So if you had to give up your sport bike for a cruiser which one would you get? That Vmax looks pretty sweet. Don't forget we're giving away bikes, so head over to yammienoob.co get entered!
Been there done that. I used to race in the 70s and 80s and in them days I would be wanting a crotch rocket. But I quit riding for a while as I got older waiting for my kids to grow up and then went back into bikes in 2007 but I wanted something fast but I didn't want a crotch rocket anymore so I ended up with a M109R and I've been totally pleased with it ever since
Let me help you out son. 10- harley V-rod( still faster then anything HD makes) 9- yamaha Raider 1900 8- Honda VTX 1800 7-Honda V65 magna ( the OG) 6- Suzuki M109 Boss 5 - Honda Valkyrie or Rune 4- Motus MSTR ( not technically a cruiser but has the best engine of all) 3- Triumph rocket 3 2- Ducati Diavel #1b- VMAX gen1 (dont ever forget it) #1- Vmax Gen 2( incase you forgot)
I'd agree with this list. Yams list is dumb. But that's why you shouldn't listen to someone whose only owned two bikes and crashed purely to see if he could learn a lesson
Vmax hands down. It's my dream bike! Granted, I am very biased to V4's. I'm probably gonna pick up a V45 Magna/Saber as a stepping stone to get there. But some day....
Something about this makes me think all he did was look at the Rocket 3's stat sheet for a brief second then looked at the price tag and then made this video.
I have a rocket 3 GT and it's in last place yeh ok the amount of standard gizmos you get beats the competition especially HD and power and handling it's up there , really up there
@@johnwatson5930 I guess it depends what you are rating them on. This is his personal list. For me the Style, heritage, sound and character are just as important as performance, technology and handling. The feelings i get while riding the bikes. For this reason I also rank the Fat Bob at number 1. If we are ranking them on tech, gizmos and performance then obviously the Diavel and Rocket 3 are going to come out on top. In saying that, the Fat Bob handles quite well, just not when compared to a Diavel.
Cool bike but I hear it corners like a clipper ship. Fast is great, there is no doubt. But a drag bike on the street sounds like it's lacking in the other departments. But always kinda wanted one anyway.
You are where I want to be in life lol I have the Raider and I love that bike one day I want to get a Vmax there both the greatest bikes in my opinion I couldn't pick between them
The Valk is too sophisticated and polite and should never be considered "muscle". I love my Valk and like to think I'm enjoying the road with a magnificent Norse beauty, not riding on the back of John Cena or "The Rock". Eww!
..I was surprised when he said that the Diavel was the fastest bike on the list. The V-Max is a beast of a bike. I am looking to buy another bike, I already own a Rocket 111 and was thinking about the V-Max. Or go for another GSX1400. I'm a big bloke so need a big bike:) As for HD's....never!
@@rufus1346 The Vmax is faster than everything on that list from 0 to 60. 2.5 sec. I have a 2016 Vmax. Bought it new. It will exceed your expectations by 200%. The build quality is fantastic. First service is at 41,000 miles.
@@Jason-sz5zv I am sure I read somewhere that the older ones are the fastest. Something to do with a power valve, or something like that:) They are mad bikes, it is one I want some day for my bucket list.........
Triumph Rocket III, the new standard for the term Cruiser, hands down, both powerful and refined at the same time. Suzuki? Yo Yammie, the 80's wants their Katana back, and the rest of the Japanese Bikes!
My top Muscle cruisers STILL in production would be; 1.) The Yamaha Vmax 1700 2.) Triumph Rocket 3 3. Ducati Diavel 4.) Suzuki M109 5.) Indian Scout An air cooled and/or oil cooled motorcycle would never make my list. If a manufacturer doesn’t want to design a modern liquid cooled engine with smooth reliable performance straight from the factory it shouldn’t imo be compared to brands that do.
I love my scout bobber! I think with exhaust and intake your about 115 hp 105 tq on a bike that barely weighs 500 lbs. And the sheer badass styling is the real breadwinner about it.
