukee iron. Im sure lab tests would show that rumblings from a Big Twin send alpha waves directly to your brain and cause the release of endorphins.
Normally we lean heavily towards bikes that lean heavily, but when we rode the Electra Glide, we always found ourselves taking the long way home or getting up just a little earlier on Sunday to go for some wandering day trip. This bike has a way of doing that to you.

Contributing to that relaxed feel is a frame that has been redesigned for all 97 FLHs. Seat height has been lowered to just 28 inches, nearly a full inch lower than previous models. That lower, and heavier braced, frame enabled Harley designers to create a seat that was narrower at its front, meaning your legs dont have to splay as wide to reach the ground. Other advantages of the new frame include a repositioned fuse console and larger battery. Previously there was little room under the seat, so fuses were stored in the fairing. Now theyve found a home under the left panel, where they can be accessed without tools. Increased under-seat room has also meant an increase in battery size, with amp-hours jumping 50% from 20 to 30. A final bonus is that just 11 fasteners are now used to hold the luggage and rear fender assembly together, as opposed to the older designs complex array of nuts and bolts.
One cost-cutting measure that we dont care for is the lack of fuel injection. Harley impressed us with their injected Road King and Electra Glide Ultra Classic and their easy starting and clean response. The only downside was that FI chips werent programmable for riders who wanted to make modifications, something that has been changed this year. Wed like to see fuel injection offered as an option.
Fuel injection or not, our Electra Glide started easily and soon settled into that familiar its-gonna-stall idle. Vibration is almost non-existent thanks to the rubber-mounted engine and floorboards. Power is just what youd expect - piles of torque and bottom-end grunt. Hell, you can leave traffic lights in fifth gear if you want. That same stump-pulling torque makes for easy cruising around town and on the highways. Theres power everywhere, so shifting is an option rather than a necessity. Just roll on the throttle and let the engine do the rest.
Despite its portly 742-pound (336kg) dry weight, corners can actually be enjoyed. Ground clearance is respectable for a heavyweight, although grinding floorboards is still easy. The new frames lower center of gravity makes parking lot manouevering easier than youd expect. Soft suspension allows some wallowing in quicker corners, but not so much as to put you in a panic. Our only complaint came from the suspensions lack of response to larger bumps, which rock the bike hard. Removing the right saddlebag and adding air to both front and rear suspension is easy and helps somewhat, but rough pavement will still jolt you.
When you get away from torn up urban pavement the Electra Glides soft springs make for a comfortable cruise. Highway miles roll by with no complaints of buffeting, crappy seats or tiring vibration. Just click it into top gear, twist the thumb-operated friction cruise-control and enjoy the view. However, in cooler weather you might want to wear chaps or at least heavy pants as the Electra Glide leaves your knees in the breeze.
On crowded two-lane highways, the lack of passing power is a problem. This engine clearly doesnt enjoy speeds over 85mph, although it will huff and puff its way to 90. Another complaint is saddlebags that look great and remove quickly (just two Dzus fasteners), but arent practical for carrying once off the bike. Optional pull-out liners would be a wise purchase.
Riding a Harley, particularly a Big Twin, is somehow different than other bikes. No, were not falling victim to all the marketing hype that says "Things are different on a Harley." Your life wont change, at least not dramatically. Your dog is still stupid and your cereal will still get soggy. What you will get when you buy a Harley is a truly satisfying bike that holds its value. An Electra Glide Standard has everything that makes Harleys great: Classic styling, a torquey motor and easy maintainence. At $12,495, its almost $2,000 cheaper than a Road King and a whopping $5,255 less than Harleys Ultra Classic. With those extra bucks you could have a lot of fun customizing an Electra Glide to fit your own touring personality. But even if you leave it as is from the factory, this Harley is anything but standard.
Specifications

Manufacturer: Harley-Davidson
Model: 1997 FLHT Electra Glide Std.
Price: $12,495
Engine: V-twin OHV Evolution
Bore and Stroke: 3.498 by 4.250 in.
Displacement: 1340cc
Carburetion: 40mm CV Keihin
Transmission: 5-speed constant mesh
Wheelbase: 63.5 in.
Seat Height: 25.25 in.
Fuel Capacity: 5 gallon/.9 reserve (18.95 litres)
Claimed Dry Weight: 742 lbs (336.57 kg)

