Bike Reviews Star

Star motorcycles include the VMax muscle cruiser, the chopper-inspired Raider, Stratoliner Deluxe touring motorcycle, Royal Star Venture S luxury touring motorcycle, and V-Star series of cruisers.

Yamaha created the Star Motorcycles brand in 1994 to more effectively brand its cruisers in the United States. By 2006 the Star Motorcycles brand became its own company, though Yamaha is still in charge of production and distribution. The Star brand operates out of Yamaha’s offices in Cypress, Calif. and all Star motorcycles are designed in the United States. Star Motorcycles offers a mix of high-end models like the Stratoliner and Roadliner, as well as more affordable models like the V Star series. The over-the-top VMax muscle cruiser is the crown jewel of the Star family.

Church of MO: 2011 Star Stryker Review

I actually didn’t mind being seen on this “custom cruiser” ten years ago. Yamaha’s answer to the Honda Fury had the chopper look and sound, but offset triple clamps and a revvable, oversquare 1312cc V-twin with four-valve heads made it also a functional, fun-to-ride motorcycle. America must’ve agreed; a quick run through Cycle Trader finds prices about twice what I would’ve expected for a ten-year old Japanese cruiser. Or maybe Yamaha’s marketing ploy worked? It’s a STAR, man!

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Church of MO: 2009 Star VMax VIDEO!!

And in those days when the MOites traversed the digital divide after Ashley parted the waters, many fantastic road tests made it into the modern age, but some without their accompanying stunning photography. This review for instance, written by His Dukeness on the occasion of the amazing new Star VMax a decade ago. But fear ye not, as by that time we’d also begun making stunning videos, which may last on Youtube long after we’ve all departed this mortal coil. Actually the vid shows what the mighty Max was capable of beyond what words can convey anyway, not to mention Kev in all his youthful glory.

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Church of MO: 2009 Muscle Cruiser Shootout

One of these, my friends, is still with us, and the other moved onto its reward, far too soon, the year after this little comparison starring Pete and Riding Man Mark Gardiner. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Crusher Man cometh.

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Yamaha to Reveal New Touring Model at Americade Rally

Yamaha announced it will introduce a new touring motorcycle during the opening ceremonies of the 2017 Americade Rally, June 5 in Lake George, NY. The presentation will also be streamed online at YamahaMotorsports.com.

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Star Motorcycles Reabsorbed Into The Yamaha Motorcycle Family

In 1996, the cruiser market in America was introduced to the initial Star motorcycle, the Royal Star. Over the next few years, more Stars appeared on  Yamaha’s manifest, in the form of V-Stars, Drag Stars, and Royal Star variations. In 2006, the company decided to commit to the flourishing line of motorcycles by creating  Star Motorcycles as a brand separate from the mothership, much as Toyota did with Lexus and Nissan with Infiniti. Eventually journalists and riders, alike, became accustomed to what, at first, seemed arbitrary and unnatural – since Yamaha logos were still featured in discreet locations on Star Motorcycles.

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2016 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT Vs. Star V Star 950 Tourer Comparo

File this one in the “They still make that?” file. We’ve been bombarded with so many cutting-edge sportbikes and go-anywhere, do-anything adventure-tourers lately that it’s easy to forget about the cruiser segment of the market. And even among the cruising set, the sub-liter middleweight category hasn’t been getting much love. The attention usually goes to the big-displacement crowd because, let’s face it, cruiser riders have an image to uphold.

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Quarter-Liter Cruise-Off

Things don’t change very often in 250cc cruiser land, but that doesn’t make the players any less important for a newer rider looking for something other than a 250cc sporty-type bike. And so, we decided to conduct a MO shootout. While we attempted to gather all three of the models currently in production, the Honda Rebel wasn’t available. When a bike has been unchanged for as many years as the Rebel, there’s no incentive for a manufacturer to incur the expense of putting one in the media pool. So, despite their best efforts to scare one up from other departments within American Honda, it wasn’t possible. Without the 250cc parallel-Twin, this shootout became a battle of the quarter-liter V-Twins. That’s okay. The Hyosung GV250 Aquila ($3,999) and the Star V Star 250 ($4,340) both have enough to offer to make this an interesting experience.

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New Yamaha and Star Motorcycles for 2016

Yamaha unveiled a few new models yesterday afternoon in Irvine, California, and told us to stand by, there may be another new street model yet to come later this year. We were kind of expecting the XSR700 that Yamaha teased back in July, so maybe that will be the missing model?

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Strange Bedfellows - Star Bolt C-Spec Vs. Suzuki Boulevard M50 + Video

It’s kinda funny when I look back on it. Swanky downtown Los Angeles location, circa June 2013. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are served. Then someone finally pulls the wraps off the guest of honor: the early-release 2014 Star Bolt. Star employees beam with shameless pride about the new model bike that seems little more than a ripoff of the long-existing Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster.

