Yamaha Roadliner S Motorcycle Reviews on Cycle Insider (34)
Avg. Rating

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.

Since I bought my Roadliner, I cannot count the number of people asking me what kind of bike is that. After I tell them it's a Yahama, I see their jaws drop.

Purchased my Roady S new in Aug 09. I really wanted the Raider but could not get comfortable on it and thought the Roady was a little old fashioned. First impressions are not always the best ones, this bike is all that and then some. I love this big boy, what a joy to ride.

Liquid silver color with custom silver, black and white modest pin stripping--absolutely beautiful. This is a large bike and probably not for a beginner, but once it starts to roll it feels perfectly balanced and is very easy to control. Unmatched fit and finish with great attention to detail. I had a Harley Superglide. This bike is head and shoulders over the Harley. Wish the driver saddle was more comfortable and that the bike had cruise control. Other than these two issues, the bike is as near perfect as you can get.

This is the first Yamaha I have owned in my 30+ years of riding and I must say it has proven to be the best I have ever owned.

The Roadliner is the best bike on the market hands down. The only downfall is the seat on long rides.

I recently purchased an untitled 07 Roadliner. I love my bike. This bike truly handles like a sport bike. It will need a touring seat eventually. I would like to get a windshield also. There aren't many choices in after market windshield currently. Overall, I would highly recommend this bike.

I bought a left over 07 RoadLiner in May 09. What an awesome bike, I had a Road Star that was completely customized and I don't miss it a bit! This bike has tons of torque, rides smooth as heck and looks great to boot. Just got to figure out a way to get ride of the rear turn signal lenses, I hate that Madonna look! Great bike overall. Can't wait to put a slip on muffler, K&N air filer and computer mods to make it more noticeable in traffic and faster!

I have not ridden in 20 years. I am 50 years old and decided to buy a bike. My friends are all buying bikes so I did, I did not want to miss out. Looked for a road king but was out of my price range. I had my heart set on a Yamaha 1300 but was not comfortable on it. The sales rep pointed me to the road liner S. The minute I sat on it, I knew this was it. I picked it up Feb. 20th and I am loving every minute. I thought it may be too big of a bike for someone that has not ridden in 20 years (not the case) balance, comfort, handling, power, looks it has it all. Best decision I could have made. So easy to ride.

I LOVE THIS BIKE. THE HANDLING AND THE PERFORMANCE NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME. GREAT BIKE FOR THE CRUISER GUY LOOKING TO TAKE A LONG RIDE, OR A GREAT BIKE FOR THE GUY WHO WANTS TO GO OUT AND GET A LITTLE BIT RADICAL WITH HIS BUDDIES. THIS BIKE IS PHENOMENOL...

I purchased this Roadliner in May 08. Great bike! It has Seashell paint. It's got awesome power, smooth; handling is really unbelievable for this huge machine. Power, power, & power all the way up. This is the Cadillac of motorcycles. There is nothing you can dislike about the Roadliner. It is great fun to ride especially in the curves. It has the same horsepower and engine configuration as the Raider. Fuel injection works very well. I stepped up to the Roadliner from a 1670cc Roadstar.

I purchased my Stratoliner S after selling my 01 Victory V92C. I have had the luxury of riding most of the cruiser class bikes available and I bought the ride not the label. The best part is every time I ride the Stratoliner it finds a way to amaze me. The handling is second to none with power and torque to spare. This bike thrives in the twisties and rides as smooth as my 96 Cadillac Concourse on the flats. My only complaint is the stock seat is not as comfortable as I would like but that is going be addressed this spring with the purchase of a Mustang seat with backrest. The stock handle bars are a little far forward for my short arms but that is fixed with a riser. This is one of the best bikes on the market and I recommend it to any all bikers that are into the ride and not the label.

Wow. That would be enough to say about this bike. I recently purchased a new 2006 Roadliner and sold a 2005 VStar 1100. I will not compare the two because you can not. The 'liner' is powerful, smooth, rattle-free and stops on a dime from any speed. The brakes are flawless and do not pull or squeal. The paint and fit and finish is perfect. One bad thing is the seat - it sucks. The torque has to be experienced to appreciate it - I can only say there is a LOT of it in any gear. I had the bike dynoed last week and it has 91HP at the rear wheels and 109 lb/ft torque at stock from the box. I have owned several bikes (two Harleys - 1200 Sportster and a Road King - among them) and I can easily state that no other bike I have owned is even close to this bike. This is a keeper.

This bike has plenty of power, handles very very well, and is an overall great looking bike. I test road the Honda, Kawasaki, and the Harley and this bike is by far a much better ride than all. Powerful, smooth, quick, and responsive.

Re-entry rider after 20 year layoff. Have had FZ1, VTX 1800 and 1300, Roadstar 1600, KLR 650, V-Strom 650, XR650L, and a Zuma scooter all in last few years. I want to like cruisers but until now have not been happy with the dump truck like handling. The Roadliner is not exactly nimble, but it handles better than the others. Riding the twisties is fun and doable, with little floorboard scaping. It holds a corner and doesn't wobble or stray. The motor is awesome, no big burst of power at any one point, but super torque right from the bottom. Have not hit the rev limiter yet, something you can do easily on the Roadstar or VTX's. Stock pipes sound good for now. Comfort is great under 65 mph; after that the cruiser feet-forward position means you've got to hang on. On the highway, twist the throttle and leave the cars behind effortlessly. The fit and finish is excellent. The brakes work well with no drama. The fuel injection works great too, no flat spots, surging or hard starting. don't buy it if you don't want people walking up to it and asking questions. It's a great looking machine. All and all a great purchase and a lot of bang for the buck. Try one out!

