10-17-2014, 02:02 AM
I think this ought to sell well. The price is right and it should run circles around the Shadow 750, V-Star 650, and Suzuki M50/C50. I have long thought about how cruisers might advance in terms of style and technology. This looks like a means to that end.
The entry level cruiser buyer probably won't care it's not a v-twin. A counter balanced parallel twin will be smoother than any V configuration except maybe a 90 degree L twin. I wouldn't mind seeing a Suzuki do something crcruiser-ish with their 650 L-twin out of the V-strom. I liked that engine in my Strom and it makes decent power, happily revs, and will run at high freeway speeds without breaking a sweat. The only issue is packaging such a motor. The parallel twin lends itself to efficient packaging. That's how Kawi is able to do that nifty offset rear shock and look what Honda has done on the NC700X. I am not going to be in the market for a cruiser, but I do like what Kawi has done here.
The entry level cruiser buyer probably won't care it's not a v-twin. A counter balanced parallel twin will be smoother than any V configuration except maybe a 90 degree L twin. I wouldn't mind seeing a Suzuki do something crcruiser-ish with their 650 L-twin out of the V-strom. I liked that engine in my Strom and it makes decent power, happily revs, and will run at high freeway speeds without breaking a sweat. The only issue is packaging such a motor. The parallel twin lends itself to efficient packaging. That's how Kawi is able to do that nifty offset rear shock and look what Honda has done on the NC700X. I am not going to be in the market for a cruiser, but I do like what Kawi has done here.