Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

.. The Royal Star Is big. Real big. This bike Is not for the timid. It rumbles, it shakes, It's heaVY,lt's cool. While The great-sounding twin-cam engine taken from V-Max/Venture (considerably detuned) machines offered the most consistent fuel consumption - 33 mpg at its lowest, 35 at its best - for an average consumption of 34 mpg. We expected better considering the small, 28mrn carburetors and tall gearing that has both fourth and fifth as overdrive ratios. Though it seemed to have little effect on improving fuel mileage, the tall gearing and absence of a counterbalancer accentuated the "pulse effect" of the.engine at low revs, which, as Yamaha intended, heightens the cruising experience. everyone here at CN liked the Royal Star, not all of us picked itas their favortte cruiser, but it was always In the running. It could use a bit more power. Like the Valkyrie it is equipped with triple disc brakes, but the four-piston calipers fitted at the front of the Yamaha take a bit more effort and offer a bit less feel. The huge rear disc (320mm) is extremely strong and easy to modulate with the big rubber brake pedal. a certain Mr. Max if what you want is acceleration. Since our test bike came fitted with a windscreen and Corbin-made seat from the Yamaha accessory catalog, it's no wonder it was so popular for the long ride up Interstate 15. Having put many miles on completely stock Royal Stars already, we thought it might be nice to include a machine that offered the protection of a windshield. All these bikes coulp. have benefited from being so equipped. Even without the seat or the screen, the Yamaha is a very comfortable motorcycle for the long haul and rock steady well above the legal speed limit. Complaints mostly centered around the Royal Star's suspension and handling. Low-speed handing was good. The trouble came through corners at higher speeds - especially over rough pavement. Even under normal riding conditions at normal speeds, it was just too easy to drag the floorboards. The fork was harsh over sharp bumps, and . when encountering such irregularities through corners, it felt as the front end just wasn't going to stick. Otherwise, the suspension was adequate, though maybe this was one element from the American mechanical template that they didn't chuck. In braking performance, the Royal Star was second only to the Valkyrie. T he ultimate cruiser? The Honda VFR750, of course. As I sat there "cruising" up the Baker grade in the middte of the California desert, I finally figured out why they call it cruising - YOl1-ean't, for one reason or another, go as fast as you want or even·need to. At that particular moment I was riding the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. And I got to tell you, not only is this Fat Boy out of shape, I think he smokes, too. Ilcnow the mentality behind the people who truly beIietJe in HarleyDavidson: "U it ain't a Harley, it ain't..." Truer words were -never spoken, if you get my meaning. Well, I'd like to get just a few more kicks than 45 hp can provide. I'm not a maniac, just a motorcyclist. J like the look of the Harley and even some of the old-style engineering (people still make pushrods?), but the thing shifts like a head-<>n collision, stops like a Rolex (i.e., not too often) and shakes like an out.of-baJance washing machine on spin cycle. If this is the price of cool, I'm not buying. Was the Valkyrie styled by the same company that brought us the handsome VFR? I realize that these bikes were made for different markets, but how can a company that makes s0mething so right make something so wrong? Excessive tire smoke will do strange things to a man: Witness Carruthers choosing it as the best bike. So, no, she's not the prettiest girl at the prom, but she sure can dance. Does that mean you have to marry her? I won't pick on the Intruder anymore. All. yeah, J thought the motor was pretty good. K8_..ki Vulcan t500 Clulic As the others have pointed out, the Vulcan does indeed rate as a "bargain" in this group (VFR? $1500 cheaper...). Yep, looks and does like Harley (nearly as gutless), but you don't have to wait to get one, you don't have to pay as much and I still wouldn't buy one. On to Britain: Lurking somewhere deep beneath the available far--rlit. ~I Though this ride was not conceived as a cruiser shootout, you may be looking for the answer as to which bike is the absolute best. What we found is that this market segment doesn't play well to the gathering of emperical data and the crunching of numbers. Look and feel and the ineffable elements of style dictate what the ultimate cruiser is. And as we found out when it came time for us to decide, emotion often dedaes for you - every person had a different answer. This type of motorcycle carne into being because no one was manufacturing the ultimate cruiser. They still aren' t. ~ . . ::::::::::CJ.i~:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Cii~::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ...u 5331bs. 4821bs. u... Shalt 6721bs. .

• Cover