The Machismo offers a fair blend — a true-blue retro-style statement, while still gaining from modern AVL technology. A major bugbear, though, is the more-than-slightly-vexing vibration. It's the Bullet for riders interested in doing the retro bit, but who want the convenience of the gearshift on the left and the brake pedal on the right.
A college-going bloke with a will to enter the clan will find a mount in the Thunderbird. The one Bullet with somewhat modern styling, it's the only one he could use without his peers ribbing him about a bike that surely came down via his grand-dad.
The Electra is the Bullet that comes out tops in this test — by unanimous decision we must add — even though it’s got no hint of fresh AVL technology, and Performance crawls in the other slipstreams. True Bulleteers give a whit for these frills. The winner has a smoothness and punchy thump missing on the others, a hugely important factor. It provides by far the most unadulterated classic Bullet experience, making no excuses in throwing out its chest with a bold take-it-or-leave-it attitude. The flaws on the Electra add to give it a character all its own. It's the full Monty — if you want a Bullet, go for the real thing.
We figure if you plan riding any of these historical pairs of wheels, jump in at the deep end and go home with the whole experience — Bullet, lock, stock and barrel.