Agreed, I love mine. I had a 00 twin cam HD and after that my vmax let me tell you what a huge difference in comfort and power. The first time I hit v boost I couldn’t believe the insane power difference between the two.
Depends On what you're seeking in your bike if pure raw power in a straight line is the only thing you want without anything else then yes vmax is the king of the muscle cruisers. But my first impression riding one was horrible the bike handles like at ass. It doesn't want to do anything besides riding straight which doesn't feel very stable doing so too and every turn the steering was heavy and unpleasant i thought i had a flat front tire. Not in the million years, i would get a Vmax as my only bike or everyday bike. It's horrible around town and you feel every pound of the bike if you going at slower speeds which is fatiguing and defeats the purpose of a cruiser in the first place. To appreciate the bike you need very long country without too much hard twistys or going to a drag strip. I prefer something like Diavel which is only slower than the Vmax in .0.4s in 1/4 mile but handles like at actually sportbike and can be ridden on the track and put superbikes to shame if you know what you're doing, While being very comfortable and easy to ride. Pretty much the best all-around muscle cruiser and good at everything and master of nothing type of bike.
@@bkingtz1 Get vmax test ride and see for yourself the steering is heavy af and overall handling like ass!. No i've never ridden Bking. But i did rode hayabusa which is very close to a bking and handling was very nice specially for the bike it's size. Bking is just a naked version of hayabusa so it must handle just as good.
If you are taking into account style as well as performance then Harley Wins hands down imo. The Fat Bob might not be the fastest or the best handling on the list but for me it wins as an overal package.
@@StateOfMind63 I don’t like to rag on another mans bike but Harley has never been known for performance, in acceleration or handling. I’ve had many bikes including two Harleys. Old air cooled, push rod, heavy steel frame technology can’t run with modern performance. Compare an Indian Scout with a Sportster, eg..There’s no comparison in performance there really. But it’s enough power and handling for you so that’s fine. I give you the style though. But when everyone has the same style, how is it style anymore? Running with the herd is what Harley used to not stand for, and then Harley became popular. But enjoy your slow heavy STYLISH bike. 🙂
@@mikemccormick8115 The 2018 softtails are nothing like the old Dynas though. They dont vibrate anymore, they handle far better too and once you get going you hardly feel the weight. The Fat Bob is definitely not slow and this is coming from a former sports bike rider. It's not the fastest bike i've ridden but its plenty fast enough for its purpose. You're right about the Indian Scouts being superior to Sportsters but i definitely still prefer the New Fat Bob, its much torqier and much comfier.
Let the yam back on. Two harleys, a suzuki, and a victory? You lost your cred. there are ONLY 3 bruisers: VMax, Rocket, and Diavel. I’ve owned the latter two for 5+ years and ridden against harleys probably 50+ times. Never even ever close to the speed from a harley. fast FOR a harley maybe. So grab your bagger and flip flops all you want but 2 harleys atop the bruiser list is a mistake. Good try though.
Sorry but based on feelings and bias I 100% agree with this list!! LOL! Seriously though I would have put the Diavel at #1, but you have to admit there's just something about that Fat Bob styling that is just so modern and muscular. It has to be the best styled muscle cruiser on the list for sure.
I have 3 Vmax's and I got to agree, love riding it full power and that rush of speed, is awesome, its hard to let go, much less give up. Damn, its so smooth and feels right, but it makes me smile!!! lol..They are right, fast as hell and fun!!
I think theoretically the most you'd ever see from that engine is around 200hp, but with some serious mods and by sacrificing a lot of that low end torque. It doesn't make a lot of power because it can't rev very high. It's essentially a car engine, you'll just never get it revving to 10k and making 150hp/l.
my 2011 Fat Bob is a jack of all trades; forward pegs but has capacity to switch out to floor boards, added bags, removable backrest, dual disks up front, massive tires same size as the Road King, 96-in motor and six speed gets me to around 110 mph and does it right away, it just needed a swap on the handlebars to make it more comfortable for the long rides. only takes about 40 minutes to race from ABQ to Santa Fe, or can take a nice meandering ride with a little mama resting comfortable at your back, saddle bags stocked with a picnic. I'm happy with a strong all around bike.
