This is a double-dutch throwdown of two Motorcycling Heavyweights: Arlen Ness, the self-proclaimed King of Choppers, versus the man who helped re-define cruisers, Willie G. Davidson. Arlen, a longtime supporter and proponent of the Harley brand, banished to the wilderness by a Milwaukee giant eager to keep aftermarket dollars in-house, has shifted his design focus to a young upstart company whose flowing designs jibe so well with his own. Willie G., scion of the founding fathers, has honed the H-D design team to a point where it arguably contributes more to H-D’s success than anything else. When these two guys go to town, it might be a good idea to lay low until the thunder passes.inline_mediumwraptextright0032725704/roadtests/1006_crup_factory_custom_tourers1006_crup_01_z+factory_custom_tourers_shoot_out+road.jpgtrue

Photo Gallery: Factory Custom Tourers – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: Factory Custom Tourers – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

This is a double-dutch throwdown of two Motorcycling Heavyweights: Arlen Ness, the self-proclaimed King of Choppers, versus the man who helped re-define cruisers, Willie G. Davidson. Arlen, a longtime supporter and proponent of the Harley brand, banished to the wilderness by a Milwaukee giant eager to keep aftermarket dollars in-house, has shifted his design focus to a young upstart company whose flowing designs jibe so well with his own. Willie G., scion of the founding fathers, has honed the H-D design team to a point where it arguably contributes more to H-D’s success than anything else. When these two guys go to town, it might be a good idea to lay low until the thunder passes.

Photo Gallery: Factory Custom Tourers – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: Factory Custom Tourers – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Highway 76 drops steeply and fast as it unfurls out of the Palomar Mountain Range into Warner Springs, and the Led Zeppelin opus churning out of the Stratoliner’s speakers makes me ride faster than I normally would. So when the two-laner widens and straightens out its relentless kinks, I pull over and contemplate changing the iPod’s playlist to something more mellow, like say Johnny Cash, or heck, even Sinatra. After all, we’re headed toward the serene-but-swinging desert city of Rancho Mirage.inline_mediumwraptextright00Helmet: Sparx S-07 Retro
Jacket: Shift Vantage
Jeans: Esquad
Boots: Forma Sonic Winter
Gloves: Star27302663/roadtests/1006_crup_2010_star_stratoliner_deluxe1006_crup_01_z+2010_star_stratoliner_deluxe+side_view.jpgtrue

Photo Gallery: First Ride: 2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Ride: 2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Highway 76 drops steeply and fast as it unfurls out of the Palomar Mountain Range into Warner Springs, and the Led Zeppelin opus churning out of the Stratoliner’s speakers makes me ride faster than I normally would. So when the two-laner widens and straightens out its relentless kinks, I pull over and contemplate changing the iPod’s playlist to something more mellow, like say Johnny Cash, or heck, even Sinatra. After all, we’re headed toward the serene-but-swinging desert city of Rancho Mirage.

Photo Gallery: First Ride: 2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: First Ride: 2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

We know most cruiser riders just want to… well, cruise. But there’s a significant subset of cruiser riders who either come from sportier backgrounds or are simply more aggressive in attacking the roads. These riders don’t want to be spooned onto a sportbike’s torture rack, preferring a more feet-forward riding position, but still want ground clearance, handling, and power. They seek out roads that wind through twists and turns, and hopefully gorgeous countryside. There are machines that take this formula to the extreme, like Star’s VMAX, but that bike’s 190 rear-wheel horsepower requires a fairly high degree of skill and concentration to ride, and it’s more than we’re talking about here. At the same time, a traditional cruiser, with its considerable weight and squishy, comfortable suspension can also be a handful, touching down regularly and bouncing through the curves. No, these riders would prefer a bike that operated much like an extension of themselves, lithely taking the demands of the road and letting it flow through them naturally. Casual Aggression if you will, or more simply, just fun bikes.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Star Midnight Warrior vs. 2010 Triumph Thunderbird – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2010 Star Midnight Warrior vs. 2010 Triumph Thunderbird – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

