Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes Roadliner Midnight

I took my brother's new Roadliner Midnight out for a spin last night. It has good, wide bars, and even though they have a bit of pullback from the trees, it's still a slightly forward sitting position. I found the new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 somewhat the same, and really liked that bike (it's #2 on my list). It's impossible to compare power, however. Apart from having two cylinders, not much of the engine or drivetrain is the same. V-twin, 1854cc, pushrods, belt drive and a wheelbase from a Cadillac (67.5").

It accelerates very, very swiftly with a smooth, linear feel from the heaps of torque. I love the black, black-on-black and even more black looks. It turns nice, doesn't feel clumsy like a Road Star, and is probably the best motorcycle I've ever been on. Highly recommend taking a look at one if you're near a Yamaha dealer.

Not the worst looking bike I've seen though that exhaust is a monster!
I like the black.

Though I wouldn't personally buy a Japanese cruiser, they don't all look too bad.

That H*nda I sat on last weekend was very comfortable!!

At the end of the day, it's a bike so I don't object

I just cannot get past that headlight nacelle and that exhaust looks like a suppository! Not that I know what one looks like.

If I were going to ride a Harley FLH, I'd rather have a real one.

Nobody bashes on Star motorcycles around here more than me, but from the initial reports that powerplant in those V-Twin Stars is a different sort of beast than Harleys. At 113 cubic inches, it's what Harley should be striving for in performance. Instead of the anemic 60 hp/70 lbs of torque from a stock Harley TC88, you're getting 90+ hp from the stock Roadliner, and 100+ft/lbs of torque.

With all of the other manufacturers continuing to produce larger and larger V-Twins, plus the Rocket III, maybe Harley will be goaded into doing something about their weak motors....but I'm sure not going to be holding my breath. I guess they just want to hook those school of fish even harder they call "customers" by selling them all that Screaming Eagle junk thus adding even more cost to an already costly bike. For a stock Harley to get the same kind of performance as the Roadliner, you'd have to spend $3,000-$5,000.

I still like the look of Harleys over the Japanese clones, but I'd rather have the Roadliner motor.

At least they are doing a LITTLE something different styling wise, with the chrome strips on the tank, etc. I mean there's only so much you can do to a V twin cruiser to make it not look like a harley.

But think about the marketing. My dream job would be marketing for Harley, think about how damn easy it would be. They know all the people who buy a new bike will need to add all the screamin eagle junk. Remeber that the number 1 selling bike in the US is the 883, which even old ladly relize is under power pretty quick. Which means another trip to the dealer. And while your there you might as well pick up some more branded crap, hell whats 50 bucks for a shirt or a magratia set (we just bought one as a gift). Actually HD seems to be on a marketing blitz as of late. Every site I have been to that might relate to men or engines has an HD ad of some sort.

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with the chrome strips on the tank, etc.

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Hey Benny,
I bet YamaStar was going for the Vintage Triumph look with those chrome strips. Wasn't it some of the 50s models that had the chrome strips?

Oh,no ...i like these full-dresser Bikes not....better are those straight line-Bikes like these one :
http://wildstar-nord.de/galerie/customs/Image0078.htm
greeeettttzzzz
PETER

The big difference is that, in 20 years, nobody will even remember that there was a roadliner. But, most of the Triumphs and HD's made this year will still be in daily use. Go to one if the really big motorcycle gatherings and take a count of older bikes. At the Ace Cafe, you'll see a lot more Brit bikes, even lesser makes like Francis Barnet, and at Sturgis SD, a lot more Knuckleheads, Panheads, generator Shovelheads, Indians, and such than you will the wonderful innovative sheetmetal frame honda dream that everyone was so much in love with.