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“5 stars if it had a 6-speed gearbox”

written by on 02/11/2012

The first thing you notice about the Roadliner has a well designed alloy frame that's stiff, light, and long. It gives an an unforgettable ride that's responsive yet comfortable. It places the engine/trans weight low so the 800 lb bike does not feel heavy at all. It likes cornering. The second thing you notice is the 1854 cc engine. It's torque and hp seem endless and its power delivery is smooth steady and flawless. The internal counter balances leave just a little shake to let you know it has V-twin attitude. 4 valves and 2 spark plugs per cylinder really pay off here. The air/oil cooled engine has an ample oil cooler which works well even in florida summer weather. Yamaha clearly focused on engineering the best air cooled v-twin cruiser and succeeded. Although the Harley's cool factor is higher, the roadliner is simply a better bike. I only wish it had a 6 speed transmission and that the rear turn signals were run/turn/brake lights.