After looking over the bike a while, I took it for a brief test drive. First, around the parking lot. Then, for a brief ride down a rural highway in the rolling Wisconsin hills. It was 37 degrees, I pressed the button to "roll up" the windshield, and instantly felt warmer. Fancy!
There's a distinctive whine which varies with RPM. I've heard this noise before. Where was it? Oh yes, the Honda Interceptor a friend let me test drive a couple years ago.
I had to assume the whine was a normal ST noise; I haven't spent enough time around these bikes to discern normal from abnormal sounds.
The brakes are amazing. I guess they have to be to pull that heavy bike to a stop. The Magna's brakes, by comparison, are lackluster. I haven't tested the ABS, and actually don't really want to. Maybe I should -- in a secluded parking lot, just to get a feel for them.
The rear view mirrors are the best I've seen. On a cruiser these are typically mounted on the handlebars, and are mostly useful for seeing my own elbows. These mirrors are below my hands, on the fairing, and get a clear view of what's behind me -- a line of sight essentially under my arms.
The suspension is rock solid. Super smooth ride but no jostling or hunting in the corners. Crosswinds don't affect steering like a bike with a fork-mounted windshield. Everything I wanted in a bike, everything I disliked about the Magna. Obviously the ST suspension is not "cheapest components possible" like they are on the 3rd Generation Magna.
The power was impressive. The GoldWing GL1100 I used to ride was underpowered. Not so the ST. It's a heavy bike, and it needs the 120 horsepower to compensate for its bulk. But thanks to its rock solid suspension and its V4 torque curve, it didn't feel like a big bike. It felt natural and easy.
