The Road Star Midnight Silverado comes
with all of the bells and whistles to make
those long days in the saddle enjoyable.
are brand-new 298mm units, also
from the R 1, and are squeezed by
new sintered pads for maximum stopping power. Out back is a new
320mm disc with a single piston pinslide type caliper.
One obvious change to the running
gear is the new 16-inch cast aluminum wheels (replacing the spoke
wheels), which now feature tubeless
bias ply tires - a 130/90- 16 on the
with the front rim weigh front and a 150/80- 16 out back
ing in 4.5 lbs.
One feature that
should appeal to everyone is the reshaped
seats, with the rider's
seat now 40mm wider
and flatter for more
touring comfort, but the
passenger hasn't been
left behind completely,
as he gets a new seat as
well. In addition .to making the seat more comfortable, the handlebars
have been changed,
including a new riser
that moves the bars
closer to the rider for
more comfort, while the
bars themselves are
rubber mounted and
have
new
bar-end
weights for reduced
vibration.
lighter than last year.
The chassis features the same
double-cradle steel frame, featuring
32-degrees of rake and 142mm of
trail, and a long 66.5-inch wheelbase.
The forks are the same 43mm units
adjustable for preload and have 5.5
inches of travel. The single
rear monos hock is hidden for that hardtail
look and has 4.3inches of travel.
There
are
some
styling
elements that
have been updated for '04 that
are subtle yet nice
additions.
The
flush-mounted taillight
assembly is new and features a clear lens and LED
bulbs that not only consume less
energy but also last considerably
longer. The turn signals also feature
clear lenses with amber bulbs for that
custom look. The instrument cluster
is brand new and features a new look
and provides the pilot with a
speedometer, odometer, dual tripmeters, clock, fuel gauge, and all of
the requisite indicator lights.
MORRO BAY
AND BEYOND
The site of the introduction for the 2004 Road
Star took place in and
around Morro Bay, California, a small coastal
town just north of
San Luis Obispo
~------:~~-:-----'illllllllillil
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