40 American Iron

Harley-Davidson FXDX Dyna Glide

Sport vs. Victory V92C.

-by David Edwards

46 Latest Meets Greatest

Ducati 996 vs. Yamaha YZF-R1.

-by Brian Catterson

54 Battling Flagships

BMW K1200LT vs. Honda

GL1500 Gold Wing SE.

-by Allan Girdler

60 Goliath & Goliath

Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic

vs. Yamaha Road Star 1600.

-bv Paid Seredynski

64 Big Doggies

Kawasaki ZRX1100 vs.

Suzuki Bandit 1200S.

-by Nick lenatsch

70 Clash of the Tiny Tims

Honda XR250 vs. Yamaha TTR250.

-bv Jimmy Lewis 

34 Suzuki GSX1300R

Hayabusa

Hayabusa, dude!

-bv Don Canei

88 Unfinished Business

Suzuki's one-year wonder.

-by Kevin Cameron

94

PrizePuzzle

TL trauma.

98 Hot ’Saki

Vulcan 800 bob-job.

-by David Edwards

LT TEST ________2

76 Suzuki SV650

Just for the fun of it.

EVALUATIONS

102 Two Brothers Racing

C-4 Mufflers

More boom for the TL1000R.

102 Alpinestars Jet Shoes

Nice Jets, Benny.

106 Answer Summit Jacket

Multi-purpose trailwear.

WATCH

108 BMW Wins Dakar!

The ultimate Funduro.

-bv Paul Seredvnski

10 UP FRONT

The Lost Manx.

-bv David Edwards

14 LEANINGS

Road hazards.

-by Peter Egan

18 TDC

Kickback.

-bv Kevin Cameron

20 Letters

24 New Ideas

26 Roundup

84 Book Review

160 Service

162 CW Showcase

170 Slipstream

Harley answers Victory

(and everybody else)

with its Twin Cam

motor and a more-

capable chassis

Here’s a first: USA vs. USA in a mega-

cruiser comparison, a real red-white-

and-blue rumblefest. Interesting subplot,

too, with an upstart newcomer taking on

the established veteran. Fun stuff.

You know about the Victory V92C, made in

Spirit Lake, Iowa, by Polaris Industries, pro-

ducer of snowmobiles, ATVs and personal

watercraft. Inspired by the roiling success that

is Harley-Davidson (110,000 units sold in the

U.S. last year, 54 percent of the over-750cc

market), Polaris cut an engineering team loose

in 1994, charged with building a better cruiser.

In many ways, they succeeded.

Underpinning the V92C is a stout, well-

thought-out frame: nothing fancy, but a cut

above most cruiser fare. Further distancing the

Victory from many of its competition is quality.

well-damped sus-

pension. Up front a

45mm Marzocchi

fork is held in

place by massive

triple-clamps; pop

the seat and you’re greeted by a Fox shock

attached to a triangulated swingarm. Brembo sup-

plies the brakes, the front a four-piston affair bit-

ing down hard on a semi-floating 300mm rotor....