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Nordic cruising in Sweden

Cruiser comparison

All it takes is a powerful engine? Or a rear wheel that is as fat as possible? Is the position of the footrests crucial? Or none of it because completely different things count? With four very different cruisers, MOTORRAD was looking for the essence of relaxed gliding? and found it far north.

Gerry Nordstrom, head of the Swedish edition of MOTORRAD, was certain. "Do you want to cruise? Then you have to come to Sweden!" The hectic Germany with its traffic jams and rush hours is only suitable to a limited extent for this relaxed type of biking, its Swedish homeland with countless lakes, forests up to the horizon and streets that usually went straight ahead, but much more. And if you come, then at the beginning of June. Not only is it lit up practically around the clock, but there is also the custom bike show in Norrtalje, a real highlight of the scene. Here you can feel what cruising is all about, namely the individual handling of the pedestal.

So Sweden. Together with editor Fredrik, advertising man Thomas, top tester Karsten, a Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special, a Yamaha XV 1900 Midnight Star, a Triumph R.ocket III and a Honda Shadow Spirit. A quartet couldn’t be more colorful? and no city more colorful than Stockholm on national day. Blue-yellow is omnipresent, and lush dimensions dominate the test field. 2.3 liter displacement, for example, distributed over three cylinders in line. Unique in the Rocket III. Two 927 cubic centimeter monoliths of cylinder in the engine room of the Midnight Star. We don’t even know something that big as a single. Or the 240/40 rolling mill on the rear wheel of the Night Rod Special, which not only fills the fender, but also every truck groove with rubber. With consequences: there has seldom been a more peculiar turning and cornering behavior on two wheels.

Nordic cruising in Sweden

Cruiser comparison

Jahn

Triumph Rocket III: British engine gigantism with extremely high thrust.

Well, even in Swedish cities, changes in direction cannot always be avoided. Especially not in the metropolis of Stockholm. Which initially poses certain problems on the Harley. Specifically: How do I move the rear wheel, which runs a considerable 1715 millimeters behind the front wheel, in view of the tire width and the flat contour, also to turn in? The answer: with a lot of physical effort and perseverance. Only those who are stubborn enough to fight the Go-straight ambitions of the Night Rod long enough will be rewarded with a bow just before the next guardrail. Tea Rocket III, on the other hand, shows, despite the similar tire dimensions, that there is another way. Your higher cross-section ?? and especially rounder ones ?? The 240/50 roll does not offer as much resistance to cornering, but is surprisingly cooperative even in tight turning maneuvers. For such a block, mind you.

Cruiser only

Jahn

Powerful cruisers are especially fun in this atmosphere.

It happened again. The German in Sweden, right in the middle of the usual comparison test pattern. Discuss handling! With these devices. The Swedes think that’s silly. "We wanted to cruise", says Thomas. "Very calm, very relaxed." Fredrik and Thomas enjoy getting on the Night Rod whenever the opportunity presents itself. And avoid the little Honda wherever they can. Although it falls so loosely from one incline to the other and goes exactly where the driver wants to go. Why? "Take a look at them", says Thomas. "And at all, no pressure," adds Fredrik, already on the way to the Rocket III. For both of them the matter is now dealt with exhaustively.

Jahn

Honda Shadow Spirit: Japanese chopper minimalism with high functionality.

At the latest on the arterial road to the north, the realization matures that they could be right. National Day ?? Stockholmers crowd into the countryside, those from the countryside into the capital. A calm, relaxed stream on two lanes in each direction, without hectic, speed limit 110 km / h. Every now and then someone leaves, overtakes, leaves again. The hour of the Rocket III. But not because we’re in a hurry. But because it’s a lot of fun. It is precisely in this speed window of around 100 km / h that you catch the 2.3-liter three-cylinder in king-size format at the height of its creative power. Around 70 hp, but above all over 200 Newton meters of torque, then pull the crankshaft, wanting to turn the powerful cardan shaft into a corkscrew, pushing around 440 kilograms (including an 80-kilogram driver) forward, as if this mountain of motorcycle were a toy. Quite simply, just like that, with a twist of the throttle.

How modest, however, is the Honda idea. And that, although the Shadow-V2 also gets the best torque out of itself in this speed range. What is meant, however, is a clear 62 Newton meters, which the three-valve engine delivers to the crankshaft at 3300 rpm and which are passed on to the rear wheel without jolting via the five-speed gearbox and cardan shaft. And jerk-free in every respect. What that means? If numbers and measured values ​​weren’t just smoke and mirrors in cruising terrain, they would provide clear evidence. 19.7 seconds pass on the Shadow from 100 to 140 km / h, on the Rocket it is a quarter of that. Exactly 5.2 seconds.