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Star Unveils Early Release 2016 Models

Having a popular motorcycle model – or two – is a good thing for a manufacturer, but it can be a double-edged sword. Faced with a dwindling supply of 2015 Bolt and Bolt R-Spec models in showrooms, Star Motorcycles decided that, to keep their dealers from running short of a desirable model and possibly losing out on some sales, the 2016s needed to be released early. How well are the Bolts selling? Star says the Bolt is its third best-selling street bike. So, as a result, the 2016 Bolt and Bolt R-Spec will hit the showroom floors beginning in August.

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2015 Star Bolt C-Spec – First Ride Video Review

Star Motorcycles has added to its pair of performance bobbers, the Bolt and Bolt R-Spec, with the 2015 Bolt C-Spec. However, when you have a model line that’s selling well, you don’t want to change it too much. So, Star massaged a little cafe racer into the Bolt’s attitude. While the power train remained the same, the pulled back bar was tossed and replaced with clip-ons. The pegs were moved 6 in. rearward, and the passenger accommodations are swapped for a sporty seat cowl. The front and rear suspensions were bumped in length a tad to gain some cornering clearance, resulting in a Bolt that likes to go around corners a little more than its older siblings.

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2015 Star Bolt C-Spec First Ride Review + Video

What do you do when you have a two-year-old cruiser platform that has not only sold well since its inception, but also has risen to the top of your brand’s sales? If you’re Star Motorcycles , you look at how this successful platform can be tweaked to be sold alongside the existing models, hopefully securing an even larger slice of the pie. This is exactly what Star has done with the 2015 Bolt C-Spec. With the Bolt, there was really only one direction to go with this new model. Neither a Bolt Tourer nor a Bolt Classic (complete with deeply valence fenders and chrome baubles) fit the Bolt’s stripped-down aesthetic. Instead, Star decided to inject a little more caffeine into its self-described performance bobber. The result is the C-Spec.

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2015 Star Raider Bullet Cowl Review

The Gods of Torque looked down upon the land and saw the Star Raider muscling its way through the atmosphere – its rider clinging to the grips, vainly trying to become more aerodynamic – and they decided to help the poor mortal to better enjoy the awesome engine that their powers had wrought. By their command, salvation for the rider, in the form of a bullet cowling, descended from the heavens, magically attaching itself to the triple clamp. And all was right in the world.

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AIMExpo 2014: 2015 Star Bolt C-Spec First Look Video

MO E-i-C Kevin Duke offers his first-hand look of the new 2015 Star Bolt C-Spec, a café racer-ish cruiser that debuted today at AIMExpo in Orlando.

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AIMExpo 2014: 2015 Star Bolt C-Spec Plus Others Announced + Video

Star Motorycles added to its popular Bolt line of cruisers today with the introduction of the new Bolt C-Spec. Astute readers can probably guess what the C stands for, but we’ll clear it up, right away. Café-styled motorcycles have always been popular, and right now, they are hot. Since Star sees the Bolt as a platform for customization, it only makes sense that it would want to help customers along by providing them with a café-ed canvas to begin their personalization.

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Shootout at the MO Corral: A Bout With the Scout + Video

When Indian unveiled the Scout at Sturgis last month, it sent ripples through the motorcycle world. How would it compare with other cruisers in its class? What exactly were the other cruisers in its class? Obviously, Indian is hoping to improve its bona fides by taking on that other American brand’s most ubiquitous V-Twin in its displacement class, but what others? So, the lists began.

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2014 Star Motorcycles V Star 1300 Review

Introduced in 2007 to fill the space in the Star Motorcycles lineup left by the departure of the V Star 1100, the V Star 1300 has stuck around, relatively unchanged, for the past seven model years. In that time, it’s grown to include a pair of spruced up siblings: the V Star 1300 Tourer and the V Star 1300 Deluxe. Despite the passing of the years, we haven’t revisited the unadorned V Star since our first ride report from the Asheville, NC introduction. Has time been kind to this workhorse of the Star line, or is it time to put it out to pasture?

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Indian Scout Spec Shootout

Indian Motorcycles made a big splash in Sturgis this year with the introduction of its new Scout. The revival of a historic model is newsworthy on its own, but the larger take-away from the emergence of the Scout is that it doesn’t directly compare to any other cruiser.

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2013 World Cruiser Shootout – Video

Guy walks into a bar. He’s unsure about what to drink, and frankly doesn’t much care. It’s been a rotten day, and his sole desire is to get nicely loaded and then sit back, relax and enjoy the buzz.

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2014 Star Roadliner S Review

Setting yourself apart from the 45-degree, air-cooled population inhabiting cruiserdom is a difficult task. Style your V-Twin a bit too liberally and you attract only eccentrics while ostracizing the general cruiser enthusiast. Maintain conventional cruiser fashion and you’re just another dot in a Seurat painting of Harley-Davidson.

