ARMAN AHMAD thinks some heritage and culture is good for you - if you can
afford it. If not, the Naza Cruise is a good alternative.

AT the turn of the last century, two Americans made an amazing
self-powered bicycle. It was an incredible achievement for 21-year-old
William S. Harley and his friend Walter Davidson.
  The year was 1904. Most Japanese had never seen the internal combustion
engine and the Koreans were still prancing about on rickshaws.
  But the young men from Milwaukee had built a 405cc motorcycle and were
blasting around the countryside on it.
  That was just the beginning. With the success of their prototype, they
set about bringing the joys of riding to the masses.
  By 1920, dealers in 67 countries sold 28,189 Harley-Davidsons, making
their motorcycle company the largest bike manufacturer in the world.

  I'm not sure if any of these machines were sold in our country at the
time. There are many classic British Nortons and Triumphs running about
even today but I have yet to find a vintage Harley-Davidson registered
here.
  Needless to say, many, many years ago, Harley Davidson set the
benchmark for motorcycles in most parts of the world.
  A few years ago, Harley Davidson released the V-Rod, which was a modern
interpretation of the classic American cruiser theme. The model generated
good sales worldwide and even spawned imitators.
  Later, when South Korea's Hyosung unveiled the Aquila 650 cruiser, many
motoring writers commented how identical the two bikes appeared.
  Here's where it gets interesting. The Naza Cruise 650 pictured above is
actually a rebadged Aquila. So the Naza Cruise is actually the Aquila
which is in turn a rip-off of the V-Rod.
  Cool huh?

  Rip-off or not, this bike has a lot to offer. Hyosung Motors and
Machinery Inc was founded in 1978. In 1979, a tie-up with Suzuki motors
was made - much like Proton's tie-up with Mitsubishi.
  Suzuki taught them a lot about bikes. In the past few years, its
motorcycles have been selling well in the Australian and UK markets. It
also supplies motorcycle parts to many Japanese motorcycle manufacturers.
  Its motorcycles are aimed at the lower end of the market and sold as
cheap, entry level bikes. But riding it, you wouldn't notice.
  The first thing you realise when you climb on board this low slung
cruiser is how smooth everything is. The clutch is refreshingly light,
gear shifts are slick and the bike accelerates in a smooth, predictable
fashion.
  The V-Twin 647cc engine makes enough horses, and if gunned, the bike
can be made to go quite fast.

  In town, the belt drive and low seat height make it comfortable to
handle stop-and-go traffic. In fact, the bike - which weighs in at just
210kg - is a lot lighter than most Harleys, some of which are in excess
of 300kg.
  This makes the bike more manoeuvrable and gives new meaning to the word
easy rider. However, a bike like this is of course meant to be ridden on
open highways and twisty country roads.
  Once the road clears of traffic, sitting back on the ample seat and
putting your feet way up front where the foot pegs are located will allow
you to relax while the cruiser gobbles up kilometre after kilometre.
  But easy riding is not the only good thing about the Naza Cruise.
Despite being a new player compared to manufacturers like Harley, Honda
and Yamaha, Hyosung has still managed to build a decent bike.
  The frame is of large diameter tubular steel construction, giving the
bike a solid appearance. There is judicial use of solid metal pieces and
acres of chrome.

  The test bike that I got was a hideous shade of blue. But in the right
colour, the Cruise 650 could be quite a looker.
  However, I noticed that despite the relatively low mileage and age of
the test bike, certain bits like the rear view mirror had gathered some
rust. This worried me, but not too much. Having tested the bike, I found
a secluded spot in the countryside, parked the bike and sat down to
contemplate why people kept buying Harleys when Hyosung could build
something similar and sell it at a much cheaper price.
  A little bird from Naza told me that the company sold less than 30 of
the cruisers since launching.
  According to him, people would much rather buy Harleys in the
second-hand and grey markets rather than buy a rebadged Korean cruiser
which aped the looks of a Harley.
  It is a mystery. People and the way they perceive things fascinate me
sometimes. But as I fingered the starter and rode off on the Naza Cruise
@ Hyosung Aquila, I realised I had to be honest with myself.

  Given a choice between the new bike and a 10-year old Sportster, I too
would choose the latter.
  Why people dream of owning Harley-Davidsons instead of Hyosungs beats
me, but I suspect it has something to do with the exploits of Harley and
Davidson terrifying village folks with their two-wheeled contraption.
  When you buy a Harley, you also buy into a bit of bad boy heritage.
  Naza or even Hyosung's roots, on the other hand, are still not deeply
entrenched in the psyche of the average motorcyclist. And at RM33,781.75
cash on the road, the bike is perhaps priced a bit too steeply to entice
new buyers.