Cruising wonderland

Jahn

Yamaha XV 1900 Midnight Star: Japanese cruiser maximalism with high functionality.

So much for the numbers. The fact that they can express a lot, but by far not everything, is proven by the second powerful machine, the 1900 twin-cylinder from Yamaha, with every expression of life, from the first crankshaft revolution. Just the start, in which the unfortunate starter has to balance the two powerful pistons over the dead center, would be a show at every agricultural machinery fair. But even after the start-up procedure, the 48-degree V2 provides an ideal playground for the power of displacement. Despite modern technology (two balancer shafts, four valves and hydraulic valve lifters), the 1854 cubic centimeter large displacement giant shakes in a monumental way and makes it clear with every ignition that cruising is above all one thing: a matter of the right engine.

When the full V2 beat is reflected off the green wall of the Swedish forests every time you press the gas; when after every rest at the lake the surface of the water ripples when the bolides start, as if it were getting goose bumps; but especially when every turn of the throttle, even from the lowest engine speeds, not only produces rich propulsion, but also a blanket of sound of dull power ?? then you have arrived in the Swedish cruising wonderland.

Seen in this light, the Harley-Twin is not an ideal representative of its class. On the contrary: he can do everything ?? except tremble. A look at the performance curve reveals: Despite its archaic appearance, the Night Rod drives a high-tech engine that (perhaps apart from the performance) would do any athlete to honor. Regardless of whether it’s silky smooth throttle response, exemplary power delivery or a wide speed range from 2000 to 9000 rpm? In this company, the Harley-Twin, which was created with the kind help of Porsche technicians, is by far the most versatile drive. While everyone else, even the small Honda engine, stretch their wings at around 6000 rpm, the Harley happily sprints on. 7000, 8000, 9000 rpm ?? Something’s really going on, the engine never works.

In contrast to the driver, whose legs are stretched far forward by the airstream, as if on the gynecologist’s chair, while the skin of the face approaches the earlobes and the teeth catch mosquitos. No, with the Night Rod only the engine is good for racing. What is still missing now is the Swedish police, who enforce on the spot if the excess is more than 30 km / h and confiscate the driver‘s license. Then it has to "Nordic cruising". So out the gas!

Way of life

Jahn

City tour in a class of its own: out and about in Stockholm on the Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special, Honda Shadow Spirit, Triumph Rocket III and Yamaha XV 1900 Midnight Start.

Instead, let’s face the facts. A rigorous speed limit is a crucial part of the cruiser world, the complete lack of corners is another. When the Scandinavian serenity is added, paired with a good dash of liberality and the technical talent to shape the pedestal into a unique piece in painstaking detail, the result is a dazzling variety in which it is less about performance data than about personal "way of life" goes.

It will therefore not surprise anyone that the Honda has its place in it. "For women", Fredrik laughs, puts on his dark glasses and adjusts his camouflage pants. Refers to the low seat height of 652 millimeters, the uncomplicated chassis and the impeccable functionality. He even admits it to have a rather adult sound, but it does "is light years away from the full bubbling of the Rocket and its incredible thrust." That leaves the low price.

Jahn

The engines stand still, a brief moment of idyllic calm returns.

Meanwhile, Karsten raves about the Harley because it "simply looks the coolest and has this great engine that can do everything. Even turn!" Here and now, who normally feels every pressure level click in the top test, is not bothered by the idiosyncratic driving behavior or the seating position. And even the mighty Yamaha, which with its dimensions actually seems just as out of place in narrow Central Europe as a Hummer, quickly wins friends in the Scandinavian expanse. In particular, of course, because its two-cylinder, with its peak torque at 2500 rpm and its peak power of a good 90 hp at 4700 rpm, is exactly what you want in these circles. He lives, he trembles? and he pushes forward robustly. That the XV 1900 is far from delivering the intermediate sprints of a rocket shaken off the wrist? given. It doesn’t really matter. Summer is far too short up here in Sweden for that.

Data Harley Davidson Night Rod Special

Jahn

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 60-degree V-engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, injection, 53 mm diameter, five-speed gearbox, toothed belt.
Bore x stroke 105.0 x 72.0 mm, displacement 1247 cm³, rated power 92.0 kW (125 PS) at 8200 / min, maximum torque 111 Nm at 7200 / min.

landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, ø 49 mm, double disc brake at the front, ø 300 mm, tires 120/70 ZR 19; 240/40 R 18.

