With big splashes occurring in the cruising market waters these days, Triumph’s Rocket III and Kawasaki’s Vulcan 2000 take a bow, the recent release of Yamaha’s Road Star Tour Deluxe is more of a ripple than a wave. No biggest, fastest, or most powerful accolades adorning the latest Star, but not to worry, in the real world it is going to win awards for some new and innovative ideas applied to a well proven theme.

For 2005, Yamaha has launched the new Star Tour Deluxe in the fast growing segment of the market they call “Cruiser Touring.” Basically, for those like me that haven’t heard of it before, it is a category of cruising that encompasses the elements of both types of riding. According to Yamaha, they have seen a healthy increase in sales of their Road Star Silverado and V Star Silverado’s: More tour focused versions of the stock Star and V Star. So, to cater to this need, they decided to build a bike that could quickly be converted from one application to the other.

To achieve this aim, they started with the trusty Royal Star that debuted in 1996. Featuring a 1294cc V-4, liquid-cooled engine, with a five-speed gearbox and shaft drive, the Royal Star comes without luggage or fairings. The new Tour Deluxe uses this Royal Star platform, but has hard luggage, a windshield, leg shields and a passenger backrest. The cool part here is, the windshield and backrest both remove in seconds, thanks to quick release fasteners that don’t require the use of tools. This allows the rider to change from tour mode to cruise mode, depending on their preference, with the absolute minimum of fuss.

To give the press an opportunity to ride the new bike, Yamaha’s Brad Bannister had chosen the east coast location of Charlottesville, Virginia, for the unveiling. This meant I was able to ride to the launch, and the left coast guys got chance to see some serious green, while enjoying some humidity for a change. It was also a chance to indulge in a little American history, as our route took us past Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, where we stopped for a tour.

This was very valuable for me as I made my assessment of the bike. I tend to be in fast-forward mode too often these days, and hadn’t reprogrammed from the previous day’s 700km Interstate blast. Meandering through the vineyards and rolling hills of Virginia, then stopping to indulge in a little history and culture, gave me a chance to figure out what a touring/cruising rider might want from his machine.

Weighing in at 383kg pounds full of fluids, and sitting on a 1650mm wheelbase, the new Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe has a commanding presence when you approach it for the first time. Surprisingly, and no doubt helped by the low 740mm seat height, it is not too hefty coming off the side stand. The bars are big cruiser wide, and a quick stab of the starter button has the V-Four burbling to life, a nice crackle emitting the four-into-two exhaust system when you blip the throttle. While not enhancing the sound, the muffler tips are actually adjustable, so you can tailor the look of the pipes to your own design. By loosening a screw, they spin through 360-degrees to one of four positions, which I thought was a pretty unique idea.