[Kevin_Duke]

I have to point out that the Goldwing is about as American as the BMW K1200LT. Why the stretch to leave the big beemer out of the comparo?

1. The GW is designed and built in America; the K12 is not.
2. BMW didn't have an LT in its press fleet.
3. The LT is a bit long in tooth and is scheduled to be replaced within two years, probably with a V-6 engine (scroll near the bottom of this article: 2009 BMW S1000RR - A Closer Look - Motorcycle.com)
4. We only have three staffers/riders who live in SoCal. We'll call you next time around...

Have a fun and healthy '09, my friends!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Did any of them come with a carne asada burrito?

No burritos this time, Buz, but we'll be calling in '09.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Why compare the CVO in this group? Why wouldn't you compare apples to apples and put in the Ultra Classic without all the bling in this comparison?

Cause we wanted max luxury. The non-CVO E-Glide woulda fared worse, and the lower output of its smaller engine would have been really outclassed.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Maybe they should call it the Victory Vulva.

LOL! Good un, Buz!

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Good first post! 35000 rpm.

Jeez, like you guys never made a typo!

And, BigWheel, FYI, a bike produces more hp when measured at the crankshaft (like the OEMs do) than when measured at the rear tire (like magazines do. That's the discrepancy you noted.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Can't we just get back to the topic of how fast a piston goes up and down in a cylinder. Er...

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Wow. Hey guys, the ones that wrote the article. Did you know you were WRONG about everything! That your opinions are wrong and that everyone elses are right!?

You can please some of the people some of the time...

Actually, the point about the Wing's rider triangle being tighter than the others is a valid consideration. However, it didn't seem to bother our tallest tester, Fonzie.

And, as noted, the Vision's rear brake is linked to the front. But for any rider trained to always cover the front brake lever for quickest reactions to situations, we were underwhelmed with the braking response from the front lever and would prefer to also have it linked to the rear brake. Squeezing just the front lever alone doesn't bring the bike down from speed as quickly as we'd like.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Well, it does clearly have a cigarette lighter the Wing lacks...

 

[Kevin_Duke]

We were also surprised by the numbers from the Harley. Bikes typically lose from 10-15% on a rear-wheel dyno compared to a manu's crankshaft-derived readings. So either our test bike was performing sub-par or H-D is a bit optimistic in its ratings. We'd suspect the former.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Harley Davidson: "Say what you will about H-D products, but the Ultra wins my vote for Coolest Bike in this test. From the paint to the chrome to the iconic style, there is something reassuringly familiar with its style." Those wise words come from salty road dog Kevin Duke.
Honda Gold Wing: • Styling is getting dated, or at least is starting to look too much like the past iterations. We'll take that update any time now, Honda!
Why is the H-D iconic yet not dated after over 100 years of the same basic look, yet the Honda is dated after about 10 years in its present design. You people are hypocrites!!!

The key to my point is that the H-D has "iconic" styling. The Wing is an touring-bike icon, but because of its styling. That said, we don't blame you if you think the Ultra's styling is too dated for your tastes. If so, you have the Vision as an alternative.

 

[Kevin_Duke]

Good point about the legroom on the GW. Tall riders may feel cramped. A taller aftermarket seat can provide extra room. I can't agree that heat from the cylinder heads is a major issue.