Large-Displacement Cruisers for Fun in the Fast Lane 

An engine defines a motorcycle. Character, response, feel and aesthetics all depend on the engine’s performance, sound and configuration. And when it comes to engines, American riders know that bigger is better. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the all-American genre of heavyweight power cruisers.

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Big is truly the operative word with these machines—big engines cranking out effortless torque, with big frames, long wheelbases, wide rear tires and curb weights in excess of 600 pounds.

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We rounded up some of the largest of the large in this category, with V-twins from Kawasaki, Big Dog, and Victory. To this traditional mix we added the 6-cylinder, automotive-styled, retro-futurist Honda Valkyrie Rune. Shown originally as an F6 Goldwing design concept in 2000, it was then called the Neo-Retro.

Honda spent about three years bringing this ultra-show custom to the street, virtually unchanged from the original styling exercise. With the exception of the genre-bending Rune, the V-twins appear to be nearly identical; there is little in the way of styling cues to directly tie any of them to a specific manufacturer. Each has the low Barcalounger seating position, with forward pegs or floorboards and heel/toe shifting.

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With muscle-bound monikers like Vulcan, Bulldog and Kingpin, the look of these bikes is Arlen Ness by way of Willie G—a curved fuel tank, massive forks and a valanced rear fender covering a fat tire. The trademark V-twin engines have a cylinder angle ranging from the traditional 45 degrees on the Bulldog’s S&S, to the 52 degrees of the Kawasaki Vulcan’s massive power unit. Here, the traditions of the cruiser niche dictate the configuration, rather than the latest in current engine design.

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The Vulcan, at 125 cubic inches, is the largest displacement V-twin power cruiser ever. With its water-cooled, pushrod 4-valve heads and air-cooled cylinders, this engine is simply the torque monster of the group. Where the other bikes are content to produce a more-than-generous 95 foot-pounds of useful twist, the 116-horsepower Kawasaki effortlessly delivers 143 ft lbs of torque at only 3,000 rpm. That’s a stunning number that makes its slick-shifting 5-speed gearbox redundant, while offering colossal acceleration in any gear, from any speed. Need to pass a truck? Just leave it in fifth and twist. The 50-to-90-mph jump is accomplished in less than a moment, accompanied by a relaxed heartbeat from this incredible powerplant.

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Visual inspection of the Vulcan reinforces its heavy-power cruiser role. “Well, it is built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and that about says it all,” said one of the testers. This barrel-chested bike carries its 750-pound dry weight high, and the side-stand keeps it parked at a shallow angle. It’s a machine for those who prefer a little heft in their rides; just getting it off the stand requires significant body mass and a good sense of balance.

Around town, the rider is always aware of the Vulcan’s ample avoirdupois. However, once up and rolling, the bike is an excellent cruiser, with unflappable straight-line stability and a compliant ride. With elephantine torque to match its one-third ton weight, it is completely undisturbed by such things as 40-mph winds or the wake of a semi disappearing in the mirrors.

The Victory Kingpin is a triple-refined American twin. The 92-cubic-inch V—polished, chrome-accented and fuel-injected—is the “little” engine in this group. Fortified with overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it serves up typical big V-twin torque, supplying effortless acceleration regardless of the selected gear.

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The Kingpin’s workmanship and materials are first rate. Fit, finish and dead-on power cruiser styling, combined with comfortable ergonomics and excellent brakes, make it the thinking rider’s cruiser. The bike carries its weight low, making it very easy to maneuver and a willing playmate on the road. It is user-friendly and always available for that quick trip to the post office or a long weekend cruise.

Thumb the bespoke starter switches of Big Dog’s Bulldog, and the drag-racing-inspired, 107-cubic-inch S&S roars to life. Even at 630 pounds, the motorcycle melts away and leaves you with just the engine in all of its thumping, thrusting glory. Twist the throttle and the response is instantaneous—more like a sportbike than a heavy cruiser. Equipped with a 6-speed gearbox, the enthusiastic S&S is always in a sweet spot in its powerband, with an abundance of torque ready to roll on.

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The low stance and bobbed rear fender, exposing that enormous 240 rear tire, showcase the look of performance. This bike has the feel and appearance of a spec-built custom, evidenced by the upside-down fork, polished engine and PM-machined wheels. Compared with the other bikes, the Bulldog is incredibly narrow, with a body scarcely wider than the mirror-finished heads of the 107 hp S&S engine.

