...the [Screamin' Eagle] V-Rod gets a 150cc displacement increase (105cc bores), ported heads, retimed cams, heavy-duty clutch, and a full ration of bright and shiny pieces that raise weight by nine pounds (to 625) and up the price by almost $8000...

Now for 2004, Kawasaki has bumped up the performance and made an excellent motorcycle even better. The liquid-cooled, four valves per cylinder, 50-degree V-Twin motor has been bored out from 1470cc to 1552cc, and the cam's lift and valve timing were also revised to help the motor breathe. Digital fuel injection provides excellent engine response, with no surging or hiccups, because two different systems are used according to engine load, and are monitored by a faster electronic Engine Control Unit. Fuel is fed through larger 40mm dual throttle bodies, while 4 nozzles at the tip of each injector help to atomize the fuel more efficiently. Dual spark plugs cut detonation for added durability. By using rubber engine mounts, no-maintenance hydraulic valve lash adjusters, and a gear-driven engine balancer, the single-pin crankshaft engine runs smoothly without annoying vibrations, yet still retains the character of a V-Twin powerplant. And for good measure, new valve covers, and polished cooling fins make the engine look better as well.

Created by stroking the standard 1450cc H-D mill, the SE Electra Glide has its own exhaust system and FI mapping, but not a lot else to pump up power. Still you can feel the extra inches all the way from idle to redline, where it's still pulling with enthusiasm when the rev-limiter asserts itself. It makes 84.1 rear-wheel ponies at 5750 rpm.

...the new Sportsters have been almost totally revised, and are again motorcycles that can be taken seriously on their own merits. There are a number of significant changes -- engine improvements, stiffer frames, new brakes, improved finish, etc. -- but the most important new feature of the 2004 Sportster line is its system of rubber mounts that insulates the rider from the engine's vibration.

Although the Road King Custom is situated in the touring line of bikes, this low-slung bad boy is perfectly suited to cruise the boulevard. Fatboys, Deuces, and V-Rods may garner the bulk of attention on the street, but the RKC holds its own. Minus the accessory fairing we attached midway through the test, the Road King is a rough-and-tumble, bar-room brawl type of cool. Its wide-ratio gears are the perfect excuse to take the jaw-dropping good looks from the boulevard to the open road for a jaunt through sinuous country roads.

For a while I was a little miffed by the Deluxe's conflicting identity. Is it a tourer? Well, it can't be a full-blown long-distance machine because it lacks some of the amenities offered on luxo-barges like the Honda Gold Wing and BMW K1200LT. But then again, it's not really a cruiser because, well, it's a V-4, and not a very quick one at that. At first, I wasn't truly convinced there was any market for this machine because it didn't have any concrete identity.

For my first (motorcycle) I definitely wanted something that would fit me. After trying various (motorcycles) in the showroom, I went with the 2003 Suzuki Savage LS650. I found that seat height on the other (motorcycle) wasn't a problem since most were the same height as the Savage with a 27.6" height, but the width would take away from my inseam or make it uncomfortable. I'm 5' 3".

I found the narrow design of the Savage was a wonderful fit and I could reach all the controls very easily. It is light weight...

The 1800F wears a new look for the VTX series that's sort of a tough rendition of the VTX1800C. It shares that bike's 4.8-gallon fuel tank (now with a seamless configuration) and footpegs, but the style is made more aggressive with bobbed fenders, 18-inch wheels with low-profile radial rubber, a smaller headlight, its own echausr system, a new high-rise handlebar, flush LED taillight, wedge-shaped mirrors (shared with the C), and other details like new fender rails, visors on clear-lens turn signals (also shared with the C), and LCD instrumentation that includes a bar-graph-style tachometer as well as a clock.