Have owned 3 new Harley's since 1993. Went Yamaha in 2002 with a Road Star Warrior, then a touring 2004 Road Star 1700. Missed my Warrior for power and handling. Saw the Roadliner S and tried it. It is a Power cruiser, a wonderful handling machine, and a smooth touring bike. What can I say! I bought one and I have not been disappointed. Congratulations Yamaha! You have built the ultimate Power cruiser. I am 54 years old and having the best time of my life on this bike. When you crank the throttle you don't feel a breeze! You feel a perfect storm....

I am now 49, and hadn't ridden since I was 19. This is the first bike to grab my attention by looks only since then. After my test drive I was hooked and had to have it. I am closing in on 3800 miles, and eagerly await the weekends so I can put on another 500-600 highway miles. Low speed handling in parking lots is great, as are highway speeds. You can't go wrong with this one.

The best machine that I have ridden!! Not recommended for unexperieced riders, a man's bike! Super powerful, beautiful and exciting = a head turner and a tongue dragger!! Rides very smooth. It's the bike that HD wishes they had. The Roadliner sells itself without all the hype and advertisement. It's better than just paying for the name and not the quality like some bikes.

This is my 5th bike, and my last one was an 1800cc. My Roadliner S out-performs my last bike in all areas. You can't say enough positive things about it. Yamaha has out-done themselves with this bike. This bike actually becomes a part of you when you jump in the saddle, it goes exactly where you want it to go. Can't wait to have all the accessories done. Love it!!!

I have had 5 Harleys in the past. I had been wanting a new scooter for the last few years, however, price and maintenance was at the top of the list. I researched many bikes including the Harley Road Kind. I even had a chance to ride the Road King for 200 miles. When I was finished riding the Road King, I knew I was not going to purchase one. I looked hard at the RoadLiner and read every possible article I could find. I finally test drove a Roadliner and could not believe how this bike handled, braked and accelerated. I purchased a Roadliner S and have had it for 6 months with 5500 miles on it. I made several mods and have 102 RWHP W/ 132 lbs. ft. of torque. I never regretted purchasing this bike. THE BEST BIKE I HAVE EVER OWNED.

I HAVE GROWN UP WITH YAMAHA. FROM MY RD350 UP TO MY 04 ROADSTAR THAT WAS MILDLY CUSTOM. I HAVE HEARD MY WHOLE LIFE YOU MAKE THAT BIKE LOOK SMALL. I don't HEAR THAT ANY MORE WITH THE 8 1/2 FOOT ROADLINER! THOUSANDS OF HARLEYS OUT THERE AT PALM HARBOR BIKE FEST AND 1 RED ROADLINER S. YOU'VE GOT TO BE DIFFRENT! NEVER A FOLLOWER, ALWAYS A LEADER. LET ME TELL YOU IT'S GOT A HEADLIGHT THAT FOLLOWS YOU AROUND THE ROOM... I LOVE IT MORE THAN MY ROADSTAR, IS THAT POSSIBLE? YEA BABY!

I have had several HD's then I had the Road Star, and now this Roadline S. Folks, now this is a bike. Smooth, comforable, RELIABLE and talk about pulling power. Love the retro look.

It has been several years since I rode a motorcycle. I shopped Honda, Harley and BMW and fell in love with the style and looks of the Roadliner. I was a bit intimidated by the size of the bike - 700+ pounds, but after 3 months of ownership and 1000 miles, the bike feels very natural and in fact, not big at all. We had 4 Honda bikes when I was in HS growing up, so it is difficult for me to compare this bike with others. One thing I found shopping for a bike was the inability to test ride them - but I feel extremely lucky - the Roadliner is a great bike. It rides great at slow speeds as well as high speeds. With passangers - you notice the extra weight when they move, but the engine, acceleration and the ride is nearly identical. I love the sound, the look and the rumble of the engine. I did have to replace the seats - they were not very comfortable - I purchased a set of Mustang seats and have been very satisfied. This would be my only complaint. Gas mileage is not as good as I had hoped for. I think it may be the city driving and limited highway miles. I have only been on one long trip of 100 miles or more - so this may be my problem.

I just bought a Roadliner S. This has got to be the perfect cruiser. Styling, performance and ride are excellent. I had it at a local park where people hike and a couple of guys stopped to take pictures. They guessed I paid much more than I actually did for it. The sound is not obnoxious - just low and powerful. With the 113 cubic inch engine, I'm starting to think of Harley's 88 cubes as mid-sized. Even the $30,000 screaming eagle fat boy only has a 103. What a ride!!!

Been riding for 35yrs. The Japanese bikes are better. This bike is comfortable, handles well, acceleration is good and it is DEPENDABLE. With the money you save on the price versus a Harley you can buy a load of accessories. Everyone mentions Harleys because of the way they sound. Guess what? You can by pipes now for just about any bike out there and you will get the same if not better sound. Owned several Harleys. All with problems. After 35yrs of riding nothing but Harleys, even when they were about to go belly up, I decided to go Metric. Can't believe the ridiculous prices on Harleys, they seem pretty stripped down compared to the Metrics with dependable performance. Wannabees get Harleys, like rich doctors or lawyers who think they are a tough guy because they have a Harley. All the Hells Angels I know are going metric. You can't tell because they have customized them. No labels.