We know most cruiser riders just want to… well, cruise. But there’s a significant subset of cruiser riders who either come from sportier backgrounds or are simply more aggressive in attacking the roads. These riders don’t want to be spooned onto a sportbike’s torture rack, preferring a more feet-forward riding position, but still want ground clearance, handling, and power. They seek out roads that wind through twists and turns, and hopefully gorgeous countryside. There are machines that take this formula to the extreme, like Star’s VMAX, but that bike’s 190 rear-wheel horsepower requires a fairly high degree of skill and concentration to ride, and it’s more than we’re talking about here. At the same time, a traditional cruiser, with its considerable weight and squishy, comfortable suspension can also be a handful, touching down regularly and bouncing through the curves. No, these riders would prefer a bike that operated much like an extension of themselves, lithely taking the demands of the road and letting it flow through them naturally. Casual Aggression if you will, or more simply, just fun bikes.inline_mediumwraptextrightGear:
Helmet: Shoei RF-1100
Jacket: Icon Victory Death Or Glory
Pants: Shift Torque
Boots: Alpinestar Soho
Gloves: Vanson Saturn27964894/roadtests/1004_crup_2010_star_warrior_vs_2010_triumph_thunderbird1004_crup_02_z+2010_star_warrior+.jpgTrue

Photo Gallery: 2010 Star Midnight Warrior vs. 2010 Triumph Thunderbird – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2010 Star Midnight Warrior vs. 2010 Triumph Thunderbird – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

We know most cruiser riders just want to… well, cruise. But there’s a significant subset of cruiser riders who either come from sportier backgrounds or are simply more aggressive in attacking the roads. These riders don’t want to be spooned onto a sportbike’s torture rack, preferring a more feet-forward riding position, but still want ground clearance, handling, and power. They seek out roads that wind through twists and turns, and hopefully gorgeous countryside. There are machines that take this formula to the extreme, like Star’s VMAX, but that bike’s 190 rear-wheel horsepower requires a fairly high degree of skill and concentration to ride, and it’s more than we’re talking about here. At the same time, a traditional cruiser, with its considerable weight and squishy, comfortable suspension can also be a handful, touching down regularly and bouncing through the curves. No, these riders would prefer a bike that operated much like an extension of themselves, lithely taking the demands of the road and letting it flow through them naturally. Casual Aggression if you will, or more simply, just fun bikes.inline_mediumwraptextrightGear:
Helmet: Shoei RF-1100
Jacket: Icon Victory Death Or Glory
Pants: Shift Torque
Boots: Alpinestar Soho
Gloves: Vanson Saturn27964894/roadtests/1004_crup_2010_star_warrior_vs_2010_triumph_thunderbird1004_crup_02_z+2010_star_warrior+.jpgTrue

Photo Gallery: 2010 Star Midnight Warrior vs. 2010 Triumph Thunderbird – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2010 Star Midnight Warrior vs. 2010 Triumph Thunderbird – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

For years, it was a foregone conclusion that cruisers with touring accessories like fairings and hard saddlebags-baggers, in two-wheel parlance-were designed for a mission, and one mission only-to, uh, tour. They were purpose-built for the open road, constructed for the long haul, made for piling on the miles. But like everything in the ‘aught’ years (or the double-0 decade, or whatever we’ve decided to call this slice of the 21st century), it seems ‘kustom kulture’ has filtered down to the holiest of motorcycling archetypes- the bagger. If you need examples of the new breed of touring machine, look no further than Harley’s Road Glide Custom and Victory’s Cross Country, both recently released for 2010.

The simple truth is that these are not your daddy’s, granddaddy’s or even big brother’s tourers. The obvious difference is styling: lines are stretched, and the profile sleeker, more minimal and decidedly edgier than on traditional retro rigs. We got a pretty thorough look at both machines during their respective launches (Feb. CR), but it’s always a different story when you can ride them side by side. Although the Cross Country will never be mistaken for a Road Glide (and vice versa), its basic elements are remarkably similar beyond the fairing. So when a Road Glide became available for two days, and the Cross Country free for a week, we jumped at the chance to do a quick comparison.

Photo Gallery: 2010 H-D Road Glide vs. 2010 Victory Cross Country – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2010 H-D Road Glide vs. 2010 Victory Cross Country – Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine