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Bike Week '06: Demo Rides PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 28 March 2006
We test rode bikes for two manufacturers, Yamaha and Victory. Harry rode the Yamaha Stratoliner and Victory Kingpin. Harry has made it known that he is a 4-cylinder enthusiast and not a big fan of V-twins. I allowed him to share his Victory ride in this article. Here is how these machines measured up on performance, comfort and handling:

The Yamaha Stratoliner

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    • Performance - Harry's impression was a large framed 1850cc V-twin motor, good suspension, vibration is minimum for the size of the cruiser. Shifting is smooth and has impressive gear ratio. Has a wide band of consistent torque between 2000 and 4000 rpm but it is not considered a "quick" accelerator from the line. Good responsive braking and modern instrumentation on mounted on the tank, like the fuel gauge. The exhaust has good tone and isn't as loud as expected for a cruiser of its size. Not bad for the largest air cooled v-twin in the market.
    • Comfort - Good seating position for a reasonably tall rider. Handlebars are wide and at a comfortable reach. The stock seat, though astetically pleasing with its two-toned vinyl covering, it was perceived not to be as comfortable for long trips. This is due to the shape of the seat and the narrow band of the pressure point on the rider's butt. The cruiser has an excellent lockable and easily detachable windshield for a taller rider. The windshield minimized the amount of wind off the rider which gave better coverage than most windshields.
    • Handling - The suspension provided a supportive ride without being harsh. For a cruiser of its size, my test rider said that it had above average handling.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 26 October 2006 )
 
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