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1715 mm, spring travel f / h 102/74 mm, weight with a full tank * 310 kg, tank capacity 18.9 liters.
Price 18 355 euros
Additional costs 450 euros

Data Yamaha XV 1900

archive

engine
Air-cooled two-cylinder, four-stroke, 48-degree V engine, two balance shafts, two gear-driven camshafts below, four valves, injection, 43 mm dia., Five-speed gearbox, toothed belt. Bore x stroke 100.0 x 118.0 mm, displacement 1854 cm³, rated power 66.4 kW (90 PS) at 4750 rpm,
maximum torque 155 Nm at 2500 rpm.

landing gear
Double loop frame made of aluminum, telescopic fork, ø 46 mm, double disc brake at the front, ø 298 mm, tires 130/70 R 18; 190/60 R 17.

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1715 mm, suspension travel f / h 130/110 mm, weight with a full tank * 346 kg, tank capacity 17.0 liters.
Price ** 16.853 euros
Additional costs around 215 euros

Data Honda Shadow Spirit

Jahn

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 52-degree V-engine, one overhead, chain-driven camshaft, three valves per cylinder, injection, ø 34 mm, five-speed gearbox, cardan.
Bore x stroke 79.0 x 76.0 mm, displacement 745 cm³, rated output 34.0 kW (46 PS) at 5500 / min, maximum torque 64 Nm at 3500 / min.

landing gear
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, ø 41 mm, front disc brake, ø 296 mm, tires 90/90 R 21; 160/80 R 15.

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1655 mm, spring travel f / h 115/90 mm, weight with a full tank * 248 kg, tank capacity 14.5 liters.
Price 7490 euros
Additional costs 170 euros

Data Triumph Rocket III

engine
Water-cooled three-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, injection, ø 52 mm, five-speed gearbox, cardan.
Bore x stroke 101.6 x 94.3 mm, displacement 2294 cm³, rated power 103.0 kW (140 PS) at 5750 / min, maximum torque 200 Nm at 2500 / min.

landing gear
Bridge frame made of steel, upside-down fork, ø 43 mm, double disc brake at the front, ø 320 mm, tires 150/80 R 17; 240/50 R 16.

Dimensions + weights
Wheelbase 1695 mm, spring travel f / h 120/105 mm, weight with a full tank * 361 kg, tank capacity 25.0 liters.
Price 17990 euros
Additional costs 250 euros

Should and have

Jahn

High-tech made by Harley: the night rod motor is up to date.

Anyone who talks about cruising has to talk about engines. Because without the right engine, the experience falls by the wayside. In contrast to the sporty disciplines, however, it is not top performance and speed that are the focus, but exactly the opposite part of the performance spectrum, namely torque and displacement. As the performance diagram below shows, no one can fix the three-cylinder from Hinckley in this regard. However, it took a few constructive tricks to accommodate this chunk of engine. The gearbox sits to the side of the cylinder bank, because with a conventional design the motor-gearbox unit would be much too long. The oil tank for the dry sump lubrication is positioned above it.

However, anyone who thinks that the Triumph Triple inevitably has the most powerful pistons is mistaken. And the Yamaha fans also have to stick to themselves. With a full 105 millimeters, of all things, the displacement dwarf among the giants, the Harley-Twin, has the largest bore, which it combines, however, with an extremely short stroke of 72 millimeters. Even the Honda 750 trumps it with 76 millimeters of stroke. But Yamaha’s V2 even tops the Triumph Triple in terms of stroke with a massive 118 millimeters.

"World class standard"

Jahn

Schill, colorful, world champion: the Ulster and the rock star.

The weather suited the occasion. 28 degrees in the shade, bright sunshine: under these conditions the annual "Custom bike show" in Norrtalje, around 70 kilometers north of Stockholm, very rarely. On the other hand, it is the rule that there are exhibits at their very best. The fans and makers of extraordinary custom bikes, built with dedication and a lot of expertise, have been meeting for 34 years now, and the Scandinavian elimination for the World Championship of Custom Biker in Sturgis has been taking place in Norrtalje for four years. The big coup came last year: Stellan Egeland (34, see photo in the middle) won the World Cup with his Ulster. After exactly 889 hours of work that he invested in his project in winter 2006/2007. Swedish winter nights are long.

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