It's no secret that in the cruiser market, history repeats itself over and over again, but it should also be noted that it does not do so the same way every time. Case in point: Yamaha's latest iteration of the Royal Star Tour Deluxe.
When Yamaha jumped into the heavyweight cruiser melee back in 1996 with the Royal Star lineup, it combined the big V4 engine pulled from its venerable Venture Royal tourer with a long wheelbase and a hint of nostalgic styling. Although the bikes were beautifully appointed and carried a then-unparalleled five-year warranty, these first Royal Stars were ultimately disappointing due in large part to the 1300cc V4 engine's power deficit. Because of fuel-tank styling, the intake airbox was designed with limited volume, and the cruiser's get-up-and-go suffered as a result.
What's New
Yamaha market research revealed a demand for a moderate-duty touring bike that could double as an urban cruiser-in other words, a bagger you could undress. For the Tour Deluxe to be at home in either environment, Yamaha made it convertible and also applied the same power-boosting engineering that pumped up the Venture tourer. As in '97, this fresh version of the Tour Deluxe is positioned as a machine riders can both tour and cruise on comfortably.
The '05 Yamaha may chip in a quick-release windshield and passenger backrest among its raft of all-new features to earn the term "convertible," but powering the Royal Star is the same 1298cc, liquid-cooled V4 found in the Venture and V-Max, featuring a 10:1 compression ratio, four valves per cylinder and digital ignition. The difference from the '97 Royal Star's version of this engine is increased airbox volume (thanks to dual-air intakes in the lowers) that uncorks potential, allowing the same 98-horsepower output found on the Venture. It's a far better showing than the sluggish 60-ish number on the original Royal Star, delivering a broad spread of power with an emphasis on low-rpm torque-Yamaha claims 89 foot-pounds of the stuff. A 4-into-2 exhaust system with adjustable tips is fitted out back, and yes, the whole package is still shaft-driven.
Now You See It
The windshield tells you right away this bike's meant for touring, but hidden latches allow it to be quickly detached when you're in the mood for profiling around town. A similarly configured passenger backrest can also be removed or installed in less than a minute, no tools required-we tried. The standard color-matched lowers on the Tour Deluxe contain the big V4's engine intakes, thus squeezing more power from the mill without cannibalizing space. This leaves more room for the 5.3 gallon fuel tank, which was already in close quarters thanks to the Tour Deluxe's lower 29.1-inch seat height.
When we first threw a leg over the Tour Deluxe it all felt a bit much-Yamaha claims a wet weight of 844 portly pounds distributed onto a lengthy 67.5-inch wheelbase. A new wide pullback handlebar design stretched us out pretty far, but a deeply dished solo seat brought us sufficiently closer to the grips. Once we engaged the heel-toe shifter up from the long rider floorboards, however, the now free-breathing engine didn't disappoint.
Thank the 23-degree rake for a remarkably light steering effort, though we found the floorboards touching terra firma during serious cornering. A reinforced swingarm delivers straight-line stability, even at higher speeds, and a single internal counterbalancer keeps things relatively vibe-free, considering the engine is solid-mounted on a rigid chassis. Our Tour Deluxe's relaxed lope felt comfortable cruising at speeds of up to 80 mph. Floating rider and passenger floorboards, handlebar weights and a roomy seat added to the smoothness quotient.
We could engage the hydraulic clutch smoothly and predictably, and the redesigned levers fit our digits comfortably. A five-speed gearbox with overdriven fourth and fifth gears routed power through a quiet shaft drive with just a bit of jacking, and we liked the fact that the suspension on both ends of the low steel frame is adjustable-5.5 inches of travel on the 43mm fork with 4.1 inches of travel on the bottom link-type rear shock (again, just like the Venture's). Dual 298mm discs up front could be engaged easily enough with the wide levers, but it took some effort of both on the front and rear to really make an insistent stop.
Still, with its hidden monoshock rear end, large forks, big brakes and low center of gravity, the Royal Star rides as good as it looks. It is fairly maneuverable, easy to steer and stops hard with decent control.
All The Rest
To ensure you don't miss the touring possibilities, Yamaha has outfitted the Tour Deluxe with two color-matched hard bags and a category first-electronic cruise control. To which we say, it's about time. It's conveniently located on the right handlebar and is easy to operate with one hand.
Embracing the still-in-vogue retro theme of the old model, the '05 Tour Deluxe shimmers with nostalgic visual cues. Requisite chromed metal gleams from the instrument hood, running lights and engine cases. Yamaha also put in its current-generation clear turn-signal lenses and a huge, deep chrome headlight nacelle covering a powerful halogen headlight. An LCD instrument cluster functions as a "dashboard" display, and it looks like it came straight off an old Buick, with its chrome covered hood artfully blending into the headlight shell. Yamaha's reputation for stellar fit and finish is acquitted on the Tour Deluxe-the lustrous chrome and rich paint scheme would do any boulevardier proud.
Yamaha also understands the cruiser customizing tendency, so a full range of accessories (more than 100) have been designed in concert with the bike to offer personalizing options. The stripped-down, solo-seat version of the Tour Deluxe Yamaha showed us was especially eye-catching.
While this model may not appear to be a huge design leap, Yamaha fills a noticeable gap in its cruiser lineup with the more versatile Royal Star. The 2005 cruiser should be in dealers by the time you read this, in either dark red/black or silver/ black for an MSRP of $13,999. The five-year unlimited miles warranty stands, as does Yamaha's 24-hour roadside assistance program. -Andy Cherney