First off, I think the new breed of high-performance cruisers look a lot better than the retro type. I just KNOW, however, that there'll be lots and lots of crashed power cruisers available before too long (perhaps the only way to get a V-Rod at an affordable price?).
I envision aging sportbike-to-cruiser refugees extending the handling envelope only to discover that the lack of ground clearance, vague front-end feedback, and the feet-forward put-all-your-weight-on-your-butt riding position intrisic to the whole cruiser genre are incongruous to a motorcycle portending to be sporty.
What's needed is either a re-done V-Max, or a top-of-the-line sportbike with an upright seating position and some actual visceral appeal (rules out FZ1's and the like). That new Hayabusa-based monstrosity (forgot the moniker) that's been pictured on the internet of late is promising, save for the upchuck-inducing styling, as is the Yamaha MT-01 (the 1600cc Road Star based concept bike paraded around the web about a year ago).
I'm a long-time sportbike rider who's now old, fat, and arthritic enough to find an upright, roomy riding position appealing. But I can't help but feel that after my first spirited ride on a circuitous road aboard any of the new machines just tested, I'd find myself trading it in on a new Interceptor or ST4s and buying tons of Ibuprofin to deal with the ensuing pain.
