2006 Yamaha Roadliner Midnight Cruiser reviews

I bought mine used..a 2006 with the windshield..whitewalls..lots of high dollar accessories. It had been 30 years since I had a ride. Needless to say I had a learning curve. It's been 3 years now and it still wants to pull my hands off the grips from a standing start. Every time I mount this beast it blows my mind with its sheer torque and power. 102 cubes it rocks...and did I mention the paint is black lacquer with gold Metalflake from the factory?..simply stunning...I bought a short 1/4 blacked out short windshield or I can mount the stock clear full windshield for slow crusin..ornchanhe to a complete upper fairing lower fairings....so it can be any kind of bike I want it to be. Loweredinbtjebrear and mean looking no matter what's up front, heads turn and I'm sure most 9f them are guessing what steed I'm on. But the bottom line is it's fast...scary fast...yes even after 3 years it still makes my family jewels shrink before I hit 5th gear.I feel so lucky I came across this beast from someone without the appreciation of the perfect combination of style and performance. Oh...what a lucky man I am.. Show less

In the Motorcycle Safety Training class, the instructors tell you that riding a motorcycle is inherently fun. So therefore there is no reason to go crazy on the road or make your bike anything more than it already is, because you are already having fun. You do, however, want your bike to do what you want it to do. that's what the Roadliner S gets accomplished. You want power, it's there. You want good ergos, it's there. You want a stiff frame that doesn't do anything it isn't supposed to, you got it. With so many choices out there, I am sure there are other bikes that do something or the other better than the Roadliner S, but if you appreciate the complete package of feel it in your seat acceleration, a superb chasis, unique and beautiful styling and unsurpassed reliability, this has to be, without a doubt, the bike for you. It is for me. Show less

I bought the Roadliner as my first bike because it is a big air cooled v-twin that looks good. However, after riding the bike several weeks I realize this is far more than a good bike. It's a great bike. The engine produces a ridiculous amount of torque that just keeps coming on endlessly. The engine is so smooth that Yamaha had to build a "pulse" into it so it shook a little. The wide "beach bike" handlebars make have the cables hidden inside them and give you a comfortable and easy riding position. There are two sparkplugs per cylinder for complete ignition and max combustion efficiency. The frame is aluminum so the bike is amazingly stiff and you can throw it around pretty easily for a big cruiser. Like all modern bikes, it's fuel injected, computerized with oxygen sensors and LED taillights. I personalized mine with some cool aftermarket parts but the D&D slip-on muffler made a significant performance improvement. On the downside, gas mileage is only about 44 mpg combined city/highway. I just came back from Daytona Beach bike week and got tons of complements on my bike. Show less

Have this bike & 07 Harley Davidson Custom Deluxe. Like the Harley, Love the Yamaha. On trips over 100 miles, this was always bike of choice, but now finding this bike getting used 75 percent of time. Guess it's time to sell the Harley. I am sold on this bike. Show less

Had this bike for 2 years and enjoyed it immensely. The 3" Hard Kromes were extremely loud! Loved it. Not so much the neighbours! Torgue was awesome and no problems to speak of. Engine rattle was hard to ignore but several mechanics said it was normal so I just let it rap away. Besides the pipes pretty much drowned out the knocks. Show less

Over 350000 miles in 40yrs of riding on the road and I saved the best for last. It just don't get any better than VENTURE. One ride on this bike will get it done. Show less

Check this out! My wife bought me the bike for my 50th. It has a powerband at any rpm. It handles better much better than smaller bikes. This bike kicks butt! Show less

This bike has it all. Comfort (once you swap the stock seat for a Mustang), power, speed, handling, style and fit and finish are top notch. I fell in love with the Road/Stratoliner bikes when I first saw them, and bought my Strato Midnight in its introductory year. I now have over 14,000 miles on it and have no intention of stopping. The bike produces more horsepower and more torque in its STOCK setup than a Screaming Eagle Harley for less than half the price. Plus, the fit and finish of the Strato is impeccable. The bike's design is well thought out and refined. It is classy and retro without looking old and tired. There is no other bike on the market that can compare. Period. All you have to do is take one test ride and you will buy one. The only drawbacks to this bike line is the limited aftermarket parts for it and the stock seat (on the '06 models anyway). The seat is okay for short rides (1-3 hours), but any longer than three hours in the saddle will make you wish for more cushion. A simple fix to the seat problem is a quality aftermarket seat (I highly recommend the Mustang). No need to add highway bars if you are close to my size because the floorboards offer plenty of space to stretch out on. Show less

Like many who have purchased the Roadliner, I have owned many different scooters. Probably all the nametags sold in the US. I always remained open to brands as not to come off like the iron head boys that demand one brand is the best. Well, well, well... lookie what we got here... One incredible, mean, sleek, art deco work of excellence... the Roadliner. This bike has more going for it than most labels have in their whole product line. I looked and had the choice of them all. When I saw the bull faced headlight sticking out of the line up at the local Yamaha dealer I knew right then and there, to be BAD... to be COOL... this had to be under you. Three weeks and a lot of butt kissing, and I rode off. Since then, I now know POWER. This bike is 1900 cc of massive torque and snap. In the year I have ridden this machine, I have always parked up front or rode next to any other brand knowing I'm looking down at a lesser machine (no offense), and that I made the best choice. And had enough left over to buy a second one... And only heard one person (a back passenger, go figure) say, "that's a rice burner!All I know is I now GLOAT, I now get cocky and I also have much, much pride in this bike. There is absolutely NO substitute for the BEST. Show less

I own a 2006 Midnight Venture. This is the 4th bike I've owned and the best by far. This bike is powerful and comfortable for the long rides. It's great for two up riding. This handles twisties better than any cruiser I've ridden. The radio sounds great at 70+ MPH. The cruise control works great. This bike is carbureted, but it is very responsive and mine always fires right up, even on cold mornings. I've heard other owners of this bike complain about primary gear noise. All I can say is that mine does not whine. I think this is an awesome bike and would recommend it to anyone wanting a long distance tourer. Show less