Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128131
2002 Yamaha Road Star Warrior Yarnaha·s \lVarrie>r Winally ce>rnes e>ut te> play STORY BY SCOTT ROUSSEAU PHOTOS BY FRANK HOPPEN @ he battle for supremacy in the 71 new muscle cruiser market (a.k.a sport cruisers) has been nothing short of crazy, resembling all the etiquette of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a free-for-all combat, showcasing a wide variety of fighting styles. Honda struck the first blow with its VTX 1800, arguably the first Japanese cruiser to sport the "right look" to back up its performance, with gutwrenching low-end torque being the bike's calJing card. Yamaha was the next to announce a machine for this new niche, giving its North American dealers the 411 on its Road Star Warrior - the subject of this First Ride - at its Las Vegas dealer meeting a few months ago. At about the same time, Kawasaki chose to demo its Vulcan Mean Streak - a hotted-up version of the Vulcan 1500 - to select members of the press (of which we apparently weren't). And then came the Harley-Davidson V-Rod, a machine that in one rather ironic fell-swoop, rewrote the rules for the category by effectively making it okay to dig water-cooling and overhead cams and valves on an American cruiser. Like we said: crazy. Already having .logged ample time on the Honda, Kawasaki and Harley, we were extremely anxious to see what kind of fight the Warrior would bring to the ring, but after its Las Vegas weigh-in, it was announced that the bike's press introduction wasn't to be held until October. That's a long time to wait when the competition is grabbing the headlines in every major publication that deals with the subject, and it begged the question: When the Road Star Warrior finally did come to fight, would it even be a contenda? We finally got the chance to find out when Yamaha officials whisked the press up to the San Francisco Bay Area for a day of thundering through the redwoods near Half Moon Bay aboard the Warrior. The twisty two-lanes in the area are among the premier motorcycling roads to be found anywhere in the country. Curvy state routes 9, 17 and 35 can be fashioned into loops offering incredible scenry. In all, Yamaha laid out a pleasant 135-mile loop - complete 16 NOVEMBER 21, 2001 • cue with a stop at the Thomas Fogarty winery for some Mexican-style grub and a plethora of photo ops. There, that should be enough of a setup for you. By the way, if you're interested in the technical wizardry responsible for allowing the Warrior to play Superman to the standard Road Star's Clark Kent, then check back to Issue #35 (June 27, 2001) for the tech lowdown. It's time to talk about the Warrior's ride. The first thing you notice is that the Warrior is an attractive motorcycle. Long and low, swathed in deep black with a few hints of chrome and brushed aluminum, our test unit looked every bit the badass. Fit and finish are typical of the manufacturer, and that's never something that any cruiser fan considering a Yamaha - or any other brand for that matter should complain about. That low-profile Dunlop Sportmax rubber on that broad rear rim is another visual hint that the Warrior means business. Thumbing the starter button brings the massive, air-cooled 102 cubicinch V-twin to life instantaneously. Getting the big slugs turning in the cavernous 97mm bores is a cinch, thanks to the auto-decompression system, which actually opens the exhaust valves just a bit early until the engine reaches a specific rpm. Once fired up, the motor quickly settles into a lopey rumpety-rump idle of around 900 rpm. Throttle response is plenty sharp as well, more than you might expect from an air hammer, even one as trick as this. Yamaha's exhaustive efforts to improve the Warrior's breathing via its air filtration system, twin 40mm throttle bodies and straighter intake tracts, and to increase its high-rpm capabilities by reducing the weight in the valvetrain, are immediately noticeable. Get underway and you'll also appreciate how balanced the Warrior is during low-speed maneuvers. its 606 pounds can be tip-toed around with the grace of a ballerina during c1utch-in-c1utch-out exercises in low gear. The song remains the same once you really get going, too. The Warrior imparts a smooth, precise road feel when ridden in a straight line from stoplight to stoplight. SWIft _ a r: v........•• new Road Star Warrior means bu.I...... Pacldng 102 cubic Inc of muscle In a eoe-pouncl paclUlge with ple~ of ground. clearance. It Is a prtnM c:ont8ader for the sport cruiser throne. •• n • _ s Acceleration is quite brisk, far better than any stock air-cooled Vee that we have ever thrown a leg over. The Warrior pulls with authority right out of the hole and pulls forcibly toward its redline, especially through the midrange. interestingly enough, Yamaha has seen fit to incorporate a variable rev limiter on the Warrior's big twin. In first gear or second gear, the Warrior will not cut out until reaching 5700 rpm. In third, the limit drops to 5500 rpm, and in fourth or fifth, the limit is 5200. Regardless, although it doesn't fall flat on its face at higher rpm like some of the competition, there's no mistaking the Warrior's big heart for a revver. Best results are obtained by shifting ellrly riding the motors torque curve - just as with the regular Road Star. The difference is that unlike the Road Star, the Warrior has no tendency to crash headlong into its rev limiter. Wring it out if you'd like, but he who shifts first wl1l. probably finish first as well. Thankfully - and also like the Road Star - the Warrior is blessed with just about the nicest shifting manners of any cruiser on the market. Sure, Yamaha engineers got more aggressive with the Warrior trarrny, reducing the ratios of first, fourth and fifth gear to provide more punch off the line