Yamaha Stratoliner XV1900

The 2006 Stratoliner

Recently released to the American motorcycle marketplace, the all new Roadliner embraces an era of significant change for the tuning fork company. Yamaha has placed their whole cruiser range of motorcycles under the new Star banner, and the top dog in this exciting lineup for 2006 is the Stratoliner. Basically an accessorized Roadliner, it's appearing in dealer showrooms as a complete model, featuring a removable windshield, a backrest and leather-bound hard bags.

Concept and Transformation
After checking out the largest air-cooled V-twin engine in production, I came away from the original Roadliner launch very impressed with the massive amounts of torque and power available, and everything remains the same for the Stratoliner. Producing its maximum 114 ft. lbs of torque at just over 2000 rpm, the muscular V-twin keeps belting out these figures until the engine passes 4000 rpm. This makes for some remarkable overtaking power at 60 mph in top gear, the type of power that doesn't tail off until way past the triple-digit mark. Aimed at the mature end of the Star gene pool, the Stratoliner has been designed for the rider with long-distance comfort in mind, and you can remove the windshield and backrest for all those posing opportunities you'll have once in town. This is not a new concept, with both Yamaha and Harley Davidson already offering this feature on select models, but it is most certainly a convenient one that will be very popular with new owners. ...

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