Sorry, Yammie, but a cruiser isn't a cruiser if your foot peg position is under your butt or behind it (creating an acute angle at your knees). Cruisers, in my lexicon, require that your feet be in front of your butt (creating an obtuse angle at your knees). So some of your selections don't qualify as cruisers to me. Having said that, I owned a couple of power cruisers (what they were called when they were in production) that should've made your list, if it included past models: the mighty Honda Valkyrie. Now own a Honda VTX1800, which is also a torque monster. Thanks for doin' what you do, bra.
@Cj Wouldn't do that to a cbr1000rr but for a lot of UJM's you could put forward pegs on them and they'd make great pseudo-cruisers. In my book though, pure cruisers are either standard/forward controls (never rear), and generate peak torque in the lower half of their rev range. The last part is the most important because you're not really cruising if you have to hammer it to get all your power.
Your absolutely right, I dont even consider the diavel or vmax a true muscle cruiser. I use to own a vtx 1800 and it's a badass bike. Enjoy it man! It will leave 600's till about 80mph!
Agreed. I have a 2009 VMAX. It is definitely not a cruiser by the very criteria that you mention. It is a naked muscle bike. The foot position is not an arbitrary choice. Cruisers are feet-forward because the frame has been designed to keep the seat very low so that the rider can put his feet flat on the ground at a stop. This results in the foot controls having to be placed forward otherwise the rider's knees would be practically at chest-level with a standard foot position. The VMAX controls are in what used to be called the standard position with the feet behind the knees and the rider leaning slightly forward into the handlebars. This provides the best compromise between handling and comfort.
CRUISERS!!! Spite you are the man. Really so you sound so laid back and calm its exactly the voice one expects from someone who is into cruising. Keep up the good work team yam.
It depends on what's most important on your checklist: For INSANE power, comfort & supreme reliability, the 2 gen. V-MAX is unbeatable. For an air-cooled V-Twin that puts the Fat Bob to absolute SHAME for engineering & BADASS asthetics, I'd get a Victory Hammer. For a liquid-cooled Big Twin the SUZUKI M109R B.O.S.S.. For a unique looking torque monster I'd go with the new Rocket 3. For a Cruiser/Super Sport, the Diavel. But there's only one Muscle Cruiser (or any bike really) that gave me goosebumps just looking at it which meets my checklist- 1) liquid-cooled 2) plenty of power 3) badass beautiful 4) not high maintenance or over expensive parts 5) Unique as opposed to common 6) American V-Twin- #1; the HD V-ROD MUSCLE is KING in my cycle world!
You gave the Gen1 power specs for the vmax (85-06) the gen2 vmax (07-today) puts down 200hp and 166.8 NM of tq, or about 123ft lbs. Its wet weight is 683 lbs. Its an awesome bike. 😉
Personally I got a Yamaha Raider and def feel it should of been on this list. But I get it’s a personal opinion but glad to see this video 100%. Muscle cruisers are not for the faint of heart
Triumph Thunderbird Storm - 1700cc, Big Bore kit on the Thunderbird, strip off all the stuff that makes it comfortable, black out most of the chrome, put drag bars over the forks and a big fat rear tire on the back.... oh, and give it the Speed Triple headlights. Basically it's the Rocket III's little brother.
I am in love with the Bonneville bobber. It would be close to the least powerful bike on this list, but also would probably weigh the least. Around 80 hp and 80 foot pounds and about 500 pounds, but it is a real head turner and fast enough to have a lot of fun
M109R best muscle cruiser. Actually my first . I purchased it at 58 .I was totally blown away by how an torque. Looks everything about the bike said I'm the man.
My '05 Rocket with a long Super Trapped Predator header, Ramair intake, tune, Triumph full windshield, Triumph Long haul gel seat and backrest, Corbin Beatle bags, triumph rear rack, Kuryakin mirrors, foot boards, and pegs, replaced my sport bikes and my 1100cc drag bike. No it doesn't accelerate like the drag bike BUT I haven't been pulled on by much, it doesn't carve up canyons like the SV1K or esspessially the MuZ Skorpion Club Cup. BUT it'll hang with most street riders on their generic crotch rockets and drag pegs all day. I like it... 41 years racing and riding!!!.
