2004 Yamaha Road Star Cruiser reviews

Late September, 2010, I bought this bike used with 5,300 miles, and I have not regretted it one bit. A lot of customizing has been done, however, it's a great bike. I have put 600 miles on and 300 miles on the first week I had it. For a larger man of my size, it is hard to find a bike that is comfortable for my wife and I, but I found one with more than enough room. My wife doesn't complain about being on it like she did my Honda Shadow 1100. The look....well let's just say she turns heads (raven black over burgundy). But the performance and reliabilty was what I was looking for and I have not been disappointed. She runs with the big dogs if you know what I mean. Overall it's an awesome bike. It will not disappoint. Show less

I have been riding bikes for 22 yrs. I have had lots of bikes. My first was 350cc and last bike before my New 2005 Road Star was a Honda CBR xx Black Bird 182 MPH sport cruiser. Let me start by saying I love my Road Star! It's air cooled, carbureted, simple. What it lacks in mind blowing 0 to 100 is made up for when you're sitting at a light feeling the rumble under you. It just feels big and bad. You don't even have to be moving. that's what I like that about this bike. don't get me wrong, it hauls butt... I'm just used to the CBR. The Road Star is very comfortable, almost too. I had one or two a bad experiences on my Road Star. First was I was riding one day when a guy pulled up next to me. I was on my 2nd or 3rd ride. He was on a Road Star, the same bike, He had pipes, big air kit and it sounded great. I let him lead when we left the light. We were coming up on another light and it started to turn yellow and I thought he would just give it a little gas and easily go through the darn thing but he didn't. Not used to the breaks or should I say never had to lay on them yet, here we go. It wasn't like my CBR!!! I started sliding the back tire while working the front brake and finally came to a stop. It slid straight, I'll give it that but it clued me in on the brake system. The brakes are So-So - could be better. The other bad thing I had happen was I'm cruisin' along down the center of the right lane well behind the car in front of me but I guess not far enough because I didn't see a 2x6 laying in the center of the lane before it was to late, WHAM. I was expecting something BAD to happen but the bike hopped right over it and didn't even wobble. That really sold me on the suspension of this beast. The more I ride this bike the more I can't wait to get back on it. My wife rides with me and likes it as well. Show less

My 04 Road Star is pretty impressive, which says a lot coming from a guy that hates cruisers, strike that...hated cruisers. I have ridden all my life and always preferred my cafe' racers over anything. Despite what anyone said I was never going to get a cruiser. That is until I got the letter from the state telling me one more ticket & I was going to lose my license. So I bought a 03 V-Star 1100. OK bike but not enough power or size for me, so I bought the 04 Road Star. Now all I can say is that this is one heck of a bike! Power & handling combined this thing continues to impress me. Yeah, it's no R1, but I'm hanging corners with it like it's an R1. It's so solid in a corner it actually makes you stop to remind yourself that it's not a sportbike. After the hypercharger & pipes, rear seat rest & floorboards my wife and daughter liked it too. Now they want one of their own, so I have turned mine into a solo seat bike and looks better now than it ever did. If you get the chance to buy a 1700cc Roadie..... DO IT! Show less

I USED TO DRIVE A 72 TRIUMPH YEARS AGO AND THEN GOT OUT OF MOTORCYCLES, UNTIL MY BROTHER GOT AN ELECTRA GLIDE. LOOKED REAL HARD AT HARLEY'S IN ORDER TO FIT IN, BUT THE MONEY MAKES NO SENSE. I THINK I GOT A LOT MORE, A LOT BETTER BIKE. RUNS LIKE A DREAM, HANDLES GREAT, LOOKS GREAT. COULDN'T BE HAPPIER. Show less

I upgraded from a V-Star 1100 after riding for one year to keep up with the guys I was riding with. This is a perfect fit for a smaller lady. Even though it is a heavy bike, the low center of gravity and low seat height make it very easy to handle. I do have to be careful not to get on a hill where I can't back up or parked in a way I can't set it back up. Other than that I absolutely love the bike and plan on riding it for at least 100,000 miles or more. Show less

I love this bike. Some may argue it's not the fastest, but it is plenty fast for me. It is great on the open road. Terrific at 75-80mph. Handles well on two lane black top as well as city driving. Brakes are fantastic. Great looks, I have the two tone Red and Onyx. Lots of compliments wherever I go. My wife loves the ride. Plenty of power for both of us. You can't go wrong for the money. Show less

Overall, this bike handles and performs very well. I would recommend it to anyone prepared to handle a heavy bike that does not feel heavy because of its low center of gravity. Plenty of pickup, smooth and powerful brakes and a comfortable ride. There is some vibration but not enough to cause any discomfort. You will scrape the floorboards on occasion, depending on how aggressively you ride, but that is true of most cruisers. Seat is not great but is good for a couple of hours of continuous riding before you need a "Butt Break." There were initial problems. First, the rear fender bolts under the seat were not torqued tightly enough with the result that a sharp bump brought a loud crack. Took the techs 5 hours to find that one. Second problem was that from day one the bike required constant adjustment at high speed to the point where it was difficult to keep the bike in the lane without any wind, but especially when it was windy. I found this condition to be dangerous, as did the dealer who sold it to me after he took it out for a ride. The cause? Yamaha shipped the bike from the factory with the front wheel on backwards so that the tire was not turning in the direction of the arrow. The dealer missed that on the set up when I purchased it. I have a letter into Yamaha asking them for a response and I am waiting to hear from them. I thought these two problems reflected poorly on Yamaha and its quality control. I never had any problems like this with my 2003 Yamaha V Star 1100 Classic. Now that those problems have been dealt with, I love the bike and look forward to many miles of riding pleasure. Show less

Just picked up my 2004 Road Star Silverado. It is a replacement for my 1992 Honda Goldwing. The wing was a great bike, can't be beat for long distance touring, but I wanted a more all round mount. The Road Star seems to handle everything well. After 40 years of riding, I appreciate the increased leg room and the relaxed overall position. A much easier ride in town than the Wing while handling the open road nicely too. The fit and finish is first rate. As good looking a cruiser as you can find. Show less

Everyone told me to get a smaller bike to start out with, but this one was more than I could have asked for. Just because of the size, doesn't mean it handles poorly. The balance and stopping were perfect. On the freeway there was no trouble with the wind or anything. A nice smooth ride. Show less

I have put on 4500 miles of pure joy on this mildly modified pearl white '04. Finally, a bike that isn't killing my early retirement! Go and test this bike before buying ANY other big V-Twin. You will quickly understand. Show less