VN 800 Classic (VN800B-MY1996)

The VN 800 Classic makes no apology for what it is. The 805 cc V-twin is liquid-cooled, but the single-pin crank and gear-driven balancer give it a genuine thump at idle rather than a turbine hum. Peak torque of 47 lb-ft lands at 3,300 rpm, right where a cruiser actually lives, and the 55 hp at 7,000 rpm is simply the roof over that. Around it sits a 63.0 in (1600 mm) wheelbase, five gears and a chain. Long, low, heavy on metal, and honest about all of it.

This is a bike built to be ridden rather than fussed over. The 27.8 in (705 mm) seat and 560 lb (254 kg) wet weight sit low enough that the mass stops feeling like mass once you are rolling, and the long chassis holds a line at highway speed without wandering. It ages well because there is so little on it to go wrong. The honest caveat: there are no electronic rider aids of any kind here, no ABS, no cruise control, and the 4.0 gal (15 L) tank at roughly 35 mpg sets the length of your day before your body does.