[phoenix9]

Looks like Yamaha (Star) is heading down the same road as Victory with their new for 2010 Stratoliner deluxe.....complete with front faring, hard bags, radio, and much more. Looking at the price, I'm not sure if it is bringing as much to the game as the new Cross Country, but it is definately a tried and true bike that for years has dominated the big cruiser shootouts. As a former rider ofa Star Roadliner,I definately know the strengths and weaknesses of the the ride but curious to see what others think.
Thoughts?

Here is a link to the Stratoliner line if interested.
http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/products/modelhome/634/0/home.aspx

 

[randysfishing]

I like the cross counrty look better. With a price point of 17.5K on the Yamaha I am going CC all the way.

 

[Dimonback]

Anyone can make a bagger look like a Street Glide. The difference is in the frame and the handling.

 

[hessterical]

At the end of the day, its still a yamaha!

 

[phoenix9]

At the end of the day, its still a yamaha!

The Stratoliner definately has it's shortcomings (no lowers, pushrod engine, 5 speed tranny) and I think the CC is light years ahead of this bike,but saying "it's still a Yamaha" is like saying "nice car, but it's still a Porsche".......guys on those Yamahas will take that as a compliment. IMHO they have the best all-around motorcycle lineup on the planet.

 

[Clubford00]

Yamaha, Honda, kawasaki etc etc do still make good reliable bikes. Cant fault them for that.
Oh yeah and i dont recall Phoenix' Yammy popping when i rode with him either!

 

[dsjr70]

Yamaha builds a great bike. Yes it is not American, but still a great bike. Yamaha is hurting right now because of the V-Star line up. They are trying to compete with Harley and probably build a better all around bike but there price point is to high... Maybe they should take some direction from Suzuki and Kawasaki. Build a great bike for under 12k and people will come. 17k is just to high of a price and is not going to sway us US owners to change to a Yamaha. The price is just right there with Vic and HD and from most of us metric riders we buy them because they are more cost effective...

 

[phoenix9]

They may be listed at $17K, but you can get a brand new (as in 0 mile) Stratoliner for under $11K on e-bay all day long. They need to get more realistic with their MSRP because I believe that it is hurting their reputation when bikes are going for 35% below list......althoughif you check the marketplace the Yamahas are going for more money then the other Metrics (size for size), so what the hell do I know.

 

[dsjr70]

If it is in the 11-12k price range it has a great future. That puts it right there with the C109. I am not stuck on any brand so to me if I can save 5-7k on a bike of equal or better quality I am there. The Star line up for Yamahahas hurt it lately, I like their bikes but it is a bad market for cruisers right now. Even though the R1 is a great sport bike they haven't concentrated hard enough on where they came from. Suzuki and Kawasaki havekept mostof their focus on the GSXR and Ninja lines with the cruiser recieving very little R&D. Suzuki for example has been making the C-90 and C-50 for almost ten years with no significant changes except the name changed from Volusia to Boulevard.

 

[bikendad]

I like it and have long wondered why they didn't build this along with a full Touring Strat with a trunk. That said, for the money the Cross Country is a much better buy. I don't like the speedo on the tank, no 6 speed and the strat feels like you're sitting on it instead of "in it" like the Vic. However if it's discounted down as heavily as Strats have been over the years it could be a best buy.

 

[satxron]

Because a full touring strat would take customers away from the full touring venture I would think. Don't they still make a Tour Deluxe model too?

You never want to make something that competes with something you already make do you? I actually think that a lot of CC buyers would be Vision buyers if the CC did not exist. I don't see lots of Harley customers coming over.

I dunno. I think Yamaha makes some really pretty stuff. As above, they don't pop lol.

I looked at Yamaha really hard before I became a Victory owner. Fit and finish is outstanding and they run forever.

 

[dsjr70]

I don't think Vic is competing with itself on the CC/Vision. I think the styling of the Vision kept a good amount of people away and the CC is more traditional.

 

[bikendad]

Because a full touring strat would take customers away from the full touring venture I would think. Don't they still make a Tour Deluxe model too?

You never want to make something that competes with something you already make do you? I actually think that a lot of CC buyers would be Vision buyers if the CC did not exist. I don't see lots of Harley customers coming over.

I dunno. I think Yamaha makes some really pretty stuff. As above, they don't pop lol.

I looked at Yamaha really hard before I became a Victory owner. Fit and finish is outstanding and they run forever.

Yes it would probably compete with the Venture but a lot of people like myself want a V twin Tourer, not that V4 liquid that the Venture has. Plus the venture is just ugly IMHO.

 

[satxron]

" Plus the venture is just ugly IMHO"

Well, we agree on something for sure. lol

To me the CC tail looks like the Vision tail but the front 1/2 is much more conventional, I will concede that.

 

[MONKEY666]

I don't see what's wrong with taking American styling, adding liquid cooling and trannys that don't clunk and bang and flawless fuel injection.
Iswitched with my dad and rode his Stratoliner this weekend and was amazed at how smooth the motor pulled and the shifting was perfect.
The rough edges of my bike make it kinda fun and give it more character, but for putting lots of miles in the saddle I see why he racks up so many on Jap bikes.

 

[dsjr70]

Nothing at all wrong with it. I don't care if the bike has 2, 4, 6 or 8 cylinders or if it is air or water cooled. I ride to ride and buy what fits me best for the long haul. My Vegas is a bar hopper and really my primary bike (over 40k miles) but on longer trips I do tend to lean to the C90T. Not that the Vic can't do the job, it can and has, but mainly because of storage. If I had the Pin or the CC I probably would prefer it. But the Vegas is still looking good in front of bars with everyone looking at it saying "Hey, what's that!"