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Riding the Tour Deluxe

At first, this behemoth kind of scared me, as I just about dumped it over twice on my second day riding it. So, I was really apprehensive and stiff the first week. Slowly, without even realizing it, I became accustomed to the weight, and how to maneuver even at slow speeds, to the point that sudde...nly, I was relaxed on her.

She's quite a horse! A beautiful horse...Yamaha really knows how to doll up their rides. The only thing I did not care for was the ugly black breather boxes on each side. But of course, I spent a little money and bought the chrome covers for them and improved the looks of the bike 100%!

Now about power...having a 1294cc V-4 engine underneath of you is a different experience. Not so much power at the low end (not to say she won't scoot off the line, just don't expect the jump of a v-twin) but once you get up to speeds of 50 and above, you can reel in just about anything other than a sportbike.

The touring aspect of this bike is great as well. Big windshield with lowers already attached that does a real decent job of keeping the wind deflected at just about any speed. Comes standard with passenger floorboards for the comfort of Mama. Let us definitely not forget the one of the two best features of this bike...real cruise control!! With the flick of your thumb and the push of a button, you can keep you speed the same no matter how many miles you ride, or whether you are going up and down inclines. Not a cheap, awkward throttle lock.

The last but not least great feature of my tour deluxe...she's a convertible! Of course, what I mean is she can be changed from a touring bike into a cruiser in less that 30 seconds by removing the quick release windshield and sissy bar. And she make a great looking cruiser, too.

Remember, it is a heavy bike (844 lbs.), and I DON'T recommend it for someone who doesn't have much riding experience. I've been riding smaller bikes for over 25 years, and it was still quite an adjustment.

If you do decide to purchase, you will find that you are getting a lot of bang for your buck, especially since it is backed by a 5 year, unlimited mile warranty. I think that in itself says something about Yamaha and their confidence in the bike. Hope this helps anybody who is out looking. Read Full Review

Good Bike would like more power

Overall performance is very good, my last bike was a 01 Honda Valkyrie. I like the hard bags, cruise control, etc., of the Yamaha but would like more low end power.(Valkyrie great power from the line) Is there anything you can do to the Yamaha, to get better power from the line? Read Full Review