Yamaha Roadliner S Review - Page 2

Yamaha Roadliner S Review - Page 1 - Page 2 By Trevor Hedge At first I found the somewhat unique bend of the handlebars a little awkward but I quickly became accustomed to the feel. They started to make sense and provide a decent amount of leverage. Half a dozen corners later I felt right at home. A few dozen corners later I had well and truly gelled with the Roadliner S and was enjoying the experience immensely. A near perfect 50/50 front to rear weight distribution and good on/off throttle modulation gives the Roadliner a clear edge over other large cruisers. Ground clearance does eventually become an issue, the floorboards touch down as you generate more angles of lean, but the Roadliner is certainly much better in this regard than most comparable mounts. Yamaha have also been clever enough to fit the boards with replaceable sliders which means that you can wear them out rather than the floorboards themselves. The Roadliner sweeps from corner to corner with a level of poise and accuracy that escapes the majority of large capacity cruisers and belies its 346kg wet weight and huge 1715mm wheelbase. Thanks to a very low 705mm seat height the Roadliner poses no problems in the parking lot. Slowing the Roadliner down is easy thanks to four-piston calipers up front married to a pair of 298mm disc rotors. The front stoppers are ably supported by a huge 320mm disc at the rear which suits me fine as I have always found a powerful rear brake a great asset for a heavyweight cruiser. ABS is absent from the specification however. The gearbox shifts fairly well, for a cruiser, and cogs can be swapped via the classic heel-toe shifter. The rear pedal can be removed and both pedals are independently adjustable for reach. The clutch pull is reasonable thanks to hydraulic assistance. On the open highway the Roadliner proves comfortable and capable. The fuel light illuminates after around 245km of riding, indicating there is around 2.5 litres remaining in the 17 litre tank. The bend of the bars can become a little tiresome at speed as the wind hits you fair in the chest. Riders accustomed to long iron butt days in the saddle will benefit from the fitment of an optional windshield. It actually gets quite dangerous looking through the Yamaha genuine accessory catalogue as then you find things like a backrest for your passenger ($132), optional saddlebags ($2,386) and the full gamut of billet accessories all begging to lighten your bank account further. If you’ve got the coin though and in the market for a big cruiser that can actually prove a willing partner in the hills you would be doing yourself an extreme injustice if not trying the Roadliner S on for size. There is also a base Roadliner that does without some of the extra chrome bling and is accordingly priced around $1500 cheaper than the flagship Roadliner S. Model - Yamaha Roadliner S (XV1900AS) Engine – 1854cc, air cooled, v-twin Bore x Stroke - 100 x 118mm Compression Ratio - 9.48:1 Induction - EFI, 43mm twin throttle bodies Transmission – Five speed manual, belt final drive Seat Height – 705mm Dry Weight – 329kg L x W x H - 2580 x 1100 x 1100mm Wheelbase - 1715mm Ground Clearance - 155mm Front Suspension - 46mm Telescopic forks, preload adjustable Rear Suspension -Single shock, preload adjustable, 110mm travel Brakes - Dual 298mm discs (F), 320mm disc (R) Tyres - 130/70-18 (F), 190/60-17 (R) Fuel Capacity – 17 litres Average Consumption on test – 6 litres per 100km Range – 290km Warranty – Two years Price – Expect to pay around $26,000 ride away

Yamaha Roadliner S Review - Page 1 - Page 2

- LATE BRAKING NEWS -