The Bulldog is a visceral machine that puts the rider in touch with the engine and road in a way that has long since been lost to major manufacturers. Just starting it up is enough to put a big smile on the rider’s face. One tester, upon finishing a quick run, summed it up nicely: “If you don’t like it, the thing might just take you out back and beat you up.”

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The Honda Rune is a cruiser from another planet. Its styling screams show custom, but its riding qualities are significantly different from those of the traditional power cruisers. The massive, horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine carries its weight low, and the apparent heft disappears with the realization that little effort is necessary to lift it off the side-stand. The ergonomics are different as well, with the pegs and foot controls located in a more conventional position below the rider.

The Rune, refined to the limits of current single-track vehicle science, is the exact opposite of the Bulldog. The Goldwing engine defines the machine, and offers up power with turbine smoothness and acceleration that feels as though it is thrust from jet exhaust outlets rather than rear-wheel motivation. The retro-designed front fork is compliant and controlled, and equal to the task of suspending this large motorcycle, as is the modern single-sided swingarm rear suspension.

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Comfortable, smooth and incredibly quick, it is still one long, large motorcycle. U-turns require a certain amount of planning, but that magnificent view over the long chrome front end makes it all worthwhile. 

A rare example of a factory getting  ahead of the custom builders and stylists, the Rune is the chopped 1951 Merc lead sled to the others’ 1932 highboy origins. Yet, the Rune is more than a styling statement. It shows Honda’s willingness to do something different, redefining the custom origins of the power cruiser genre.

BIG POWER

Victory, Kingpin Price = $14,999 Engine = 1507cc Dry weight = 639lbs	Honda, Valkyrie Rune Price = $26,999 Engine = 1832cc Dry weight = 794lbs
Kawasaki, Vulcan 2000 Price = $14,499 Engine = 2053cc Dry weight = 750 lbs	Big Dog, Bulldog Price = $28,900 Engine = 1750cc Dry weight = 630lbs

PLANE TALK

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What better backdrop for our rumbling power cruisers than a fleet of World War II combat aircraft now enjoying active retirement at Camarillo Airport in Camarillo, Calif. With guns and armor removed, these former predators are sport aircraft, used in a manner not unlike our test bikes. Their Warbird pilots fly in formation, and alight at some little airport diner before taking off for more of the same. On the way, they engage in a little dog fighting,  some aerobatics and general fun and games. Sound familiar?

The appeal is in the power and the finesse of operating these specialized aircraft and their large, powerful piston engines. Most of these powerplants are in a radial configuration, with cylinders arranged around barrel-shaped crankcases. With seven or nine cylinders arrayed at 40 to 50 degrees, often in rows of two or four, these engines range from about 1,820 cubic inches all the way to the 36-cylinder Pratt and Whitney R-4360 with more than 3,000 hp.

With a cylinder angle not unlike that of our V-twin cruisers, these radial engines have the syncopated beat of a parking lot full of idling S&S-powered Bulldogs. This is a sound and feel that is hard to get enough of. No wonder so many owners of round-engine aircraft also have 45-degree V-twins parked in their hangars.

Our bikes’ photo companions include a finely restored WWII B25 bomber with a pair of 2,600-cubic-inch, 1,700-hp, 14-cylinder CurtissWright Cyclone 2600 radials; and an early ’50s T-28 Navy trainer with a 2-speed, supercharged, 1,425-hp Curtiss-Wright Cyclone R1820 9-cylinder radial engine.

With its unusual design and power unit, the ground-breaking Honda Rune has something in common with the P-38 also pictured here. Conceived in 1938, the P-38 was the first twin-engine fighter; the first to utilize turbocharged, water-cooled, 1,710-cubic-inch Allison V-12 engines; the first to set down on tricycle landing gear; and the only fighter used in all theaters of  WWII. Its look was revolutionary back then, and it is perhaps the most beautiful aircraft ever built.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning courtesy of Commemorative Air Force, Southern California Wing,  www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal

North American B-25 Mitchell courtesy of the American Aeronautical Foundation (AAF Museum) at Camarillo

North American T-28 Trojan courtesy of C&J Sales, www.t28sales.com,  800.828.3597