Supposedly, there are only two types of motorcyclists -- those who like to cruise easy in comfort and those who like to make fast, regular trips to the chiropractor. However, Honda figured out a long time ago (1981 actually), that there were a select few that wanted to lounge in comfort and tear up the asphalt. For these hybrid riders Honda created the V45 Magna and, a year later, the V65 Magna.
Long and low, the Magna impresses with its 28-inch seat height.
The V65 went the way of the dodo bird a few years later, as reliability problems occurred with its larger, 1100cc motor (V65 refers to cubic inches). The V45 remains; however, its accouterments have changed over the years.
Todays Magna shares the designation of "power cruiser" alongside Yamahas V-Max and Harley-Davidsons XL1200S Sportster Sport, although, with its V-4 sportbike engine dropped into a chassis designed to cruise, it has more in common with Kawasakis Eliminator. Motorcycle styles have come and gone, and so has the Magnas. In the eighties its looks were typified by a tall, narrow profile. In the fashion-conscious nineties, the Magna has undergone an entire make-over, first with upswept pipes and a bikini fairing, and now with its long, low cruiser clothing.
"However, a word to the wise: Dont be fooled. Its no cruiser."Four-into-four exhaust is cool, drum brakes are not. Today the Magna shares its four-cylinder engine with the VFR750F, a bike long honored by motojournalists (yes, us too) as the most livable sportbike ever made. Similarly hailed by motorcycle press everywhere as the best cruiser in the world, the Magna raised our expectations. We salivated at the thought of long rides into the sunset, with its new pipes and cam timing for even more torque and a cool, laid back feel.
When we took the Magna out for a 300 mile trip, we were disappointed for a number of reasons. First, its soft seat, while good for short jaunts around town, took its toll on the posterior, as your butt sinks into oblivion. Second, the bars were positioned at exactly the right angle to catch every single molecule of air that streams toward the pilot. The massive rectangular radiator sticks out like a sore thumb on the otherwise pretty front end.
Unless you have a steel grip, speeds of over 85mph are darn near impossible, and cruising over 75mph is very uncomfortable. We suggest purchasing Honda-lines $132 bikini fairing.
Next, just as your shoulders start to separate and your derriere is devoured by the seat, the engine starts to lose power and bog down. Darn, we were almost out of gas. After only about 110 miles on the open road (85 in the city), its time to refill.
On a more positive note, we did like the narrow ratio gearbox, its solid and smooth, but is geared wrong for a cruiser. It has tall first and top gears that have you revving five to six large on the highway.

"We saw the engines full potential as it rose past the buzzy 7-8 grand range and up into motorcycle nirvana."
Our next several jaunts on the Mag were casual city commuting and boulevard cruising. Here the high, wide bars and the soft seat are right at home, but we discovered new concerns.
While not apparent on the highway, in the city we found midrange carburetion problems. Cruising between 4000 and 5000 rpm, the Magna tends to lean-surge, and pushing through this we felt a wide flat-spot that lasts until 7000 rpm (see dyno charts). However, at that point, youre probably feeling sorry for the poor engine and youll want to shift soon.
The answer (obviously enough) is to lug the engine at lower rpm, but this leaves you with only about 25 horsepower to work with.
After its inauspicious beginning, things didnt look bright for the V-four. Fortunately, one day we got bored sitting around the office and went for a spin in the canyons. There we found the Magnas home. Hanging out with the relative slugs from our Middleweight Cruiser Test, the Magna dusted them. Its firm, compliant suspension soaked up the bumps and kept its composure through the turns.
The flat spot was still present, but the lean-surge wasnt a problem with constant rolling of the throttle and the ever-changing revs. The varied and aggressive environment of the twisties also gave us a chance to open up the throttle and scream, and we finally saw the engines full potential as it rose past the buzzy 7-8 grand range and up into motorcycle nirvana.
Please email flames about the helmet here. Are we saying that the Magna is actually a sportbike in disguise? Not exactly. Do not attempt to hang with Ducatis and GSX-R750s in your local thrash zone, because unless theyre ridden by total squids, youll end up dusted or dead.
And while ground clearance is ample for a spirited cruise through the tight stuff, at a full sport pace either you will scrape parts off the bike or your body parts off the bottom of a ravine.
Thus, having glimpsed the potential of this bike, wed like to offer a few suggestions to turn this slightly flawed bike into a truly great motorcycle. A few suggestions regarding the Magna we recently tested: A different cam for more bottom end. Clean up the carburetion. Lose the plastic. Clean up the components, radiator. Put a good seat on it ala ACE 750.


