Scott, I am not sure about them being at the top of the food chain but they are good bikes. They don't handle to well, kind of like a Harley bagger, they stop worse than any bike I've ridden except for the old mechanical brake bikes I rode growing up, but they stop good enough and handle good enough, I probably won't race any Ducati's on a twisty road anyway. They are a lazy mans bike, once you get used to no clutch, primary chains, cables and levers, and the smooth take off of the automatic, plus the ease of riding in stop and go traffic you become very lazy. The weight is also a plus on the hi way as the large windshield plows thru the wind effortlessly and the road bumps are hardly ever felt. If you have a passenger the bike does not know it, these motors are found in a million pick up trucks pulling fifth wheel trailers every day. You can't overheat it as its never strained, mine usually runs under 180 no matter what. It never leaks and it doesn't break. I had to replace the alternator, no dealer just a nearby Auto Zone or Napa. I like it but its not the top of the food chain, there isn't any bike on the top of the food chain, each is a compromise. My Rocket is plenty fast and handles surprisingly well, and it stops fantastic. Its comfortable and also doesn't care about the added weight of a passenger. It gets twice the gas mileage of the Boss. I sometimes like the clutch and shifting, and I like leaning into a corner at an angle the Boss has never seen. The Rocket is great but it also can't be top of the food chain. The Chopper does one thing no other bike seems to do as well if at all. The Chopper makes me feel young, its just the baddest bike I ever rode, maybe worthless in the normal attributes bikes are judged by but in reality its the most fun, still not the top of the food chain.