Bottom Line

Prior to the running the Suzuki on the dyno, we thought its 805cc, liquid-cooled, 45-degree V-Twin would rank up with the Vulcan in terms of outright power. But it actually comes in third in a group of four with 41.0 horsepower.

The Marauder presents the illusion of power by making the bike the lightest in the group. Even with the saddlebags, the Suzuki scaled in at just 506 pounds. Also helping the squirt factor is the best torque-to-weight ratio and lowest-rpm horsepower peak. The Marauder jumps off the line and leaps forward with a twist of the throttle. Even at higher cruising speeds, the Marauder responds remarkably well, and zipping past highway traffic is not a concern.
Ken Hutchison For My Money...
It's an easy call picking the winner this time. The Suzuki Marauder has what it takes to be my number one choice. After riding the bikes back-to-back the Suzuki separates itself from the competition thanks to superior power delivery and it has the most comfortable riding position. Plus, it's the best-looking bike of the group.

The Marauder was praised early and often by bigger riders for its roomy seating position and ability to accommodate longer legs. A 200-plus-mile ride through the twisties on Highway 199 to the Oregon coast was rather enjoyable on the comfy Marauder. It inspired confidence in many of our riders when navigating curvaceous roads in our test group thanks to a steady inverted fork and wider front tire. Many of our testers felt a little hesitant to push the bikes with the thinner front wheels and believe the Marauder best responds to high-performance situations.

The Marauder's limiting factor in the corners is its ground clearance. Pegs touch the tarmac with little effort, and beyond that is a solid kickstand that has the potential to inflict pain upon unsuspecting riders. After examining the potential for damage we limited our lean angles severely.

Brian Korfhage For My Money...
The Shadow and the Marauder were pretty close, but the Suzook took the lead because of styling (how dope is that front tire?) and ergos; the Shadow was just a bit too small for my frame. They were close, but the Marauder was tops for me.

The Marauder's controls are functional and well laid out, giving the rider clear visual access to the speedo and control center. However, our test group turned their collective nose up at the generic turn signal lever and starter button that appear to be milled of the same hard plastic material as the Vulcan.

The Marauder didn't garner wild overt praise, but it received few complaints. Suzuki builds a solid middleweight cruiser toward the end of our test we started comparing the other machines to the Suzuki because of its middle-of-the-road tendencies.

At the conclusion of the test we found ourselves scratching our heads over which bike was the winner. We had a tough decision to make because each bike presented a different argument. What one machine lacks, the others seem to have plenty of.

Unfortunately for Kawasaki, the Vulcan's antiquated styling not only looks bad, but it makes for an uncomfortable riding position. Even with the best engine of the bunch, the Vulcan's stylistic and ergonomic shortcoming can't be overlooked: The Vulcan ranks last.

The Sportster turns out to be a preview of the Harley-Davidson experience, and with that comes the good and the bad. It's a chance to travel with the circus without committing your life savings, which for some people, makes the Sportster the perfect bike.

For our test group, however, the Sportster's lack of performance and refinement left our thirst unquenched. On the bright side, the Sportster is a fun little bike and has the best looks of any of the cruisers, but its shortcomings are a little too short and subsequently it falls to third in our shootout.

Brian Chamberlain For My Money...
The Harley was too unrefined and the Kawi was too outdated. This left the Honda and the Suzuki. Both bikes performed very well. Good brakes, motor, tranny, and handling from each bike. The Suzuki tended to drag pegs way too soon which discouraged me a bit. On the other hand, the Honda was less comfortable than the Suzuki. In the end, the Honda seemed a little more refined and a little more stylish than the Suzuki which would make me favor the Honda.

The elimination of the Sportster and the Vulcan leaves us with two very good bikes: the Suzuki Marauder and the Honda Shadow. The Suzuki wins the ergonomic war, but Honda is tops in fit and finish. Both scored well on the performance card and their relatively proximity in most categories left our test group with a split decision.

All things considered, it's the competent Marauder that wins this comparison. It scores well aesthetically and mechanically and exceeds the performance of the Honda. It isn't as refined but it's close. And ergonomically, the Suzuki better fits riders of all sizes, especially larger ones. The Honda feels a wee bit too small on longer rides for six-footers while the Marauder allows more room to stretch out.

But just like our 600 shootout, the objective winner in the test came in second to a Honda in the bike each of our test riders would pick as their own bike.

"I thought the test really boils down to two bikes, the Honda and the Suzuki," sums up Don Becklin, MCUSA President and long-time road racer. "But, for my money, I would buy the Honda. It has typical Honda refinement, and judging by Honda's track record in the past, the bikes are probably going to run forever."

Despite the modest price point these cruisers are built to hit, we were impressed by how much style and performance is available for $6000. There's little question this market will get increased attention as cruiser riders look for the best value for their dollars. And we shouldn't be surprised when manufacturers get even more competitive in this hotly contested market segment.