Yamaha claims that the Roadliner can get 200 miles between fill-ups, but the best we saw was 41 mpg, though that was cruising at a steady 75 mph. We never did ride it for any extended period at a steady 55 to 60 mph, which might return the over-45-mpg mileage needed to do that. The low-fuel light came on when it had consumed 4.0 gallons, leaving about half a gallon. At that point, the fuel gauge was just reaching the Empty peg. When the light comes on, the tripmeter resets to zero and starts counting up. So if you don't notice it right away, you have some idea of how much fuel and range you have left. We figure that half-gallon will get you 15 to 20 miles.
If you choose to use all the range of the Roadliner, your body probably won't complain. The seat is firm but not excessively so, which means it still provides good support at the end of the day. It is also flat and roomy, providing admirable comfort for riders of a variety of sizes from small to large, which was precisely what Yamaha intended. Taller riders have enough space to shift position, and the Roadliner might be a good fit for taller guys who complain that other bikes feel cramped. The oversized floorboards also permit you to shift position. Even Friedman's size 13s had room to rearrange themselves on extended rides.
When we first sat on one, we thought that the 37.6-inch-wide handlebar would hang us out in the wind like a sail and we'd be fighting to hold on. But it turns out the big headlight deflects enough wind from your torso that it isn't an issue. Running along at 75 or 80 mph, we'd just slide back on the seat and lean into the wind slightly, which balanced the wind pressure. Vibration is minimal and only the sharpest bumps intrude on your reverie.
One tester did 10 hours and almost 600 miles on the Roadliner on a variety of roads, stopping only for gas and one meal. His only complaint at the end of the day was that he was a bit chilled. Since the end of his ride was after dark, he also came back raving about the Roadliner's headlight, especially the high beam, and instrument lighting.
We didn't expect the Roadliner to be nimble, and it isn't. It wants to make nice, smooth, steady arcs into corners. It isn't a bike you flick into a bend. But that isn't to say that it requires a heavy steering effort. Perhaps because the long handlebar provides plenty of leverage, it initiates turns easily. However, if you want to lean over farther, you need to apply somewhat heavy pressure to bend it way over and hold it there. When we did so, we were surprised at how much cornering clearance it has. Previous Star flagships have been pretty limited in cornering clearance, but despite its long 67.5-inch wheelbase, the Roadliner offers respectable lean angle before the floorboards drag. (And Yamaha provides replaceable pads at the floorboard drag points to make it inexpensive to get rid of those grind marks if they bother you.)
The suspension is much better sorted out than most big cruisers'. The damping and spring rates provide excellent ride and stability, and only larger sharp-edged bumps disturb its progress at all. Whether droning along at 80 on an interstate or dragging its floorboards in a tight corner, the Roadliner felt as stately as it looks. Yamaha made a big point of the fact that the weight is balanced evenly between the two ends of the bike, putting more of its weight up front, which may have contributed to its stability.
The brakes also impress. They take a bit more lever pressure than a typical cruiser, but there is plenty of power there and excellent control. You aren't likely to inadvertently lock up either wheel. Full-boogie stops were straight and confident. Our only complaint was that handlebar-lever-position adjusters, a feature that Yamaha pioneered, have been dropped on the Roadliner in the interest of styling. The levers and master cylinder reservoirs were carefully shaped and finished (in chrome on the S models we tested), and it was apparently determined that the adjusters were unsightly. The Star accessory people may offer replacement levers with adjusters, which will allow smaller hands to get a better grip on things.
On the other side of the coin, there are a couple of eyesores that Yamaha let slip by. Yamaha made a major effort to style the steering-head area. One of the most notable (and controversial) styling touches is the chrome trim that wraps around the front of the fuel tank and extends up along the side of the steering head area of the frame, drawing your eye to it. Unfortunately, when your eye gets there, it is likely to be jarred by the big wire bundle sprawled across it on the right and a series of hoses (which we think are part of the emissions equipment for California models only) on the left. The wire bundle should have been routed under or through the frame, and we suspect Yamaha could have found a way to hide the maze of hoses.
There are plenty of nice details too. The ignition/fork lock atop the headlight has a sliding cover than pulls back to hide it and keep out grit and water when the key is removed. The face of the instrument pod atop the tank is nicely styled, and includes a small tachometer and fuel gauge. The LCD window includes a clock. Switches on the front of the handlebar switch housings reset and adjust the LCD display to a variety of configurations and also adjust instrument lighting level. We did have trouble reading the display in the rain, since the unit sits almost flat on the tank.
The Roadliner, like the forthcoming Stratoliner (the Roadliner with windshield, bags and passenger backrest), comes in three trim versions. The base model lists at $13,580 and is available only in black cherry. The Midnight ($13,880) blacks out many of the metal pieces and has black bodywork. We rode two examples of the S version, which has chrome finishes on most of the metal and polished wheels, comes in white ($14,780) or a bronze/black two-tone ($14,980).
After being less than overwhelmed by other companies' over-100-inch V-twins, the Star Roadliner is a welcome surprise. It is the first to deliver the kind of power that should come with this sort of displacement. Even though it appears the most nostalgic and least performance-oriented of the mega twins, it actually delivers the best handling and ride in the class. It also does the best job of providing the luxury and comfort that we expect from bikes in this niche. Finally, it also dispenses with traditional Star shortcomings like unimpressive power and too-little cornering clearance. While it will be a few months before we get to ride Suzuki's new big-inch V-twin, the Star Roadliner is clearly the standard that future big-displacement twins will have to beat.