2008 Yamaha Road Star Cruiser reviews

I do love this bike. True the factory starter motor is not great. The overall build quality is good. The ride and handling are also good. I have had many street bikes from many manufactures and this one is my favorite thus far. Good all around cruise...kudos to the Yamaha project team. Ryan Florida Show less

I had a great experience at Honda-Suzuki of Sanford nc the bike and the service there were more than I expected in quality I would recommend them to anyone Show less

I put 100k on a Suzuki Intruder 1500LC and then got this bike and love it. It has plenty of power and is a very smooth, balanced ride. And yes, this bike excels on the freeway. The only drawback is the stock seat and the low, awkward handle bars. the seat feels like I'm sitting on my tail bone. If I did not see other comments about the seat I would think it was because I'm a tall guy, but many others are having the same issue. I will be replacing the seat A$AP. I love the sound of the Cobra pipes. Show less

I purchased my '08 in August of 2011 new, it was still in the crate. My local dealer had bought it at auction from a dealer that was going out of business. It is a good deal for me, I saved over $4,000 on the bike. I had never ridden anything this big before, but after 30 minutes in the school parking lot and a afternoon getting the feel of the bike around town, I was amazed how easy this bike was to ride. Mind you my previous bike was a KLR 650, so it's a real difference. I just rode 1,200 miles in three days and love everything about the bike, but the seat. It's too soft. Power, gas mileage, storage, easy learning curve, it's all great. I'm not sure why Yamaha just does not reduce the entire line up to just this one model. It's a great looking bike. It pulls hard in the middle gears. I love the easy to remove wind screen and back rest. With an aftermarket seat, I'll ride her until one of us drops. Show less

I just purchaced a new 2009 1300T and it's exceeded all my expectations. There is plenty of power for the mountains and looks that would stop a crazed deer. Tight U-turns are difficult and I have to stretch a little more than I like for the handlebars. That can be corrected. Overall, she is a looker with features that make her best in class for the dollar. Show less

This bike is far and away the best mid size cruiser for the money. I still haven't figured out how they can call it mid size. It looks and runs like a heavy-weight. I get thumbs-up on the looks by the cagers all the time. It handles like a dream, even at lower, parking lot speeds. I would definitely ditch the stock Dunlops for Metzeler Marathons (much better ride and tread life). I bought this bike new in March, 2008 (last one in Houston) and have put about 15,000 trouble-free miles on it, to date. The stock seat was the first thing to go, after about an hour in the saddle, kinda got the numb bum ya know? I got a Mustang 3 piece with rider back rest and Voila! no more numb bum! V&H 2 into 1 Cobra FI2000 K&N Air filter Cobra Fatty Hiway Bars Kuryakyn pegs Star passenger floorboards and Star luggage rack round out the accessories (so far!) Fuel economy on road trips is knockin on 51 mpg. around town it's about 44 mpg. I'm not kidding quit thinking about it and head down to the dealership with your checkbook you will not be disappointed! Show less

One of the best balanced bikes out there! The handling is great and handle bars are perfectly placed to promote rider comfort. You need to wake the bike up with performance mods! A six speed would freshen the bike up and make it more enjoyable. All in all I rate it 8 out of 10. Buy and you will enjoy the ride! Show less

This bike is everything I have been wanting in a motorcycle! It came with a shield, bags, and a passenger backrest -- my wife loves riding on the back of it - and because it's so well balanced, I can hardly tell she's there! The only issue I've had is that the handlebars are a little too far forward for my comfort, so... I ordered some Royal Star touring handlebars to give me an additional 3" of pullback, and bam -- much better. All in all - I can't complain, and I get a ton of compliments on how sharp the bike looks. Would DEFINITELY recommend this bike to anyone!!!! Show less

This has to be one of the smoothest most comfortable riding bikes ever. It is built for the road and boy can it gobble up the highway. The V4 engine is ultra smooth with loads of torque and HP to back it up. It likes to rev and so do I. I can't say enough good things about this bike and I got an awesome deal. Show less

Bought my new 08 blue Road Star after several years of searching, comparing and debating different bikes and maufacturers. Bought it as a left over 08 and saved a lot of money. Had ridden almost everything else from everyone else except the Road Star but one ride told me that this was what I was looking for. Ride is very close to the Roadliner which is still the best handling big bike I have ever been on. The only thing missing from this bike compared to the Roadliner is the extra stong motor of the Roadliner but still mine has plenty of smooth torquey power that is easy to use. If the rest of my time is as good as the first 600 miles I know I have a keeper. Would reccomend anyone looking for a big crusier to give a Road Star a test ride. Show less