MY FELLOW,MOTORCYCLE RIDER'S,WITH RESPECT TO ALL,OVER MANY YEARS I OWNED MANY MOTORCYCLES NOW & ALSO OF DIFFERENT STYLES & CATAGORIES,WHEN I MOUNT MY V-MAX & TURN THAT THROTTLE,MANY THING'S COURSE THRU MY MIND,HOW DO I CONTROL SUCH A MAD BEAST,IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH,I'M MY FLYING,I LOVE IT.THANK YOU ALL, KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN,SPAZZ.
Gotta chime in here. The Rocket's engine is the biggest production motorcycle engine, not just the biggest triple. Also, you didn't mention the V-Max's descendant the MT-01. A proper suicide machine!
@@kkklll694 that's a Chevy car engine in a motorcycle frame, not a motorcycle engine. The Lazareth also uses a Maserati engine, and the Tomahawk was a concept by Dodge with a V10 Viper mill. There's even a crazy dude in Australia (where else)?) who made a single cylinder, 5-liter motorbike. But that's a one-off and not production.
@@kkklll694 it's a production bike using a car engine. It's not a production motorcycle engine. There are bigger bikes than the Rocket, even bigger production bikes. But they all use engines that are either custom-built, or not originally built for a motorcycle
Story of my life.. got to test ride Fat Bob and loved it… NO test rides for Vmax in my part of the world and managed to ride one a week later from a guy who had bought it previously.. and was blown away.. went back to HD to test ride Fat Bob one more time same day.. i felt it was too slow and just felt it was too light.. and then went and booked a VMAX right after that.. it was a no brainer.. they were priced similarly in 2018.. 3.5 yrs after.. Vmax biggest issue was fuel tank and not the safest feeling at the corners.. but it just feels great revving that throttle.. so VMAX all the way between them.
I traded in my S1000R for a Fat Bob 114. Put a cam, exhaust, tune and better tires on it and it is such a blast to ride. Will it hang with sport bikes? Nope, but it always brings a smile when I pin the throttle coming out of corners. It’s a different experience that has less of a chance of me losing my license, ha. The BMW was far too capable of that.
I'm glad to hear you say "foot Pounds of torque". That's what I heard it called when I first developed an interest in performance internal combustion engines in 1964. Until recently that's how everyone said it. I am sick of people on RU-vid claiming the "correct" way to say it is "pound feet of torque". Look at the way it is abbreviated in spec sheets. 100 ft. lbs., 75 ft. lbs., 330 ft. lbs. You get what I'm getting at. And BTW what happened to Jammie J?
You should include in your list the Honda F6C Valkyrie with its flat 6 cylinder 1800 cc, an outstanding power cruiser. The other outstanding power cruiser in your list is the Yamaha VMAX. Very nice video. Many thanks.
9:32 @ Yamaha Roadstar Warrior. Has to be one of top 5 pound for pound lightest power cruiser. Not fast at 80hp and 100ft lbs of tq but an overall top ten quickest cruisers I bet. Only at a mere 650lbs wet weight stock. Remove stock exhaust and few tasteful aesthic and performance mods and you have a 635-640lb bike with over 100lbs of tq and 90+hp.
I have a2012 Thunderbird storm. She sports 1700cc with 115 ft.lbs. of torque at 2900rpms. Shaft drive. Added on a set of tors giving it a sweet sound . I'm kind of disappointed she wasn't one of your pics,but to each his own. Thanks for letting me interject.
My favorite cruiser/muscle bike is the Honda magna 750 not the most cc in the world but it’s power delivery and weight still make it fun with exhaust and tune
I have a 125cc Intruder too. It's fun and stuff, but I wish I had a bigger engine when a grandpa in his slowmobile overtakes me when I'm going uphill. Not even a joke, this really happened. I promise I'll get an Sv650 this year.
