WHAT ARE THE FASTEST CRUISER MOTORCYCLES OUT THERE?

Big brawny cruisers tell a lot of the story of American motorcycles, and they do it mostly with sound. There is no mistaking the roar of an 1800cc engine and the assault it makes on the road and eardrums of anyone in the vicinity.

They aren't sport bikes, but some cruisers can perform on the same level as the world’s fastest bikes while weighing several hundred pounds more. The trick is stacking the right level of power to carry the weight, along with the rider gripping the handles. Here is a list of the nine fastest cruisers based on 0-60 mile-per-hour times. In most cases, testers supplied the times for each bike, while in other cases, in-depth reviews delivered more recent times for the bikes in question
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9. Kawasaki Vulcan 2000: 3.95 seconds

Though Kawasaki is currently not selling the Vulcan 2000 model new, there are enough around for cruisers to know this bike on the highway. According to the top time tested the Vulcan can take its 818 pounds from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.95 seconds. Its power plant can produce a maximum 117 pound-feet of torque along with 90 horsepower.

8. Victory 8 Ball: 3.88 seconds

Using 110 pound-feet of torque and 105 horsepower, Victory’s Vegas 8-Ball can sprint from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds on its best runs. For a cruiser, it weighs in on the light side at 638 pounds dry. In terms of image, riders love the look of the classic V/106 and the sound of the 1731cc engine. It’s old-school muscle and style at its best. The 8 Ball clocked its best 0-60 time at 3.88 seconds.

7. Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide: 3.7 seconds

To gauge the power of the Harley CVO Road Glide Custom Anniversary Edition. The Harley CVO Road Glide is able to use its 110 pound-feet of torque and 91 horsepower to blast from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds.

6.Suzuki Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S. : 3.65 seconds

Suzuki’s Boulevard M109 B.O.S.S. is known as one of the beasts of the open road. With 97 pound-feet of torque and 105 horsepower, the 1793cc B.O.S.S. made its fastest 0-60 run in 3.65 seconds. The 2014 model weighs in at 764 pounds at the curb.

5. Harley-Davidson V-Rod: 3.59 seconds

A previous model of the Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod was clocked going 0-60 in 3.59 seconds. The latest model has upgraded its torque from 72 pound-feet to 83 pound-feet, while the weight has jumped from 619 pounds to a menacing 666 pounds at the curb.

4. Honda Gold Wing Valkyrie: 3.3 seconds

Honda’s monstrous Gold Wing squared off against the H-D Road Glide Custom tests and won in the 0-60 sprint, with a time of 3.3 seconds. It matches the best time posted by any Gold Wing model. Packing an engine of 1832cc capable of 110 pound-feet of torque on 104 horsepower, the Valkyrie is ready to match nearly any cruiser on the road.

3. Triumph Rocket Roadster: 3.3 seconds

With 148 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque to power a wet weight of 809 pounds, it is easy to see why this Triumph bike is called the Rocket. It houses the world’s biggest production motorcycle engine (an imposing 2249cc) and can power from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. The 2010 model ran the quarter-mile in 11.48 seconds.

2. Ducati Diavel: 2.8 seconds

For those who wouldn’t count the Ducati Diavel Strada a cruiser, it’s fine to take the Rocket as the leader of the pack and call it a day. Those who are  willing to include a “performance cruiser” will want a sprint on the Ducati Diavel, a bike that can go 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. Powering the Diavel is the 1198cc engine, while the bike’s wet weight is just 557 pounds.

1. Yamaha Star VMAX: 2.5 seconds

The Star VMax against the Triumph Rocket in order to see which cruiser could run 0-60 fastest. That test pegged the VMax at 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, which made it the fastest bike that still makes for good long-range riding. It houses a 1679cc engine capable of 179 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque. Weighing in at 695 pounds, it can match the Diavel on pound-for-pound power.

On that note, rider weights and skills are always going to factor into the bike with the fastest 0-60 times. All things equal, the Star VMax is likely to outperform any classic cruiser. If the Diavel is included in the segment, it will always be a horse race.