Specifications:

Manufacturer: Honda
Model: 1997 VF750C Magna
Price: $7499
Engine: dohc 4-valve 90-degree V-four
Bore x stroke: 70mm x 48.6mm
Displacement: 748cc
Carburetion: four 34mm CV
Transmission: 5-speed
Wheelbase: 65.0 in.
Seat height: 28.0 in.
Fuel capacity: 3.6 gal.

Sold right alongside BMWs new dual-purpose single will be its fraternal twin, the F650 Street. As the name implies, this is a more street-oriented version of the F650. Both bikes share spoke wheels, but the ST uses an 18-inch front rim, one inch smaller than the F650. The result is quicker steering and a lower seat height for the ST. Tires are chosen purely for road work, with a set of Metzeler street tires replacing the F650s enduro rubber. Other differences include a lower windscreen on the ST, designed to function more effectively at higher speeds (although the F650s taller screen will bolt right on the ST). The STs handlebars are narrower, allowing a more tucked-in position for freeway riding while the F650s wider bars allow more leverage off-road. Front
fender design differs between the two bikes as well. A higher unit is fitted to the F650 to provide more clearance for dirt and mud, and side extensions cover the lower fork legs to protect them from stones chips. Also offering more protection is the F650s front engine plate which tucks in tighter to protect the engine, while the STs functions more as an aerodynamic spoiler.
All of the options available for the F650 can be fitted to the F650ST.

Specifications:

 
Manufacturer:  BMW
Model: F650ST
Price:  $7,490
Engine: Liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve single
Bore x stroke: 100 by 83mm
Displacement: 652cc
Carburetion: (2) Mikuni constant-vacuum
Transmission:  5-speed
Wheelbase: 58.3 inches
Seat height: 28.9 to 30.9 inches
Fuel capacity: 4.6 gallons
Claimed wet weight: 421 lbs.

SUZUKI RGV 250 GAMMA 247 (1987 - 1997) Description & History:

SUZUKI RGV 250 GAMMA 247 1987 - 1997 Full Specifications:
Brand: SUZUKI, Model: RG, Type: RGV 250 GAMMA 1987, Name Year: RGV 250 GAMMA 247 1987 - 1997, Engine Type:  Water-cooled, 2-stroke, V-twin, Displacement: 249 cm3, Bore Xstroke: 2.20x1.99 in OR 55.9x50.5 mm, Compression: 7.5:1, Horsepower: 33(45)/8500 KW(hp)/RPM, Torque: 27/8000 lb-ft/RPM OR 37/8000 Nm/RPM, Fuel System: Mikuni VM32SS Carburetor, Gearbox: 6 Speed, Clutch: -, Primary Drive: -, Final Drive: Chain, Frame: -, Front Suspension: Telescopic, Coil Spring, Oil Damped, Spring 5-way Adjustable, Rear Suspension: Full-floating Suspension, Gas/coil Spring, Front Brake: Twin 300 Mm Disc, 4-piston Calieprs, Rear Brake: Single 210 Mm Disc, 2-piston Calipers, Length: 79.3 in OR 2014 mm, Width: 27.4 in OR 696 mm, Seat Height: 29.7 in OR 754 mm, Wellbase: 54.1 in OR 1374 mm, Ground Clearance: 4.7 in OR 119 mm, Weight: 282 lbs OR 128 kg, Fuel Capacity: -, Tyres Front: 110/70-17, Tyres Rear: 140/60-18.