Bike File: Season 2, Ep. 11

Men and Motors

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.   Do you agree with Paul and Warren? Tell us below in the comments!  Don't forget to subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell so you never miss a video!  ------------------ Enjoyed this video? Don't forget to LIKE and SHARE the video and get involved with our community by leaving a COMMENT below the video!   Check out what else our channel has to offer and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to Men & Motors for more classic car and motorbike content! Why not? It is free after all!  Our website: http://menandmotors.com/  ---- Social Media ----  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menandmotors/ Instagram: @menandmotorstv Twitter: @menandmotorstv  If you have any questions, e-mail us at talk@menandmotors.com  © Men and Motors - One Media iP 2023

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]

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