Yamaha Stratoliner Midnight Cruiser reviews

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

You have to ride one to understand. The low center of gravity coupled with the overall wheelbase allows one to float around those sweeping curves. don't let the comfort fool you, a simple twist of the wrist will quickly let you know that this bike will run with any bike on the road, regardless of make. My wife and I have logged many mile on trips with friends and even my wife is amazed at the number of compliment and/or acknowedgments we receive form Harley owners. Enough said. Show less

I picked up this Midnight Strat on Tuesday, Jun 26. I have since put 570 miles on it and have loved every minute of riding. I studied, researched, and talked with everybody about motorcycles. Especially, those that owned a model I was interested in. I did this for over 2 years, I hadn't especially thought I was going with a Strat due to I had other models in mind. I have sat on all the ones I liked and this one just felt right. I am happy with what I got and would recommend the bike to anyone. Just make sure you get the bike that sings to you, there are lots of them out there. Do your research, talk, and sit on a lot of bikes. Show less

This is a really nice bike, bought it in February and have been enjoying it since. This is my first street bike much of my time has been spent on off road bikes. I wanted something that would allow me to cruise the moutains and look good in the city and of course crusing the 101 and the 66. I've got all that and much more. The passenger seat could be a liitle more comfortable (I probably will change that and the pegs). Other than that I highly recommend this bike. Show less

I rode several motors prior to switching from my Honda VTX 1300C to the Stratoliner. Only issue was the comfort for the passenger. After I installed the Mustang seats, it's an easy weekend or longer ride two-up. Totally a comfortable ride. Worth every penny. The Strat. is a great bike, I love more every mile. My Harley friends just stand and stare at it. Show less

Raven black paint with that instrument panel is what I fell in love with. Smooth lines and it is totally powerful - a complete package for a returning Bonneville rider 16 years ago; wife said divorce, I said how high, the rest is tomorrow's story - I just love this big black mutha'. Seat could be a little cushier, and multi-function rear turn signals (running/brakes) would have been clever, along w/star logo rather than Yamaha. Show less

I traded in my 03 Road star for what I'll call the most awesome ride I've ever had. This bike handles like no other bike I've ever ridden. The ballance and cornering is remarkable, the power is incredable, the crusing range between 1st & 2nd is amazingly smooth and wide. I was glad I waited for this machine. Yamaha, you did yourself proud. Show less

I read everything in print about the Stratoliner before I purchased it and knew about its one shortcoming, small bags. The bike has a low center of gravity and feels very stable even at low speeds, and the low seat height allows short riders like me to get both feet flat on the ground. On the road, it's smooth, quiet, and quick to respond to the throttle. It will get you to cruising speed very quick, but riders looking for 100 mph+ speeds might be disappointed. At 70 mph, my bike is running about 3200 rpm, with redline at 5000 rpm. Have been averaging about 45 mpg, mostly hwy miles. It gets lots of attention, even from Harley riders, and non-bikers. I would strongly recommend this bike to anyone wanting great ride. Show less

I traded my 2000 Kawasaki 1500 Classic FI in on the Stratoliner Midnight. Great move! There is a big change going from approx. 57 hp to 100 hp. The power of this machine is just terrific. Turning the wick on at 55 mph provides an awe-inspiring piece of performance. Have had it for one week and 725 miles. I have added the light bar, passenger pads and Roadhouse Classic pipes. The pipes rumble just right in town, but when you get on them on the road and turn the crank, they have a really impressive deep bark. The Roadhouse pipes also allow you to get at the transfer case drain and fill plugs without removing the exhaust pipes, which the stock system did not allow. The suspension is very good, but the stock seat is too hard. Mustang seats are coming. The lighting is excellent with the passing lamps and the addition of PIAA extreme white bulbs all around. Really floods the road. Curve handling is very good--much better than the 1500 Kawasaki. The adjustable instrument lighting is really trick and the dual trip meters are a great addition to the speedometer group. Show less

I picked up my new Stratoliner last week. I have been trying to decide on a new ride for the last 3 months. I had it narrowed down to a Stratoliner, Vegas, or a Dyna. I am a pretty big guy. The only other bike I felt comfortable on out of the box was the Vegas. Both bikes look great, but the Strat is beautiful and functional. Yeah the bags are small, but if I were truly a tourer, I would be looking at a full dress setup. The Stratoliner is probably the best handling stock cruiser made. The engine is strong, and doesn't seem to run out of breath. Go ride the other bikes first, because once you test ride the Stratoliner or the Road liner, you won't walk out of the dealer, you will ride out. Show less