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2014 Star Bolt Vs. 2013 Harley-Davidson 883 Iron – Video

If we told you that you could purchase a brand-new urban performance bobber with a blacked out V-Twin engine and components, a stripped neo-industrial appearance and a low seat height that’s ideal for new-ish, female or those “short of leg,” all for under eight grand, would you bite? There are two motorcycle manufacturers producing such a bike. Your choice is between the proven machine with a few well-documented idiosyncrasies, or the upstart contender that’s eager to take on the champ.

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2009 Star Motorcycles VMax Preview - Motorcycle.com

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2009 Star V-Max Review/Test - Motorcycle.com

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2009 Yamaha V-Star 950 Review - First Ride - Motorcycle.com

In fact, the ’09 V-Star 950 fulfills the requirements of most cruiser riders, combining a classy visage with decent performance and a considerable presence. To do all that with a retail price starting at just $7890 is impressive to say the least. 

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2009 Yamaha V-Star 950 Review - Motorcycle.com

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2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe Review - Motorcycle.com

Despite the miserable economy and state of the motorcycle industry that we’re all painfully familiar with, cruiser sales suffer the least, according to info from Derek Brooks, Product Planning Manager for Star Motorcycles.
 
During the launch of the 2010 Star Stratoliner Deluxe, Brooks pointed to industry sales data supplied by the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) that highlighted how cruiser sales accounted for the largest share of total motorcycle sales in the past five years.

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2011 Star Stryker Unveiled - Motorcycle.com

The Stryker’s most distinctive attribute is its raised steering head proudly and clearly on display in front of a peanut-y fuel tank cocked skyward. “The muscular, forward-lunging look reinterprets classic custom ‘chopper’ styling for the 21st century,” according to Yama-Star.

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2012 Star Raider SCL Review - Motorcycle.com

Available this year in a 500-unit production run, the Raider SCL combines the reliability of an OEM motorcycle with the recognition of individuality and distinction of rarity.

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Of the five engines powering Star’s 2012 model lineup, the 942cc Twin of the V Star 950 sits square in the middle. Neither too big nor too small, it’s a proportionate motorcycle a biker-chic version of Goldilocks would consider just right.
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2010/2012 Custom Star Stratoliner Deluxe Review - Video - Motorcycle.com

So what’s the deal? Star has kept this bike in the test fleet for a while, and when it came time to choose a machine for its annual charity raffle to benefit the Feed the Children Foundation, Star/ Yamaha’s preferred charity, this Strato Deluxe made the perfect candidate for a full makeover.

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2012 Yamaha V Star 1300 Tourer Review - Motorcycle.com

Considering our country’s lingering fiscal malaise, the loss of the moderately priced V Star Custom and continuation of the V Star 1300 Tourer may seem to fly in the face of reason. However, according to Motorcycle Industry Council data, when it comes to a metric brand selling cruisers in excess of 900cc – Star rules.

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2012 Star V Star 250 Review - Motorcycle.com

The 535 had everything going for it in my view: the requisite low-slung cruiser look and feel, plus a low seat height that helped banish any intimidation of learning to ride. The Virago 535 had a welcoming appearance, yet it still looked cool like the big-boy bikes.

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2012 Star VMAX Review - Motorcycle.com

All motorcycles derive personality characteristics from the performance, sound and power delivery of their motor but the VMAX is the epitome of a motorcycle defined by its engine. The 2012 MAX boasts a Brembo radial pump master cylinder controlling its dual front 6-piston brake calipers, ABS, a slipper clutch, ride-by-wire, an aluminum frame, etc., but this hardware pales in comparison to the 176 rear-wheel horsepower of the MAX’s 1679cc, V-Four powerplant.

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2013 Star V Star 1300 Deluxe Review - Motorcycle.com

So it’s surprising to discover that Star’s new V Star 1300 Deluxe truly has zero competition. There simply isn’t another production, mid-size, quote-unquote bagger out there. Every other semi-dressed tourer on the market features a large-displacement engine, and any bagged bike with an engine in this displacement range has a windshield rather than a fairing and its saddlebags are likely leather – or, if they are hard-molded, leather-wrapped. Star noticed a hole in the façade of Bagger Nation, and this new motorcycle fills it nicely.

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2014 Star Motorcycles Bolt Preview - Motorcycle.com

Powered by the V Star 950’s 57.5 cubic-inch (942cc) air-cooled 4-stroke, 60° V-Twin, both Bolt models enjoy a 3.6 cubic-inch (58.9cc) displacement advantage over the two 883 Sportster models from Harley. At 540 pounds wet the Bolts are also 33 pounds lighter than the Sportsters’ 573-pound curb weight. The new pretender even bests the 883 Iron by nine dollars boasting an MSRP of $7990 vs. the Iron’s $7999 price tag.

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2014 Star Motorcycles Bolt Review - Motorcycle.com

Rejoice, true friends of the two-wheel brother (and sister) hood, for it would appear that the days of the high-dollar, trailer queen custom motorcycles are fully, completely behind us.

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