The information in the video is flawed at best when it comes to just about every point made in comparison of these bikes. Also the v max gen 2 is definitely faster than the diavel. I have extensively rode 5 of the 7 bikes on this list (fat bob and rocket 3 gen 2 I have not) and with having a gen 1 and gen 2 v max in my garage I would even put the gen 1 max against most of these bikes in terms of speed, acceleration and power.
I should have added that I have rode a stock fxdr 114 and I will say for a v twin it's fairly quick but it still will be left behind by the rocket, max and diavel.
Shea Samuelson I dunno about left behind. Obvious so many variables, rider, weight, gas etc etc, but the 114 is very overlooked on power with the right upgrades that’s hands down best engine Harley has.
Cuz I also remember when I was 4 years old because I'm 53 now my daddy bought a kz900 and that was the baddest thing out now at the time so I know all about how fast motorcycles go and what they do and I keep up with it pretty much
How about the Yamaha Roadstar Warrior? Direct competition to the M109 and Vrod but lighter with better suspension, brakes and weight. Still the only aluminum frame cruiser as far as I know.
And also muuuuuch slower. 13 sec 1/4 mile stock my dude. There nice and put 5-6k in mods, and ull get into the low 12s high 11s, where as the bikes you mentioned can both do in the 11s stock
Sean Butler In a straight line. Hit the twisties and the Warrior walks away from both (assuming equally skilled rider). I love all the bikes on the list though and would be happy with any one of em.
@@kent6732 that's indicative of a sport bike man, u ever heard of a muscle car that turns well? Nope. That's sport cars. I'm jus saying the warrior doesn't have the giddyup, to be on this list
I don't know how you can pan the Rocket III; it develops MORE than 1 hp per cubic inch! That was considered good for a long time. It's pretty respectable now. As for the Boulevard 109R, a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds is damn good! One has to get in to supercar territory to find a four wheeler of comparable acceleration. As for the Vmax, what can one say? It's the quintessential muscle cruiser; when one mentions muscle cruiser, one thinks Vmax... :)
No. No. No. Vmax is and always will be the king of muscle bikes, power cruisers, performance cruisers, what ever. The original did high 10s low 11s. The gen 2 does low 10s high 9s. THE FAT BOY BARLEY DOES 13.5 IN THE 1/4 MILE.
My Moto Guzzi Audace is just an itty bitty 1400 but it will get all 650 pounds going from 0-60in 3.7 seconds. 96 hp & 89 pound feet of torque its got plenty of get up and go. Italian styling, super comfy, butter smooth engine and ride, and all the electronics you can ask for for 16k. The only problem with owning a Guzzi is they are niche so good luck finding a dealer and service center near you. I would not trade it for any on the list though. But if money was no object, and i had no choice that rocket 3 just tickles my throttle hand every time i see it.
You left off the granddaddy, the largest production V-twin of its day and the bike that singlehandedly shifted the muscle cruiser paradigm. The Honda VTX1800
Great video! A cruiser in the giveaway might actually get me to buy a shirt! Great to hear someone that doesn’t hate on Harley’s on the channel. (Except the Livewire - everyone hates it.).
I have a 2020 H-D Fat Bob 114 and couldn’t agree with you more. The Fat Bob...though not the fastest...is the be all-around muscle cruiser on the list. It gets off the line like nobody’s business. It has an alright range. It looks stunning and get compliments from all walk of bikers. At just under 700lbs wet It leans into turns like a naked sport bike. With minor mods you can jack the power up even further. And last but not least, it’s a freaking Harley!!
I agree on many levels. I have a Low Rider S with a Stage 2. I also own a gen 2 VMAX. Love em both! The VMAX is definitely faster in all areas and to be honest, it is more like riding a naked vs a cruiser. For the all around everything though I do agree on the Harley. The VMAX will be lucky to get 100 miles per tank. If the VMAX could get 150 miles it would be right up there as one of the best all arounders. When I want to cruise and be lazy the LRS is amazing but I can tell you that I can keep up with litter bikes in corners on the VMAX, it handles really well for such a pig. Last note, the VMAX is faster than the Diavel no question.
